iMPact Business Group is a staffing agency specializing in Information Technology, Engineering, Finance/Accounting and Business Administration/Process positions. To connect with one of our professional recruiters, view our job board for all available positions or submit your resume for consideration here.
Be honest
Being fired can be awkward, whether it was your fault or not. It can also be difficult to explain when asked about in a job interview and can make it feel like it will be more difficult to sell yourself for a new job. First and foremost, it’s important to not lie about the circumstances that led you to be let go from a previous job – or lie about anything else on your resume or job application for that matter. If your potential new employer makes a reference call to your previous employer and are told a different version of events, you’ll lose all your credibility.
Set the narrative
Instead of waiting to be asked in an interview, if you know it’s coming, you can bring it up yourself and frame the issue exactly how you want it in your words. It will make you come across as being more honest and not trying to hide what happened. Instead of using words such as “fired” you can use softer language and say you and the company parted ways, or you were let go. After giving a brief explanation of what happened with your previous job, quickly pivot to what’s most important; why you’re the best fit for the position you’re interviewing for. Important: make sure to distinguish between getting laid-off, downsized or restructured out of a position instead of terminated.
Policy
Find out what the policy of your previous employer is and what they are allowed to say and not say according to any agreement or arrangement you have with your previous employer. Find out what they will say about you if a new potential employer calls to make a reference check. You’ll want what you tell an employer in an interview to line up with what your previous employer will say about your departure from the company.
Avoid the blame game
Even though you might feel that your previous boss was being unfair, the company had bad policies or any other number of reasons that caused you to not be happy or perform your best, badmouthing a former employer or boss is not a good look and will only reflect poorly on you.
Less is more
There’s no need for an in-depth explanation. Keep it brief and have a few sentences prepared to explain what happened should the question come up.
Lessons learned
Own the fact that you were let go, and take responsibility for any mistakes you may have made and then focus on what you’ve learned from the experience, how you’ve grown and plan to improve going forward.
What the interviewer is really trying to find out
People lose their jobs for different reasons, including being let go, and employers are aware of that and will not hold it against you. What they do want to know however is that you weren’t let go for misbehavior such as stealing. They also want to know that whatever the issue was, it’s now in the past and that you’ve learned from what happened and they can count on it not being an issue moving forward. Show them that you’ve taken responsibility for what happened and grown both personally and professionally.
Practice
If you’re not sure about the best way to discuss why you were let go from a previous position, practice what you’re going to say. When you get to the interview, you’ll want to take the emotional aspect out of it and explain what happened in a rational and self-reflecting manner. You can also write down your thoughts, practice what you will say with a spouse or friend and ask for their feedback.
Work with a recruiter
If you feel that the reasons for why you were let go from a previous employer is preventing you from obtaining a new job, working with a recruiter who can get to know you and advocate for you with potential new employers might be a great way to overcome that hurdle.
Finding a new job with iMPAct
Before we start working with a client, we will research them, have in-depth conversations with their hiring team and visit their facilities to get to know them and what makes a candidate successful in their company culture. To connect with a recruiter and find out about our currently available opportunities in Information Technology, Accounting/Finance, Engineering and Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board to view all available job opportunities. Or, submit your resume here for consideration to connect with one of our experienced recruiters in either our Grand Rapids, Michigan or Tampa, Florida location.
