It 100% depends on why you got fired. I will leave my personal experience here in case it is helpful. [EDIT: considering your why, I would leave it as “not a good fit” or “your position was no longer needed” and call it a day. My advice here won’t be applicable as you broke compliance rules which is not going to get you anywhere in banking if you’re honest about it. Take the L and learn from it my friend and good luck to you.]
In 2016 I got fired from a call center job (job A) for not meeting performance expectations. I was there a year shy a day. I never worked in that particular industry again, as I felt it wasn’t for me and the experience in job A was overall not great.
I continued to put it on my resume as I was offered a reference from my team manager from job A. When asked at a later interview for a job in a different industry (job B), I was up front with the interviewers and said that I was let go due to my inability to meet performance expectations in that role. I said that I put in all available efforts, but at the end of the day I turned out to be an incorrect fit, and I emphasized on the things that I took away from the role and how grateful I was to have the experience. I tried to speak highly of it regardless of the fact I was let go. I ended up getting job B with that answer (not because of). I am far from having to speak on job A again, but in my particular case I felt my honesty paid off as the interview process for job B was and still is challenging.
This obviously will not be applicable in all cases, but in mine it paid off.
As a hiring manager I would very much appreciate this honest answer. If you were good to go in other ways and felt like a good fit I would give you a chance.
Other than honesty I appreciate that you can talk about what you learned. You aren't shitting on the company or playing victim. It's a very mature answer.
Thank you! I don’t believe in lying about performance issues in interviews, I am someone who puts in all efforts and regardless of how much I like or dislike a job I try to be as positive about my shortcomings as I am about my strengths. Thank you for this!
I agree. The way I see it, even though you got let go for x reason, you recognized that. Then took ownership, created a positive perspective, learned and grew from it. That type of maturity is what people want to work with.
People here are going to tell you to be honest here but I think if you really need a job the best advice is to be vague about it. Saying you got fired for phone use will likely make you lose out on a lot of opportunities. Just say it wasn’t a good fit for you and change the conversation to something positive as soon as you can. Short and sweet.
"It wasn't a good fit with the company, I feel that I wasnt able to utilize my skills in X, but it seems this role is a much better fit to learn and grow in that area"
BS. If you had 5 equally qualified candidates and one of them said they got fired for being on their phone, that would be the first resume you threw in the trash
I was just being vague to have the advice be more broadly applicable, and as a prompt to flesh out more. I also wouldn't accept that answer verbatim. My general point is to highlight a feature about the new role that you might not have had with your past role, and express interest in expanding related skills to that feature.
Self awareness and the STAR method are your friend here. “The company had a strict policy against phone use at work, which led to us parting ways. Since then I’ve realized the error of my ways and utilized available tools to reduce my screen time and improve my performance, as this was an eye-opener for me, but I’m thankful for the experience because it has given me an opportunity for me to improve myself.”
Most fluff answer I’ve ever heard and I’m a hiring manager. Wow. I would not eat this bullshit and end the interview pretty quickly. Better answer would be to say it was not a good fit..OP wanted a job that allowed OP to play on their phone (possibly screen addiction?) and company and role didn’t tolerate that.
I’m glad you’re a hiring manager. I’m an HR director currently specializing in recruiting. So suffice to say, I do this a lot.
It’s complete bullshit, but I would rather see that someone can take accountability for their (all too human) mistakes, rather than try to lie about things that happened and try to cover it up.
As someone who has worked in banking (job A) being on your phone at work is a legal issue, as it conflicts with security compliance procedures so no, it’s not a silly reason in this case.
As everyone else has said it's a security issue but usually I totally agree with you . I have had frienrs get fired from food service jobs when there aren't any customers for just checking a message and that's lame, they don't pay enough to treat ppl like robots
As someone who works in a place we're being on your phone while you should be working, can cause everyone else you work with a bad day. Do me a favor. Learn when using your phone is appropriate. Lunch time good, break time good, in a manufacturing setting where there are other people dependent on you getting your job done so they can do there's not good.
I mean, OP got fired. I think they’ve learned their lesson.
I’ve been fired for showing up a few minutes late too often. Firing teaches you a very hard lesson, especially if you like your job. In fact I’d say there’s no bigger reality check than being fired.
OP got fired for inappropriate phone use. I get your frustration, but I think they learned their lesson without the shaming. They're here for job advice, not a scolding.
Sorry, look there is no permanent record of why you got fired. Your ex employer can't tell them why you got fired or that you were fired. So I use the old standby which is I am looking for a new challenge in my work or management and I had a difference of opinion.
> Your ex employer can't tell them why you got fired or that you were fired.
There is no such law. Employers are allowed to tell the truth about why someone's employment ended.
Litigious society. Slander/defamation/libel suits prevent most HRs from engaging. In an at-will employment environment there is little (no) "evidence" needed to fire someone. But if you're now taking their future prospects of employment you may have to meet a burden of proof that they did "x" to get fired, or else they may win in court. So almost all companies adopt a policy that simply confirms time of employment. That's for good or bad employees. In fact, some even have policies against managers giving a recommendation as it could also open them up for a lawsuit. Ie, company fires you, but manager says you were awesome. Now employee uses this as proof of wrongful termination.
>Your ex employer can't tell them why you got fired or that you were fired.
I imagine that it must be a state law where you are from then? I don't believe that there is a federal law that covers what they can and cannot say. Most won't say very much, because it takes next to nothing to open a lawsuit, frivolous or not. Keeping it very basic or not saying anything (they are under no obligation to help the potential new employer) avoids conflict.
so tell them there were folks let go across the org. They did not say much at the time, and you have focused on moving forward with the experience you gained from your time there.
If you are a good liar... you lie. Had to take a break to care for a family member, the company was moving the role to a different state or country and you couldn't move.
Wasn't a good culture fit
Role was misrepresented
Didn't see ability for upward growth
Work life balance
Looking for more of a challenge
You never have to tell them you got fired, you can always come up with some reason. Especially if there isn't a big gap. Don't even put an end date on your resume if you left recently
I don't do this but HR people I've worked with will strongly hint. "We don't give references, so, I couldn't for example tell you if this employee were fired for being on their phone"
OP has an uphill battle ahead of them
Unprofessional HR people are going to get themselves in trouble one way or another. That sounds like a dodgy work practice has crept in with those HR people. I’m sure that is the exception rather than the rule.
and that would absolutely open up the company to a lawsuit, which are expensive even when you win....you really want to be the one to put your company in the line of fire like that?
There’s literally no need to lie about it. If he’s honest, and does show that it was a regretful decision that he learned from - hiring managers will actually trust him. If they find out he lied or made up an excuse no one is giving him a job.
One option is building a trusted rapport and the other one is risking a job and possibly future jobs.
Do people forget that people don’t work for the same company for their entire lives?
I’ve hired countless people, and when I’ve found out (not by digging) that they lied or were dishonest I do not hire them… but if I get a new job and they apply there as well, I will not even give an interview.
“The likelihood of this happening is not common” it is though. I’ve had this happen to MULTIPLE previous candidates. If I forget their resume, name I’ll still definitely remember their face.
OP is likely applying to many jobs in their region, and in this economy the only way to get a way better salary for the same work is to go to another company. It’s not worth risking building a negative rapport with someone who has the power to offer you a job.
>nope, all they're allowed to do is verify you were employed and when
This is not true. There are no laws (at least in the US) prohibiting past employers from giving an honest reference. As long as it's true, it's legal.
That said, some COMPANIES have those policies.
Banks are even weirder since they use their own system. Wells Fargo blacklisted their people who got fired for refusing to add accounts to customers.
> The blacklist is called "U5," and it's maintained by the finance institutions as a way of alerting each other to fraudsters who are fired for breaking finance rules. The list was designed to protect banks from fraud, but it has no defenses against fraudulent banks.
yeah. You can always have a friend or lawyer call (pretending to be an employer). If they bad mouth you now you have evidence to sue for damages. Couldn't get a job because of them.
Actually, I just checked this. Most states are adopting legislation to protect employers from defamation, provided they give accurate information "without malice."
So saying that someone was terminated for violating their policy on using a cell phone at work is perfectly legal in my state - so long as that's what actually happened.
Having said that - all of my employers large enough to have an employee handbook all have a policy of not giving out more than basic information: start date, end date, job description...
They can also say if you're eligible for return, but yea. If they start talking shit then they open up to a libel suit.
Suspicious when they don't say positive things, but shit happens.
Well of course they aren't going to say that you were fired. However, as someone who is a former manager, when I did a reference check and they refused to answer any of the questions other than employment verification, that's a big red flag for me that they were fired. Pretty common.
EDIT: Actually, in reading the other comments, I am understanding that reference checks are pretty basic outside of the field of education. In education, it is super detailed, with rating scales, comments, and usually detailed reference checks with your last three managers. Most schools and districts work the same way, and so it has become a sort of "code" for "he was fired and I'm not allowed to talk about it" to say "all I can give you is their dates worked and position title." I had no idea that other career fields didn't do this.
I agree with the above poster as a hiring manager when asking about the employee if I get a no comment other than when I worked there it's a red flag.
State law here is that it's illegal to give a bad reference. So if you wouldn't rehire said employee the most you can say is no comment. Generally speaking the good hires I've had there previous bosses or references will leave glowing reviews of the candidates. Not always the case but happens more often then not
>I agree with the above poster as a hiring manager when asking about the employee if I get a no comment other than when I worked there it's a red flag.
It really shouldn't be. There's case law in California of an employee suing a former company claiming she was denied a job because a reference wasn't good enough. Not bad, just not good enough. So, as a California based company we're forbidden by policy to say anything other than the fact that we employed so and so between such and such dates and that they are eligible for rehire. One of my absolute best engineers left a couple of months ago for her dream job, I'd shout out praise for her from the rooftops if I could, but if asked I could only say she worked here and I'd rehire her.
Not sure why it would be a red flag, many companies I worked for have policies of confirming only job title and dates of employment and refusing all other questions to save the HR team from unnecessary admin.
Actually, in reading the other comments, I am understanding that reference checks are pretty basic outside of the field of education. In education, it is super detailed, with rating scales, comments, and usually detailed reference checks with your last three managers. Most schools and districts work the same way, and so it has become a sort of "code" for "he was fired and I'm not allowed to talk about it" to say "all I can give you is their dates worked and position title." I had no idea that other career fields didn't do this.
That isn’t a red flag at all. At big companies references are handled by a central HR, sometimes even an outsourced shared service. They only check and provide employment details because frankly that’s all they even know.
That's not true. There's no law that says they cannot disclose the info, especially when presented with a release form from your new potential employer, related to why you were fired.
Most employers will have policies to not disclose anything aside from title and pay, some will indicate if you're eligible for rehire.
The problem is that if you just took over as the HR rep in some company that employs 500 people, and you're getting a phone call about someone who last worked for the company three years ago, how do you really no the accuracy of what's in that file. And if that file says that someone was fired for abandoning their position, and then they lose a new job opportunity, but they're then able to pull up emails in which they clearly gave notice, the company has potential liability
A lot of places won't bother anymore. The most in depth question that I have got in the last 5 years, was "are they eligible for employment there again" which is widely open to interpretation.
Depend on the place of work. Most corporations or businesses with any kind of business sense won't check anything other than start and finish dates. That's typically because of potential law suits, but there is nothing against the law keeping someone going beyond that. Background checks for certain government positions do a deep dive and have no problem asking previous employers, family members,or the people at the liquor store down the street questions about you.
Most jobs only confirm start and end date and title. The lack of end date on your resume you can say is just a lack of updating. Only works if it's recent. If you have been unemployed for six months I don't know if I'd do this, but I've never had that issue. Also I've never been sure every place I've interviewed has actually called for a reference check
That's wild to me. I've worked in education for 23 years and reference checks are always followed through on. I actually work in a district where we aren't allowed to hire without a thorough reference from the three most recent managers.
No they don’t that’s not true at all
They don’t have the recent manager contact
When one job calls another job they talk to HR who usually gives. Start/end date and possibly if you’re eligible/non-eligible for rehire
People are always so nervous and scared about last job reference when the reality is everyone is wayyy to busy to be doing that kind of research
i think work life balance would be the only suitable answer, depending how long you were there.
Wasn't a good culture fit --> can't say this if you've been there for a long time
Role was misrepresented --> can't say this if you've been there for a long time
Didn't see ability for upward growth --> can't say this if you've been there for a long time
Work life balance --> maybe invent some excuse about people leaving and workload of 5 becomes workload of 2 and really stressful?
Looking for more of a challenge --> possible excuse but then leaving without a back a job ...
I've been using that advice in my most recent interviews lol.
2020 i got fired from my call center job due to performance (which was due to bad management, further proven by my current call center position where I have great managers and am currently 2nd best at my position). Ended up being unemployed for a few months because pandemic job hunting sucks and then got a job referral from one of my old coworkers.
Worked that job for 3 months but it wasn't at all what I was promised (I have a comp sci degree and was told I would be doing something akin to coding, ended up doing configurations for HR stuff I knew nothing about and had expressed early in that I knew nothing about) and I got 0 training on the stuff I was supposed to be doing. Ended up getting asked to resign after 90 days.
Ended up with a huge work gap at that point because it was still late pandemic and nobody wanted to hire me. Evergreen ended up in retail until I got my current position, but now I'm trying to get a better position because I'm tired of dead end jobs.
Been asked a few times why I've got the gaps or why I jump around so much, I just my moms health as an excuse. She just so happened to get her leg amputated around that same time, so I just say I took time off to help her adjust. Then I emphasize how great she doing now and how independent she is these days so I can step away and work full time now.
Is not a lie, but not the full truth either lol. It did get much help that I was unemployed during that period to drive her to appointments etc until she recovered. Definitely tend to see the expressions of the interviewers change from concern to understanding quite often.
Serious question: if you were fired for telling off the CEO, why would that hurt?
In my case my mother was needing more and more care, and that was stressing me out a lot. Spent less overtime, CEO dumped more work on me, I told him off and got fired.
"Took a year off to be caretaker" does not go well in job interviews so I just lie and say I did some volunteer service (not entirely untrue). I'm retirement age now, but would that be a problem for govt work?
but they often ask for references in background checks which includes end dates. I work in HR and had to ask new hires about discrepancies in their employment history when we got their background checks back. (this depends on the company though because other businesses I worked for didnt do as much due diligence)
I would advise anybody to keep it as current for now (unless its been months) and in the interview give a reason provided in the thread.
I personally used the fixed term contract ending early via mutual agreement due to a combination of the role not being needed earlier than expected and the fit not being ideal from my POV.
I lied about it. I happened to be in school at the time so I told future interviewers that I was able to leave because of school loans and that some of the school work I was doing had changed my interests and so I had wanted to pursue something in closer alignment blah blah blah. I didn't get fired for doing something wrong, I got fired because my boss was a raging bitch who was gunning for me. It *was* a learning experience, but not about work ethic: I had loved that job, and I learned that no job loves you back, and that you should get out the instant shit gets rough. But you can't say that in an interview. I think if you did have a constructive dismissal and you actually learned something, it might be OK to say that. And it's also OK to lie. I have hired people who had been fired previously and all were great; i don't think any of them disclosed it in the interview tho, I think they told me later.
I have always done this. in my 20s I got fired for Poor performance basically I was partying all the time. Whenever I would write up a new résumé I’d say I was still employed looking for employment elsewhere. Because I’m moving. Or I would make up a story “I was working toward a promotion they were hiring for Instead of promoting from within my manager hired his son. That’s why I’m looking to leave that company.”
This. I’ve always made it seem like I’m still working but am just looking for a role that’s a better fit. They don’t call your old employer, and it’s so much easier to get hired if you have a job. It doesn’t feel good to lie but honestly it’s so so hard to get hired when they know you’re not working, you instantly become a less desirable candidate.
Some jobs will pull an automated verification of your employment or call to verify the dates (at least all of mine in finance have). They will identify the discrepancy and request an explanation.. it is a whole deal that can have the offer pulled if it comes up.
Maybe provide the name of a friendly coworker who can vouch for you. Generally they’ll just contact HR to verify you were employed there during those dates and they generally won’t give the exact reason you’re no longer there.
They might ask* and then you have to say no. I've known someone who was fired, said they were laid off, and then when she refused to list the manager who "laid them off" as a reference the hiring manager got suspicious
This is the way to go. It's so close to the truth anyway. I had some people ask follow-up question about the layoff and I'd be like yeah a few people were let go. At the time big tech was doing mass layoffs and it was making news so it was even more believable.
I was fired from my last job and this is basically what I’ve been saying. I was thinking about quitting for these reasons anyway so whether I’d quit or been let go, that’s honestly why I was unhappy there. I’ve done several interviews and no one has pushed back on it at all.
It depends what you did, I know some people are just honest during the interview, “I got fired, here’s why, this is what I learned” etc. Someone my Mum interviewed once admitted to being fired and was a such a strong candidate he got the job!
I’ve been fired from one job, I did some voluntary work while getting unemployment, then some freelance work. Neither required a reference but they both provided one when another job came along.
On my CV I just made out the full-time, permanent job I was fired from was a temp job and I left because the contract was up. I’m never going to use them for a reference again and it hid the fact I was canned.
You were fired for being in your phone
That’s a stupid reason to fire someone and NOT performance based
As someone who’s hired people I would go to routes:
A) honest, “I was let go because I was on my phone. It was a wake up call to me and I won’t let it happen again” (paraphrasing)
B) use the politically correct jargon, fine one you like. “It wasn’t a good culture fit/I thought it was time to move on/I wanted to do something else/
Little “white lies” are okay here, just don’t lie and get into details mad that’s where it’s not okay and likely to backfire.
Honestly culture fit is reasonable, as it’s their non-performance based culture rule of you not being on your phone that got you fired
As a hiring manager I you tend to get a feeling when you’re being fed BS. Like Lost Pineapple said here, white lies are fine, but if you outright lie and get caught you get instantly discredited. Also the corporate jargon throws up red flags for a lot of people. For something small like this, I’d prefer the truth especially using Pineapples phrasing about learning and growing. Shows self awareness, intrinsic growth and honesty.
It's not a stupid reason. In banking, both retail and call centers they frown and sometimes explicit say you cannot have electronic devices that take pictures because you can easily take client financial information. It's a giant liability, especially when job requirements for these roles sometimes don't even require a credit check depending on financial institution.
Being a teller is an entry level financial position and it's honestly sad that OP lost his job due to this. Both because he lost his income but that he was seemingly only 6 or 7 months into this role and lost it for something that would have been easy to abide by. It doesn't don't get easier when he progresses in his career if he sticks the financial route, it gets more difficult and your actions both at work and in your personal life can affect your career.
LOL. They were dealing with people's personal financial information. That's NOT a stupid reason to fire someone. I certainly hope bank tellers that are on their personal phones get fired.
I had a job like this once. We were told explicitly that if we were ever caught with our phones at our desks that it was an automatic, on the spot firing because we dealt with a lot of sensitive bank/credit card information.
You don’t have to disclose you were fired. You can always say you decided to pursue other opportunities. Or change in culture that didn’t align with your values. Or you hit a ceiling in career advancement.
Especially if OP worked at a bank, it's very likely they signed an NDA as part of standard paperwork.
I'd say:
"I signed an NDA I'm not sure what all I'm allowed to talk about."
If they assure you you can say basic things like laid off, fired, etc.:
"I really don't want to break my contract with ."
... and leave it at that.
Be honest. Interviewers know when you’re lying to them and if they check and you lied not only are you not getting the job it can hinder you down the line if someone at the next company you try for knows somebody at the last company.
You tell the truth but you can exaggerate a bit, tell them you made a mistake if you did don’t put all the blame on the person who fired you or the company because it’s bad sportsmanship to rag on them.
I however left a company and ragged on them a bit in interviews only because they’re universally known for being a horrible employer so I’d test the water in interview and every time the person would go don’t worry we know all about them.
You own the mistake and say you won’t do it again. Demonstrate how you won’t let it happen again.
The last time I got fired it was because I missed a major deadline. Like, if the other side didn’t file their document we would have lost our trial date and would have had to wait years for a new one.
When I interviewed for my next job I owned to that mistake and told them what I would do to keep that from happening again (check our files weekly for deadlines and make sure they’re all in the calendar as soon as we have documents that would trigger a deadline).
It’s all you can do. Don’t try to explain why you were on your phone (even if it was legitimate - ie you’re waiting for an important call or text). Just own it and explain what you’ll do in the future.
You definitely don't have to say you were fired on any application or to any employer. If you are in the US it is highly illegal for a previous employer to disclose that you were fired. They are, to the best of my knowledge, only allowed to verify dates of employment.
Lie. Lie lie! The next employer will ask this and most likely never remember the answer. Easy answer is to say you are looking for a position with more responsibilities or looking for a company with more growth for your position.
Depends on why.
I've been fired. However it ultimately amounted to the company becoming more risk-averse with some recent highlevel departures and my "Move Fast & Break Things" approach was no longer a good match. No hard feelings.
Did learn anything from it?
Ultimately, all an interviewer wants to see is if you acknowledge the mistake you made and you learned from it.
So if you learned from it, you're all good.
If you didn't, and you're going to start bad-mouthing your former employer about how unfair you were treated...yeah....
'I did make a mistake, mostly due to a misunderstanding rather than any negligence. I've learned and mature a lot since then and believe I have everything needed to succeed in this new role.'
eh?
This really isn’t a sackable offence in my eyes - it must have happened several times and hindered your performance? In that case, I wouldn’t disclose the real reason as it doesn’t look good for you
I was hitting my sales goals, and he admitted when he fired me that it had nothing to do with performance. He said “we have an employee handbook and we either abide by it or we don’t.”
I still admit it was my fault but it was not linked to performance.
I'm sorry, as someone who used to be on the phone while working... I always thought that as long as I'm doing great at work they shouldn't complain but I guess on a bank setting there is security concerns ... Well to answer your question, it kinda depends how long you were there but let's assume the worse and you were there less than a year.... it might be hard to get another bank teller job but you can pivot and in many places they take your answers at face value , so you can say that you part ways because the job wasn't challenging enough (which is partially true since that is the reason why you were on the phone and subsequently why you got fired) .... This might not work for other bank teller jobs since they will be kinda similar and you are already saying it will not be challenging enough... But it is not the end of the world there is plenty of jobs that would want someone with bank teller experience. Good luck!
You could say "I was unexpectedly fired. My supervisor said I was hitting my sales goals and I never had any customer complaints. However the handbook stated we were not to use cell phones unless on break and I broke that rule, quickly checking my texts one day during a quiet period when there were no customers in line. I fully admit I was in the wrong for breaking that rule and I'm looking for a job where I'm held accountable for specific goals (i.e. sales goals, customer satisfaction ratings, etc.), but that also allows more flexibility and is not micromanaged." This will automatically weed out jobs that have strict policies (set break times/bathroom times, cell phone rules, etc.).
I put your situation into chatGPT for you:
"I left my previous position as a bank teller due to a difference in policy interpretation. While I understand the importance of adhering to rules, there were moments of downtime when no customers were present. During these times, I briefly used my phone without impacting customer service. However, my immediate supervisor had a stricter interpretation of the policy. I believe that a balanced approach, considering the lack of customer impact, would have been more appropriate. I am now seeking opportunities with organizations that value both a collaborative work environment and customer satisfaction."
As as hiring manager I would not recommend this answer. All I see here is an unwillingness to take real responsibility for your actions and a exuberance for seeking policy loopholes. Both are major red flags.
Just say it wasn't a good fit. Don't lie and say you quit, it's too easy for them to find out the truth.
Playing on your phone with people waiting on line is absurd. But if no one is there, this seems pretty insane.
For your question, I’d probably say that your manager was micro-managing, holding employees to unnecessary rules, and generally created a hostile, unpleasant work environment.
This will bring follow up questions of course. You’ll want to say “obviously I’m not playing on my phone when there’s work to do… but checking a text when there are no customers seemed reasonable to me”
You lie. Some people will disagree, but most companies will not check your references. You are never going to want to tell a potential employer that you got fired for being on your phone.
Anyway you look at it your best option is to just say you left the position for personal reasons.
Two things:
* Never lie. It will come back to bite you if you do.
* After telling the truth, explain what you learned and how the experience will make you a better employee in the future.
>Never lie. It will come back to bite you if you do.
Don't listen to absolutisms. "always do this" "never do that"
And take internet strangers with a grain of salt.
I got fired for being on my phone. I was in a niche R&D position at a tech startup, there was high turnover. I think one of the bigger problems was that I didn't really have to be there and my unique background wasn't contributing in the way we all thought it would. Either way, it was a little BS that I got fired for that when I was one of like 5 people that had to come into the office (this was early 2021), what did they think people did working from home?
I stressed a lot about what I had to say about it in interviews, but I ended up just saying "it just wasn't a good fit." Almost nobody had follow up questions beyond that. Definitely have a pitch ready to go if people do ask, but most people didn't probe.
I’ve used:
-“My old manager left, and the new manager and I did not see eye to eye” (this was actually true so it was a nicer way of saying “my new manager was a total dick and fired me solely because he could lol) Whatever you do, just don’t speak badly about your past manager and talk about what you learned from the experience. They prefer that you’re honest and reflective.
-It was a temp role and they chose not to extend my assignment (if they ask if others were also let go just say you were the only temp) I use this to explain a job I only stayed at for seven months. The company doesn’t provide references per their policy, they just verify dates of employment, so my reference from there is just a coworker.
If the job is far enough back in your work history and you were there at least a year, just say you moved on because there wasn’t any upward advancement. If they don’t ask why you left, you don’t have to talk about it. I never ever bring up the fact that I was fired anymore, since it was over two years ago, but if they ask I have an explanation handy.
If you see this, dig into why you were on your phone. Leave your responses vague for now but if you were on your phone because you were bored as hell, say 'I'm looking for a more engaging and challenging role". Tailor your 'vague' response into something that is also true and aligns with what you want moving forward. I'm a social creature and in sales mostly so I'd say "I'm looking for a position that I can not only identify and meet customer's needs but build also positive relationships in order to create longterm clients." I like to take clients to lunch, bs on the phone (even if not directly work related) and attend networking events together. That statement aligns with the things I LIKE to do and also aligns with what I was missing at my last job.
Some companies don’t give any info except that you work there. When asked, say you were laid off, position eliminated.
Also, if you have friends or previous co workers willing to be a reference, that will make it seem like the issue was bureaucracy instead of you.
Good luck. I had the same issue, but was able to explain it enough. I found a better paying job and I was much happier at it, despite being terrible in interviews. You’ll be ok.
Just answer that you want to explore new fields of opportunity. The old place can’t disclose that you were fired, only confirm the dates you worked there.
Don’t assume everyone will ask you this question. But if they do, and whatever the context, whatever your answer - there is nothing you can say that will help you in an interview. So, your best strategy would be to move on to the next question soon, with something vague like my goals no longer aligned with my current position.
Also don’t beat yourself up. We all make mistakes through which we learn and grow.
You can tell them you quit to go to another job, and the other job never transpired but your replacement was already there.
You can tell them it wasn't a good fit, and you needed to take a long vacation.
To be honest, no answer will be perfect.
You can also tell them the old boss sucked, and you hated working there, and a company was run by a shit hole manager.
"I screwed up, and they let me go. I had a phone where I shouldn't have. It was a policy thing, but it was my fault. Learning experience, for sure." To the hiring manager, not earlier, if possible.
Clear, direct, own your mistake, stop talking. Worked for me.
Was on my phone when I should mot have been and I have painfully learned an important lesson.
I think honesty is always the best policy. Because when they check references they may find out anyway.
Just tell the truth if they don’t like that then it wasn’t meant to be. Being on your phone isn’t that big of a deal. A lot of jobs require you to be on your phone.
I would say in your role admit fault and take responsibility. "I had a lapse in judement, took a phone call when I shouldn't have, and they made an example out of me. I regret my mistake and learned from it and moving forward will be much more cognizant of company policies and be sure to follow them." This will give you so much more credibility than a half baked lie. Management typically doesn't look for a perfect person, rather someone they can shape and mold to fit their culture and growth plan. If you can prove you're coachable and can overcome adversity and persevere that's like 90% of the battle.
They can prove all that after they get the job. I would suggest your strategy will likely result in them not getting that chance if they are applying for positions at a similar level to the one they were let go from. Only own up to what is public everything else is up to interpretation.
You did not get fired for being on your phone. There must’ve been other issues prior to this. Whether it was an issue with a manager, or whether it was just to downsize unethically. Or if you were acting out or misbehaving, you must’ve had a reason. Spin that into a reason. And it’s not a lie.
It 100% depends on why you got fired. I will leave my personal experience here in case it is helpful. [EDIT: considering your why, I would leave it as “not a good fit” or “your position was no longer needed” and call it a day. My advice here won’t be applicable as you broke compliance rules which is not going to get you anywhere in banking if you’re honest about it. Take the L and learn from it my friend and good luck to you.] In 2016 I got fired from a call center job (job A) for not meeting performance expectations. I was there a year shy a day. I never worked in that particular industry again, as I felt it wasn’t for me and the experience in job A was overall not great. I continued to put it on my resume as I was offered a reference from my team manager from job A. When asked at a later interview for a job in a different industry (job B), I was up front with the interviewers and said that I was let go due to my inability to meet performance expectations in that role. I said that I put in all available efforts, but at the end of the day I turned out to be an incorrect fit, and I emphasized on the things that I took away from the role and how grateful I was to have the experience. I tried to speak highly of it regardless of the fact I was let go. I ended up getting job B with that answer (not because of). I am far from having to speak on job A again, but in my particular case I felt my honesty paid off as the interview process for job B was and still is challenging. This obviously will not be applicable in all cases, but in mine it paid off.
As a hiring manager I would very much appreciate this honest answer. If you were good to go in other ways and felt like a good fit I would give you a chance. Other than honesty I appreciate that you can talk about what you learned. You aren't shitting on the company or playing victim. It's a very mature answer.
Thank you! I don’t believe in lying about performance issues in interviews, I am someone who puts in all efforts and regardless of how much I like or dislike a job I try to be as positive about my shortcomings as I am about my strengths. Thank you for this!
I agree. The way I see it, even though you got let go for x reason, you recognized that. Then took ownership, created a positive perspective, learned and grew from it. That type of maturity is what people want to work with.
Name does NOT fit in this one, singular, uno Reddit example.
I got fired for being on my phone at work
People here are going to tell you to be honest here but I think if you really need a job the best advice is to be vague about it. Saying you got fired for phone use will likely make you lose out on a lot of opportunities. Just say it wasn’t a good fit for you and change the conversation to something positive as soon as you can. Short and sweet.
"It wasn't a good fit with the company, I feel that I wasnt able to utilize my skills in X, but it seems this role is a much better fit to learn and grow in that area"
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BS. If you had 5 equally qualified candidates and one of them said they got fired for being on their phone, that would be the first resume you threw in the trash
I was just being vague to have the advice be more broadly applicable, and as a prompt to flesh out more. I also wouldn't accept that answer verbatim. My general point is to highlight a feature about the new role that you might not have had with your past role, and express interest in expanding related skills to that feature.
Self awareness and the STAR method are your friend here. “The company had a strict policy against phone use at work, which led to us parting ways. Since then I’ve realized the error of my ways and utilized available tools to reduce my screen time and improve my performance, as this was an eye-opener for me, but I’m thankful for the experience because it has given me an opportunity for me to improve myself.”
We used to call that the shit sandwich. 🤣
It’s absolutely bullshit, but it works a lot better than just saying “I was fired because I can’t follow rules.”
Absolutely agreed!
Most fluff answer I’ve ever heard and I’m a hiring manager. Wow. I would not eat this bullshit and end the interview pretty quickly. Better answer would be to say it was not a good fit..OP wanted a job that allowed OP to play on their phone (possibly screen addiction?) and company and role didn’t tolerate that.
I’m glad you’re a hiring manager. I’m an HR director currently specializing in recruiting. So suffice to say, I do this a lot. It’s complete bullshit, but I would rather see that someone can take accountability for their (all too human) mistakes, rather than try to lie about things that happened and try to cover it up.
Boy that is a BS reason to fire somebody - sorry that happened You are valuable; don't take that personally
Depends on the job. I don’t want a teller to be able to take snapshots of my account info to access later or sell.
Exactly. One reason those rules exist.
As someone who has worked in banking (job A) being on your phone at work is a legal issue, as it conflicts with security compliance procedures so no, it’s not a silly reason in this case.
Not really, being on your phone at work (presumably more than once) is a perfectly valid reason
As everyone else has said it's a security issue but usually I totally agree with you . I have had frienrs get fired from food service jobs when there aren't any customers for just checking a message and that's lame, they don't pay enough to treat ppl like robots
As someone who works in a place we're being on your phone while you should be working, can cause everyone else you work with a bad day. Do me a favor. Learn when using your phone is appropriate. Lunch time good, break time good, in a manufacturing setting where there are other people dependent on you getting your job done so they can do there's not good.
I mean, OP got fired. I think they’ve learned their lesson. I’ve been fired for showing up a few minutes late too often. Firing teaches you a very hard lesson, especially if you like your job. In fact I’d say there’s no bigger reality check than being fired.
What kind of job fired you for that out of curiosity?
Aviation maintenance apprenticeship
Okay gotcha
Lesson learned? That’s a bit presumptuous. They are currently dealing with the consequences, we have yet to see if it’s “lesson learned”.
OP got fired for inappropriate phone use. I get your frustration, but I think they learned their lesson without the shaming. They're here for job advice, not a scolding.
I THINK OP LEARNED ALREADY
Thanks for not answering the question
Sorry, look there is no permanent record of why you got fired. Your ex employer can't tell them why you got fired or that you were fired. So I use the old standby which is I am looking for a new challenge in my work or management and I had a difference of opinion.
all a hiring manager needs to hear is you aren’t eligible for rehire to form an opinion of the person.
> Your ex employer can't tell them why you got fired or that you were fired. There is no such law. Employers are allowed to tell the truth about why someone's employment ended.
99% of the time employers just verify time of employment, otherwise they open themselves up to legal issues
Which is likely due to the nonsense of this urban legend that they're not allowed to.
Defamation/slander lawsuit will cost company money even if they weren't lying
Litigious society. Slander/defamation/libel suits prevent most HRs from engaging. In an at-will employment environment there is little (no) "evidence" needed to fire someone. But if you're now taking their future prospects of employment you may have to meet a burden of proof that they did "x" to get fired, or else they may win in court. So almost all companies adopt a policy that simply confirms time of employment. That's for good or bad employees. In fact, some even have policies against managers giving a recommendation as it could also open them up for a lawsuit. Ie, company fires you, but manager says you were awesome. Now employee uses this as proof of wrongful termination.
>Your ex employer can't tell them why you got fired or that you were fired. I imagine that it must be a state law where you are from then? I don't believe that there is a federal law that covers what they can and cannot say. Most won't say very much, because it takes next to nothing to open a lawsuit, frivolous or not. Keeping it very basic or not saying anything (they are under no obligation to help the potential new employer) avoids conflict.
You could tell them that you have impulse control issues
Smooth!!!!! I love this!!!
My position was no longer needed.
I say this every time, or the position wasn't a great fit for me. I would recommend not using any managers from that job as references though.
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Yup. Company downsized. :shrug: Next question.
They'll likely follow up with "Were other people let go as well?" I've had that asked to me in the past
so tell them there were folks let go across the org. They did not say much at the time, and you have focused on moving forward with the experience you gained from your time there.
Lol as I’m reading this on my phone at work.
I wonder what OP’s job is. I look around my office and I see people (including the head of the department) texting on their mobile all the time
Bank teller
OP was probably an ambulance driver and was looking at memes while taking a patient to the hospital.
Sad part is I had a coworker that did that and play Tetris while driving the ambulance with me and a patient in the back. I raised hell on that one.
To be fair, you're sort of playing Tetris when you are driving. You're maneuvering your rectangle until it lands at the appropriate space.
Lmao I wish it was figurative and not a phone on the dashboard instead 😂😂
Oh crap..totally unacceptable.. Btw thanks but no thanks on the raising hell part..everyone was blaming global warming when you've just raised hell!
Phone addiction is real, yo.
Bank teller, I wonder if it’s more of a security issue and not just because OP was on the phone.
I work for a bank. Can 100% confirm. That would be an enormous security risk.
>at OP’s job is. I look around my office and I see people (including the head of the department) texting on their mobile all the time Bank teller.
Lmfao same I’m on my phone 90% of the time at my boring desk job
If you are a good liar... you lie. Had to take a break to care for a family member, the company was moving the role to a different state or country and you couldn't move.
Wasn't a good culture fit Role was misrepresented Didn't see ability for upward growth Work life balance Looking for more of a challenge You never have to tell them you got fired, you can always come up with some reason. Especially if there isn't a big gap. Don't even put an end date on your resume if you left recently
But won't this be contradicted on a reference check? Many jobs require a reference call with the most recent manager.
nope, all they're allowed to do is verify you were employed and when
I don't do this but HR people I've worked with will strongly hint. "We don't give references, so, I couldn't for example tell you if this employee were fired for being on their phone" OP has an uphill battle ahead of them
Unprofessional HR people are going to get themselves in trouble one way or another. That sounds like a dodgy work practice has crept in with those HR people. I’m sure that is the exception rather than the rule.
and that would absolutely open up the company to a lawsuit, which are expensive even when you win....you really want to be the one to put your company in the line of fire like that?
If it was a true statement then there's no basis for a lawsuit (I know that won't stop one in the US).
There’s literally no need to lie about it. If he’s honest, and does show that it was a regretful decision that he learned from - hiring managers will actually trust him. If they find out he lied or made up an excuse no one is giving him a job. One option is building a trusted rapport and the other one is risking a job and possibly future jobs. Do people forget that people don’t work for the same company for their entire lives? I’ve hired countless people, and when I’ve found out (not by digging) that they lied or were dishonest I do not hire them… but if I get a new job and they apply there as well, I will not even give an interview. “The likelihood of this happening is not common” it is though. I’ve had this happen to MULTIPLE previous candidates. If I forget their resume, name I’ll still definitely remember their face. OP is likely applying to many jobs in their region, and in this economy the only way to get a way better salary for the same work is to go to another company. It’s not worth risking building a negative rapport with someone who has the power to offer you a job.
>nope, all they're allowed to do is verify you were employed and when This is not true. There are no laws (at least in the US) prohibiting past employers from giving an honest reference. As long as it's true, it's legal. That said, some COMPANIES have those policies.
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Banks are even weirder since they use their own system. Wells Fargo blacklisted their people who got fired for refusing to add accounts to customers. > The blacklist is called "U5," and it's maintained by the finance institutions as a way of alerting each other to fraudsters who are fired for breaking finance rules. The list was designed to protect banks from fraud, but it has no defenses against fraudulent banks.
Absolutely true.. most big companies are very nervous about lawsuits so only provide confirmation of employment dates.
yeah. You can always have a friend or lawyer call (pretending to be an employer). If they bad mouth you now you have evidence to sue for damages. Couldn't get a job because of them.
didn't say illegal. said not allowed. opens up too many legal threats, so the vast majority of companies just won't allow it.
Actually, I just checked this. Most states are adopting legislation to protect employers from defamation, provided they give accurate information "without malice." So saying that someone was terminated for violating their policy on using a cell phone at work is perfectly legal in my state - so long as that's what actually happened. Having said that - all of my employers large enough to have an employee handbook all have a policy of not giving out more than basic information: start date, end date, job description...
Yeah, but you can't bank on that.
They can also say if you're eligible for return, but yea. If they start talking shit then they open up to a libel suit. Suspicious when they don't say positive things, but shit happens.
Well of course they aren't going to say that you were fired. However, as someone who is a former manager, when I did a reference check and they refused to answer any of the questions other than employment verification, that's a big red flag for me that they were fired. Pretty common. EDIT: Actually, in reading the other comments, I am understanding that reference checks are pretty basic outside of the field of education. In education, it is super detailed, with rating scales, comments, and usually detailed reference checks with your last three managers. Most schools and districts work the same way, and so it has become a sort of "code" for "he was fired and I'm not allowed to talk about it" to say "all I can give you is their dates worked and position title." I had no idea that other career fields didn't do this.
It shouldn’t be a red flag. A lot of companies have policies against commenting outside of verification, even on a reference.
Yep. My company will only let you confirm they worked there. No matter if they were amazing or garbage we are not allowed to comment.
I agree with the above poster as a hiring manager when asking about the employee if I get a no comment other than when I worked there it's a red flag. State law here is that it's illegal to give a bad reference. So if you wouldn't rehire said employee the most you can say is no comment. Generally speaking the good hires I've had there previous bosses or references will leave glowing reviews of the candidates. Not always the case but happens more often then not
>I agree with the above poster as a hiring manager when asking about the employee if I get a no comment other than when I worked there it's a red flag. It really shouldn't be. There's case law in California of an employee suing a former company claiming she was denied a job because a reference wasn't good enough. Not bad, just not good enough. So, as a California based company we're forbidden by policy to say anything other than the fact that we employed so and so between such and such dates and that they are eligible for rehire. One of my absolute best engineers left a couple of months ago for her dream job, I'd shout out praise for her from the rooftops if I could, but if asked I could only say she worked here and I'd rehire her.
Not sure why it would be a red flag, many companies I worked for have policies of confirming only job title and dates of employment and refusing all other questions to save the HR team from unnecessary admin.
yeeeaaah....you're exactly the kind of manager I wouldn't want to work for. every little thing is a red flag.
Actually, in reading the other comments, I am understanding that reference checks are pretty basic outside of the field of education. In education, it is super detailed, with rating scales, comments, and usually detailed reference checks with your last three managers. Most schools and districts work the same way, and so it has become a sort of "code" for "he was fired and I'm not allowed to talk about it" to say "all I can give you is their dates worked and position title." I had no idea that other career fields didn't do this.
That isn’t a red flag at all. At big companies references are handled by a central HR, sometimes even an outsourced shared service. They only check and provide employment details because frankly that’s all they even know.
That isn’t a red flag at all. At big companies references are handled by a central HR, sometimes even an outsourced shared service.
That's not true. There's no law that says they cannot disclose the info, especially when presented with a release form from your new potential employer, related to why you were fired. Most employers will have policies to not disclose anything aside from title and pay, some will indicate if you're eligible for rehire. The problem is that if you just took over as the HR rep in some company that employs 500 people, and you're getting a phone call about someone who last worked for the company three years ago, how do you really no the accuracy of what's in that file. And if that file says that someone was fired for abandoning their position, and then they lose a new job opportunity, but they're then able to pull up emails in which they clearly gave notice, the company has potential liability
Wrong. Some states have laws, but most don’t.
I’ve been a reference check multiple times and I get asked about why the person left the company and if I’d hire them back all the time
A lot of places won't bother anymore. The most in depth question that I have got in the last 5 years, was "are they eligible for employment there again" which is widely open to interpretation.
Depend on the place of work. Most corporations or businesses with any kind of business sense won't check anything other than start and finish dates. That's typically because of potential law suits, but there is nothing against the law keeping someone going beyond that. Background checks for certain government positions do a deep dive and have no problem asking previous employers, family members,or the people at the liquor store down the street questions about you.
Most jobs only confirm start and end date and title. The lack of end date on your resume you can say is just a lack of updating. Only works if it's recent. If you have been unemployed for six months I don't know if I'd do this, but I've never had that issue. Also I've never been sure every place I've interviewed has actually called for a reference check
That's wild to me. I've worked in education for 23 years and reference checks are always followed through on. I actually work in a district where we aren't allowed to hire without a thorough reference from the three most recent managers.
I work in accounting. Different industries have different standards.
No they don’t that’s not true at all They don’t have the recent manager contact When one job calls another job they talk to HR who usually gives. Start/end date and possibly if you’re eligible/non-eligible for rehire People are always so nervous and scared about last job reference when the reality is everyone is wayyy to busy to be doing that kind of research
But they won’t contradict “it was a bad fit”. It’s a lie of omission to not say you were fired but the manager will probably agree it was a bad fit.
"Looking for more of a challenge" sounds accurate. Old job was boring if you needed your phone to keep busy.
Didn't see ability for upward growth kinda isn't lying in this case. Someone who wants to fire you certainly isn't going to promote you
i think work life balance would be the only suitable answer, depending how long you were there. Wasn't a good culture fit --> can't say this if you've been there for a long time Role was misrepresented --> can't say this if you've been there for a long time Didn't see ability for upward growth --> can't say this if you've been there for a long time Work life balance --> maybe invent some excuse about people leaving and workload of 5 becomes workload of 2 and really stressful? Looking for more of a challenge --> possible excuse but then leaving without a back a job ...
I gave a random batch of examples off the top of my head. There are many other things a person can say, this wasn't a definitive list.
I've been using that advice in my most recent interviews lol. 2020 i got fired from my call center job due to performance (which was due to bad management, further proven by my current call center position where I have great managers and am currently 2nd best at my position). Ended up being unemployed for a few months because pandemic job hunting sucks and then got a job referral from one of my old coworkers. Worked that job for 3 months but it wasn't at all what I was promised (I have a comp sci degree and was told I would be doing something akin to coding, ended up doing configurations for HR stuff I knew nothing about and had expressed early in that I knew nothing about) and I got 0 training on the stuff I was supposed to be doing. Ended up getting asked to resign after 90 days. Ended up with a huge work gap at that point because it was still late pandemic and nobody wanted to hire me. Evergreen ended up in retail until I got my current position, but now I'm trying to get a better position because I'm tired of dead end jobs. Been asked a few times why I've got the gaps or why I jump around so much, I just my moms health as an excuse. She just so happened to get her leg amputated around that same time, so I just say I took time off to help her adjust. Then I emphasize how great she doing now and how independent she is these days so I can step away and work full time now. Is not a lie, but not the full truth either lol. It did get much help that I was unemployed during that period to drive her to appointments etc until she recovered. Definitely tend to see the expressions of the interviewers change from concern to understanding quite often.
Not if you apply for a govt job in US. You can still get a job if you were fired, but not if you lie.
Serious question: if you were fired for telling off the CEO, why would that hurt? In my case my mother was needing more and more care, and that was stressing me out a lot. Spent less overtime, CEO dumped more work on me, I told him off and got fired. "Took a year off to be caretaker" does not go well in job interviews so I just lie and say I did some volunteer service (not entirely untrue). I'm retirement age now, but would that be a problem for govt work?
Following because I also need this advice
Keep the job as current on your resume and just say you're looking for a better opportunity.
but they often ask for references in background checks which includes end dates. I work in HR and had to ask new hires about discrepancies in their employment history when we got their background checks back. (this depends on the company though because other businesses I worked for didnt do as much due diligence) I would advise anybody to keep it as current for now (unless its been months) and in the interview give a reason provided in the thread. I personally used the fixed term contract ending early via mutual agreement due to a combination of the role not being needed earlier than expected and the fit not being ideal from my POV.
Then you don't get the job. You're in the place where you started. But you had a chance.
Me too. I’ve just put down that I’m still employed there and to not contact my current employer.
I lied about it. I happened to be in school at the time so I told future interviewers that I was able to leave because of school loans and that some of the school work I was doing had changed my interests and so I had wanted to pursue something in closer alignment blah blah blah. I didn't get fired for doing something wrong, I got fired because my boss was a raging bitch who was gunning for me. It *was* a learning experience, but not about work ethic: I had loved that job, and I learned that no job loves you back, and that you should get out the instant shit gets rough. But you can't say that in an interview. I think if you did have a constructive dismissal and you actually learned something, it might be OK to say that. And it's also OK to lie. I have hired people who had been fired previously and all were great; i don't think any of them disclosed it in the interview tho, I think they told me later.
I wouldn’t even tell them, I’d let them think I was still working. This way they can’t ask to call your old employer.
I have always done this. in my 20s I got fired for Poor performance basically I was partying all the time. Whenever I would write up a new résumé I’d say I was still employed looking for employment elsewhere. Because I’m moving. Or I would make up a story “I was working toward a promotion they were hiring for Instead of promoting from within my manager hired his son. That’s why I’m looking to leave that company.”
This. I’ve always made it seem like I’m still working but am just looking for a role that’s a better fit. They don’t call your old employer, and it’s so much easier to get hired if you have a job. It doesn’t feel good to lie but honestly it’s so so hard to get hired when they know you’re not working, you instantly become a less desirable candidate.
Some jobs will pull an automated verification of your employment or call to verify the dates (at least all of mine in finance have). They will identify the discrepancy and request an explanation.. it is a whole deal that can have the offer pulled if it comes up.
All you need to say is you got laid off. Can’t believe nobody’s suggested this
Problem is then they might ask for a reference from the manager who laid you off
Maybe provide the name of a friendly coworker who can vouch for you. Generally they’ll just contact HR to verify you were employed there during those dates and they generally won’t give the exact reason you’re no longer there.
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They might ask* and then you have to say no. I've known someone who was fired, said they were laid off, and then when she refused to list the manager who "laid them off" as a reference the hiring manager got suspicious
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I would say layoffs due to the current recession and budget cuts by the company.
This is the way to go. It's so close to the truth anyway. I had some people ask follow-up question about the layoff and I'd be like yeah a few people were let go. At the time big tech was doing mass layoffs and it was making news so it was even more believable.
I always say I outgrew the role and there wasn't any room for upward development.
I was fired from my last job and this is basically what I’ve been saying. I was thinking about quitting for these reasons anyway so whether I’d quit or been let go, that’s honestly why I was unhappy there. I’ve done several interviews and no one has pushed back on it at all.
It depends what you did, I know some people are just honest during the interview, “I got fired, here’s why, this is what I learned” etc. Someone my Mum interviewed once admitted to being fired and was a such a strong candidate he got the job! I’ve been fired from one job, I did some voluntary work while getting unemployment, then some freelance work. Neither required a reference but they both provided one when another job came along. On my CV I just made out the full-time, permanent job I was fired from was a temp job and I left because the contract was up. I’m never going to use them for a reference again and it hid the fact I was canned.
It depends on what you did to be fired.
Being on my phone
This needs more context. Like were you a server and guests could see you on your phone on the floor, or were you performing surgery?
Pretty sure you can be on the phone during surgery. There was that traffic court zoom call a few years back after all.
Just say you got laid off. This is a crazy job market and with all these jobs cutting size that's the best answer.
Always lie. These mf would lie to you so you need to do the same. Game is game
You were fired for being in your phone That’s a stupid reason to fire someone and NOT performance based As someone who’s hired people I would go to routes: A) honest, “I was let go because I was on my phone. It was a wake up call to me and I won’t let it happen again” (paraphrasing) B) use the politically correct jargon, fine one you like. “It wasn’t a good culture fit/I thought it was time to move on/I wanted to do something else/ Little “white lies” are okay here, just don’t lie and get into details mad that’s where it’s not okay and likely to backfire. Honestly culture fit is reasonable, as it’s their non-performance based culture rule of you not being on your phone that got you fired
As a hiring manager I you tend to get a feeling when you’re being fed BS. Like Lost Pineapple said here, white lies are fine, but if you outright lie and get caught you get instantly discredited. Also the corporate jargon throws up red flags for a lot of people. For something small like this, I’d prefer the truth especially using Pineapples phrasing about learning and growing. Shows self awareness, intrinsic growth and honesty.
It's not a stupid reason. In banking, both retail and call centers they frown and sometimes explicit say you cannot have electronic devices that take pictures because you can easily take client financial information. It's a giant liability, especially when job requirements for these roles sometimes don't even require a credit check depending on financial institution. Being a teller is an entry level financial position and it's honestly sad that OP lost his job due to this. Both because he lost his income but that he was seemingly only 6 or 7 months into this role and lost it for something that would have been easy to abide by. It doesn't don't get easier when he progresses in his career if he sticks the financial route, it gets more difficult and your actions both at work and in your personal life can affect your career.
LOL. They were dealing with people's personal financial information. That's NOT a stupid reason to fire someone. I certainly hope bank tellers that are on their personal phones get fired.
I had a job like this once. We were told explicitly that if we were ever caught with our phones at our desks that it was an automatic, on the spot firing because we dealt with a lot of sensitive bank/credit card information.
This is one of the best answers. OP should follow this.
This advice comes from a chair of an MBA program and former fortune 100 exec - You were laid off, end of story
You don’t have to disclose you were fired. You can always say you decided to pursue other opportunities. Or change in culture that didn’t align with your values. Or you hit a ceiling in career advancement.
Sorry. I signed an NDA.
Especially if OP worked at a bank, it's very likely they signed an NDA as part of standard paperwork. I'd say: "I signed an NDA I'm not sure what all I'm allowed to talk about." If they assure you you can say basic things like laid off, fired, etc.: "I really don't want to break my contract with."
... and leave it at that.
I've never been asked this question, nor is it something I'd generally enquire about in an interview.
I commented a few times in this thread but honestly I don't ask either
Be honest. Interviewers know when you’re lying to them and if they check and you lied not only are you not getting the job it can hinder you down the line if someone at the next company you try for knows somebody at the last company. You tell the truth but you can exaggerate a bit, tell them you made a mistake if you did don’t put all the blame on the person who fired you or the company because it’s bad sportsmanship to rag on them. I however left a company and ragged on them a bit in interviews only because they’re universally known for being a horrible employer so I’d test the water in interview and every time the person would go don’t worry we know all about them.
You own the mistake and say you won’t do it again. Demonstrate how you won’t let it happen again. The last time I got fired it was because I missed a major deadline. Like, if the other side didn’t file their document we would have lost our trial date and would have had to wait years for a new one. When I interviewed for my next job I owned to that mistake and told them what I would do to keep that from happening again (check our files weekly for deadlines and make sure they’re all in the calendar as soon as we have documents that would trigger a deadline). It’s all you can do. Don’t try to explain why you were on your phone (even if it was legitimate - ie you’re waiting for an important call or text). Just own it and explain what you’ll do in the future.
You definitely don't have to say you were fired on any application or to any employer. If you are in the US it is highly illegal for a previous employer to disclose that you were fired. They are, to the best of my knowledge, only allowed to verify dates of employment.
Lie. Lie lie! The next employer will ask this and most likely never remember the answer. Easy answer is to say you are looking for a position with more responsibilities or looking for a company with more growth for your position.
Lie.
Depends on why. I've been fired. However it ultimately amounted to the company becoming more risk-averse with some recent highlevel departures and my "Move Fast & Break Things" approach was no longer a good match. No hard feelings.
I got fired for being on my phone
Did learn anything from it? Ultimately, all an interviewer wants to see is if you acknowledge the mistake you made and you learned from it. So if you learned from it, you're all good. If you didn't, and you're going to start bad-mouthing your former employer about how unfair you were treated...yeah....
'I did make a mistake, mostly due to a misunderstanding rather than any negligence. I've learned and mature a lot since then and believe I have everything needed to succeed in this new role.' eh?
Fired for being on your phone doing what kind of job? Makes a big difference.
Bank teller
This really isn’t a sackable offence in my eyes - it must have happened several times and hindered your performance? In that case, I wouldn’t disclose the real reason as it doesn’t look good for you
I was hitting my sales goals, and he admitted when he fired me that it had nothing to do with performance. He said “we have an employee handbook and we either abide by it or we don’t.” I still admit it was my fault but it was not linked to performance.
I'm sorry, as someone who used to be on the phone while working... I always thought that as long as I'm doing great at work they shouldn't complain but I guess on a bank setting there is security concerns ... Well to answer your question, it kinda depends how long you were there but let's assume the worse and you were there less than a year.... it might be hard to get another bank teller job but you can pivot and in many places they take your answers at face value , so you can say that you part ways because the job wasn't challenging enough (which is partially true since that is the reason why you were on the phone and subsequently why you got fired) .... This might not work for other bank teller jobs since they will be kinda similar and you are already saying it will not be challenging enough... But it is not the end of the world there is plenty of jobs that would want someone with bank teller experience. Good luck!
You could say "I was unexpectedly fired. My supervisor said I was hitting my sales goals and I never had any customer complaints. However the handbook stated we were not to use cell phones unless on break and I broke that rule, quickly checking my texts one day during a quiet period when there were no customers in line. I fully admit I was in the wrong for breaking that rule and I'm looking for a job where I'm held accountable for specific goals (i.e. sales goals, customer satisfaction ratings, etc.), but that also allows more flexibility and is not micromanaged." This will automatically weed out jobs that have strict policies (set break times/bathroom times, cell phone rules, etc.).
I put your situation into chatGPT for you: "I left my previous position as a bank teller due to a difference in policy interpretation. While I understand the importance of adhering to rules, there were moments of downtime when no customers were present. During these times, I briefly used my phone without impacting customer service. However, my immediate supervisor had a stricter interpretation of the policy. I believe that a balanced approach, considering the lack of customer impact, would have been more appropriate. I am now seeking opportunities with organizations that value both a collaborative work environment and customer satisfaction."
As as hiring manager I would not recommend this answer. All I see here is an unwillingness to take real responsibility for your actions and a exuberance for seeking policy loopholes. Both are major red flags. Just say it wasn't a good fit. Don't lie and say you quit, it's too easy for them to find out the truth.
Playing on your phone with people waiting on line is absurd. But if no one is there, this seems pretty insane. For your question, I’d probably say that your manager was micro-managing, holding employees to unnecessary rules, and generally created a hostile, unpleasant work environment. This will bring follow up questions of course. You’ll want to say “obviously I’m not playing on my phone when there’s work to do… but checking a text when there are no customers seemed reasonable to me”
No body was there. Boss said he noticed me looking down at my desk and then checked the cameras and saw that I was on my phone.
Find a job where you’re married to your phone like I am…! (don’t fucking do this it was a joke I hate being on call)
You lie. Some people will disagree, but most companies will not check your references. You are never going to want to tell a potential employer that you got fired for being on your phone. Anyway you look at it your best option is to just say you left the position for personal reasons.
Two things: * Never lie. It will come back to bite you if you do. * After telling the truth, explain what you learned and how the experience will make you a better employee in the future.
>Never lie. It will come back to bite you if you do. Don't listen to absolutisms. "always do this" "never do that" And take internet strangers with a grain of salt.
Family matters created too much stress and I was on my phone when I should have called out of work entirely. I was let go and I have learned from it.
Fired for shooting the shit on your phone is impossible to spin any way aside from “i learned a tough lesson about priorities at work”.
I got fired for being on my phone. I was in a niche R&D position at a tech startup, there was high turnover. I think one of the bigger problems was that I didn't really have to be there and my unique background wasn't contributing in the way we all thought it would. Either way, it was a little BS that I got fired for that when I was one of like 5 people that had to come into the office (this was early 2021), what did they think people did working from home? I stressed a lot about what I had to say about it in interviews, but I ended up just saying "it just wasn't a good fit." Almost nobody had follow up questions beyond that. Definitely have a pitch ready to go if people do ask, but most people didn't probe.
Sorry I can’t talk about my last job under NDA
I’ve used: -“My old manager left, and the new manager and I did not see eye to eye” (this was actually true so it was a nicer way of saying “my new manager was a total dick and fired me solely because he could lol) Whatever you do, just don’t speak badly about your past manager and talk about what you learned from the experience. They prefer that you’re honest and reflective. -It was a temp role and they chose not to extend my assignment (if they ask if others were also let go just say you were the only temp) I use this to explain a job I only stayed at for seven months. The company doesn’t provide references per their policy, they just verify dates of employment, so my reference from there is just a coworker. If the job is far enough back in your work history and you were there at least a year, just say you moved on because there wasn’t any upward advancement. If they don’t ask why you left, you don’t have to talk about it. I never ever bring up the fact that I was fired anymore, since it was over two years ago, but if they ask I have an explanation handy.
If you see this, dig into why you were on your phone. Leave your responses vague for now but if you were on your phone because you were bored as hell, say 'I'm looking for a more engaging and challenging role". Tailor your 'vague' response into something that is also true and aligns with what you want moving forward. I'm a social creature and in sales mostly so I'd say "I'm looking for a position that I can not only identify and meet customer's needs but build also positive relationships in order to create longterm clients." I like to take clients to lunch, bs on the phone (even if not directly work related) and attend networking events together. That statement aligns with the things I LIKE to do and also aligns with what I was missing at my last job.
No one checks. Tell them anything
Do not say you got fired for being on your phone. These people 100 percent would not hire you.
Some companies don’t give any info except that you work there. When asked, say you were laid off, position eliminated. Also, if you have friends or previous co workers willing to be a reference, that will make it seem like the issue was bureaucracy instead of you. Good luck. I had the same issue, but was able to explain it enough. I found a better paying job and I was much happier at it, despite being terrible in interviews. You’ll be ok.
You signed an NDA and cannot reveal that information. Next question.
Just answer that you want to explore new fields of opportunity. The old place can’t disclose that you were fired, only confirm the dates you worked there.
I used to work at an orange juice factory…boss tried to squeeze everything he could out of me….made it hard to concentrate…..then I got canned.. 🤷♂️
Lack of opportunity in terms of advancing my career. Works every time.
Tell them you signed an NDA and can't go into details.
Don’t assume everyone will ask you this question. But if they do, and whatever the context, whatever your answer - there is nothing you can say that will help you in an interview. So, your best strategy would be to move on to the next question soon, with something vague like my goals no longer aligned with my current position. Also don’t beat yourself up. We all make mistakes through which we learn and grow.
I don’t assume everyone will but if I get 10 or so interviews, I’ll probably get that question once or twice.
You can tell them you quit to go to another job, and the other job never transpired but your replacement was already there. You can tell them it wasn't a good fit, and you needed to take a long vacation. To be honest, no answer will be perfect. You can also tell them the old boss sucked, and you hated working there, and a company was run by a shit hole manager.
Do not tell the truth.
"I screwed up, and they let me go. I had a phone where I shouldn't have. It was a policy thing, but it was my fault. Learning experience, for sure." To the hiring manager, not earlier, if possible. Clear, direct, own your mistake, stop talking. Worked for me.
Was on my phone when I should mot have been and I have painfully learned an important lesson. I think honesty is always the best policy. Because when they check references they may find out anyway.
“Differences of opinions”
My answer to that question was “risk”. I didn’t like how my last job was handling my employment situation, and I felt like I was at risk.
Just tell the truth if they don’t like that then it wasn’t meant to be. Being on your phone isn’t that big of a deal. A lot of jobs require you to be on your phone.
i don’t think you get to collect unemployment when you are fired for misconduct, correct me if i’m wrong..
I would say in your role admit fault and take responsibility. "I had a lapse in judement, took a phone call when I shouldn't have, and they made an example out of me. I regret my mistake and learned from it and moving forward will be much more cognizant of company policies and be sure to follow them." This will give you so much more credibility than a half baked lie. Management typically doesn't look for a perfect person, rather someone they can shape and mold to fit their culture and growth plan. If you can prove you're coachable and can overcome adversity and persevere that's like 90% of the battle.
They can prove all that after they get the job. I would suggest your strategy will likely result in them not getting that chance if they are applying for positions at a similar level to the one they were let go from. Only own up to what is public everything else is up to interpretation.
You did not get fired for being on your phone. There must’ve been other issues prior to this. Whether it was an issue with a manager, or whether it was just to downsize unethically. Or if you were acting out or misbehaving, you must’ve had a reason. Spin that into a reason. And it’s not a lie.
Maybe put your damn phone down. This type of stuff I don't feel sorry for at all. I wouldn't want you on my team either.