How to Disclose a Job Termination
Many people may, at one time, be fired from a job for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes the employee is a poor fit for the position or does not work well with the supervisor. Often an employee and employer will come to realize that the job in question simply isn't working out. If you have been terminated from a position, here are several suggestions you may want to follow when mentioning this fact to another potential employer. When correctly handled, the job termination may even appear to offer advantages to you and any hiring manager.
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Instructions
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Be upfront. If you were employed at the position in question for longer than three months or so, don't leave it off your resume. If asked, disclose to the employer that you were terminated. Do not lie or make false implications such as implying that the employer in question went out of business or moved operations to a different state. You may be caught later and risk termination of your current employment.
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Take responsibility. Admit failings that may have led to the firing. Tell the potential employer about your shortcomings that led to your being terminated. Mention any prolonged absences or inability to master material necessary to perform the job.
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De-emphasize the termination in your interview or resume. Own your prior mistakes, but don't dwell on them. Make sure the interviewer understands that this was only part of your career and not your entire work history.
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Emphasize what you've learned since then. Explain to the interviewer how you've learned and grown from the experience. Perhaps the termination made you realize that you should go back to school to increase your knowledge base. Perhaps it made you understand that you wanted to work in a different field altogether. Be as positive as possible.
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Offer recommendations from other co-workers and supervisors. Bring testimonials if possible to emphasize your accomplishments as well as your failures. Ask former co-workers to write letters of recommendation attesting to what you achieved while at the job. You may also be able to negotiate a letter of recommendation from your former supervisor as part of your severance package.
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Tips & Warnings
Tell your family. Don't hide a termination from family members. Your spouse deserves to know the truth to prepare financially for the consequences. Older children may learn about what happened from other sources outside the family, with unwelcome effects.
