How to Have a Successful Job Interview After Termination
Being fired is a difficult experience. There are commonly feelings of grief, anger and humiliation associated with the experience, and it is sometimes hard to believe that another job will be forthcoming. But as hard as it may be to believe, another job is out there. To get it, you must prepare to do a successful job interview.
Instructions
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Practice what you will say in an interview about being fired from a prior job. A vital component to any successful interview is preparation. When you practice your response to a tough interview question like "Have you ever been fired?" you will sound more confident and believable to an interviewer.
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Think about how the interviewer phrases the question. Answer the question being asked. For example, if the interviewer asks, "Why did you leave your last job?" you must answer honestly that you were fired. If the interviewer says "tell me about your last job," highlight the positive aspects of the job and the relevant experience you acquired without drawing attention to the fact that you were fired.
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Explain your situation honestly and briefly. Take responsibility for what happened and be positive by saying something like "I understand what I did wrong and how to handle the situation differently next time. I have learned from the experience and am a better employee because of it."
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Bring the attention back to the qualifications you possess that make you competitive for the job. After answering briefly about being fired, emphasize a key skill that was gained at that prior job that is desirable to the interviewer.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact the person responsible for firing you. Try to make amends in order to prevent that person from speaking too negatively about you if called by a prospective employer.
Never lie! If you lie about being fired, the interviewer will find out when your former employer is called to verify your employment there. This will eliminate you from consideration for the new job.
Never speak negatively about former managers or coworkers. The interviewer will think that you are hard to get along with.
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Comments
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jaygreen522
Nov 16, 2008
I was terminated just over a week ago from my position. The situation, and resons for it are rather suspect and have been described as a "selective & uneven enforcement of the rules", among other things, by several of the upper level people involved I will meet with the CFO for an appeal in about two weeks. I feel the termination will be upheld, regardless of the facts. Currently, I am seeking a new position with another company. Naturally, I'm struggling with what to say about my termination when the interview question comes up. How can I succesfully navigate past a question like this? -
jaygreen522
Nov 16, 2008
I was terminated just over a week ago from my position. The situation, and resons for it are rather suspect and have been described as a "selective & uneven enforcement of the rules", among other things, by several of the upper level people involved I will meet with the CFO for an appeal in about two weeks. I feel the termination will be upheld, regardless of the facts. Currently, I am seeking a new position with another company. Naturally, I'm struggling with what to say about my termination when the interview question comes up. How can I succesfully navigate past a question like this?
