How to Explain Being Fired From a Job

By preparing your answer, you can explain being fired without trepidation.

Being fired from a job can be devastating. This is especially true if you felt you were a good worker and the firing was unwarranted. As difficult as it may be, you must move past the experience so that you can look for a new employer. A common question asked by many interviewers is, "Why did you leave your previous job?" For someone who has been fired, he may dread the answer. But with a little preparation, you can provide an honest and professional answer.

Instructions

1. Look at your resume to review your employment history. Question yourself regarding the reasons you no longer work for previous employers. Ask whether it was performance related, a personality conflict with a boss, new management or a layoff. If you were let go because of poor performance, ask yourself whether it was related to training, poor managerial support, work overload or personal problems. This can allow you to prepare an explanation such as, "I was fired because I didn't have adequate training to properly do the job."

2. Prepare your answer by practicing what you will say. Try to keep your explanation short and professional. Do not blame the company or give a long-winded story. Perhaps there was something positive that came out of the experience. If so, you may include this in your explanation. You may say, "I had some personal problems at the time that caused me to be let go. Afterward, I realized how much they were affecting me and was able to resolve them." Being honest in your explanation will make it easier to deliver. And, you don't want to start a relationship with a new employer under the veil of a lie. For example, you may say, "There was a personality conflict with my former boss that caused me to be let go" or "New management took over the company and didn't feel I was performing the job in a satisfactory manner."

   You can also prepare additional information based on anticipated follow-up questions. For example, "The company's new management didn't inform employees what its expectations were. As a result, we didn't know we needed to perform any differently than before."

3. Deliver your explanation. Look the interviewer in the eye and give him your reason for being fired. Try to keep your body language positive by holding your head up, sitting straight and avoiding forlorn or depressed looks. Your body language and what you say should reflect you are no longer bitter about being fired and have moved past it. If your explanation relates to a company's profitability, you may state, "The economy and low sales revenue forced the company to cut its payroll expense, and I was laid off as a result."

References

• Best-Interview-Strategies: Fired? The Interview Solution