I was fired! But how can I tell you that?

One of the toughest situations people face in their career is being out of a job and having to explain the reason for that while they are looking for their next break.

The most common lines I hear from most people in such a situation is that they consciously decided to take a break to :

• write a book
• spend some quality time with family
• work with an NGO/ give back to society
• try something on their own

But very often, if they are not actually true, a good head-hunter or a recruiter can figure out that these are just euphemisms for being fired or being laid off from your last job! And the problem is that, if this is actually the case, these excuses sound more like lies or like you are trying to cover up something unpleasant. And that need not be the case!



Image source : http://ow.ly/mY0Cm

So how do you handle such a situation? Do you share the fact upfront that you were fired or laid off? Do you try hide it or brush it under the carpet, and pray that it never gets discovered?

I personally believe that you need not shout this from the roof-tops when you are applying for a job. But it is very important to share the facts at the appropriate time and not make it seem as if you were withholding sensitive information.

It is much easier to explain the fact that you were laid off than being fired, because people find it easier to understand and accept the fact that some companies tend to downsize businesses and let go of people. But when it comes to explaining the fact that you were fired, it is trickier.

Here are some tips to keep in mind on how you could handle such a situation :

• Answer honestly. That always works best. The worst thing that can happen is, the interviewer checking with a friend in your previous company and getting the real story. They then feel that you lied to them, and that's a sure way of getting knocked out of the process.
• Have an answer ready and rehearse it well before the meeting. Don't spend too much time on it, but don't try to avoid or brushing it aside either. Answer it precisely and try move the conversation to the next topic with a related question, if possible.
• Focus on what you learned from the experience and how you have moved on.
• Offer to provide some credible, senior references from the previous company which will give the hiring manager some comfort that you are not trying to hide anything, or that there is something that could come back to bite them later.
• As a rule, don't bad-mouth the previous employer or the supervisor. Hiring managers tend to view that negatively, and wonder if you are trying to blame others for your shortcomings.

Being in a situation where you have fired or laid off is an emotionally stressful experience. But the key is to remember that this situation is just a blip and that there is clear value that you bring to the table, then the hiring manager can clearly sense that. Smart hiring managers also know that if they give you a break, you would go the extra mile to make it up to them. And before you know it, you would have bounced back and come back stronger.

P.S. Do you have any questions on your job search? Write to me at ckguruprasad@gmail.com and I will either write back to you or cover it in one my my posts. Keep reading!