Handling termination
ONE OF the most painful moments in anybody's work life is being terminated. Added to it is the fact that it can look very embarrassing on your resume. After a lay-off not only are you concerned about finding a new job, but also worried about how to deal with termination on your resume and in your interviews.
On your resume:
Today there is no guarantee of a lifetime employment with the same company. So, in case you lose a job, ensure that you at least have a resume that is strong enough to give you a chance of being called in for an interview. Here's how:
Keep it quiet: You do not have to go ahead and mention your dismissal in your resume upfront. This issue requires a little more careful handling and you would be able to do that best in an interview. However unfair the termination was or however unethical the company, resist the urge to mention it in the resume.
Be true: Do not write a `To present' when filling in the dateline of the last position you held. This sounds as if you are still employed and once you go for the interview, the interviewers might think that you were trying to mislead them. Just put in the dates of your employment, you do not need to mention that you were dismissed and under what conditions.
`Cover' layoffs: Use your covering letter to mention if you were part of a layoff and make a point to mention that your termination was not a performance related issue.
Accomplishments: Highlight your accomplishments. Though this piece of advice remains the same whether you left the company or vice versa. It is always best to focus on your achievements.
`Contributing' factors: Make a careful assessment of what you did in the company you were last employed. This is difficult if the company laid you off. However, make an effort to talk to your ex-colleagues and the management who respected your work. Take an unbiased view of your work; did you take on additional responsibilities? In what ways did you contribute to the bottom line? Did the company recognise you, individually or as part of a team? These questions and similar ones will help you list out your contributions.
In the interview:
Congratulations! Your resume clinched you an interview. Now comes the slightly complicated part of fielding questions regarding your termination.
Take responsibility: Such kind of questions can be answered like this, "The merging of different cultures, after a major reorganisation, had caused a major change in the way things were done. There were some differences of opinion between my boss and me", sounds so much better than "From the very beginning it was clear my new boss and I were going to be at odds -- we just had different types of personalities." The first statement looks like it takes responsibility and comes from an individual who appears to be self-assured. The latter looks like it comes from a complainer. Surely not the best picture you can show your employer. Say something positive like, "I learned a lot from the experience, and in retrospect, I would have handled it differently. But that is behind me now, and I am ready to move on with a new perspective."
Be prepared. This motto of Scouts and Guides is probably the best way to describe what you should be doing. Be ready to handle questions relating to your last job that did not work out. Have a script of what you would want to say in hand. If possible, get the opinion of others on what you should be saying. Say it aloud, and choose one that sounds the best. Remember that there is nothing wrong if your employer terminates you. Be articulate in mentioning what went wrong and assure the interviewer of its learning value to you.
References: References have become very important in today's corporate hiring. And the employer you worked with would probably be the first person your new employer would be interested in calling. If you left the employer under agreeable terms, speak to him about what kind of feedback he would give a prospective employer of yours. See to it that what you say is in sync with what he says. (Of course, not the easiest thing to do if you were unfairly sacked!) In case you expect a negative feedback from your last employer, collect all the possible positive feedbacks from the other people you have worked with. With a dozen references in you favour, the interviewer would in all probability overlook the single negative one.
Nothing but the truth: Avoid taking the help of even a single tiny lie. They might escalate into huge ones. It is always a better idea to accept any mistakes you have made, realise and accept that you did so and promise not to make any more.
People get fired every day. You surely were not the first or the last one! There is nothing to be mortified or worried about. It is of utmost importance that you deal with your feelings about termination in a more positive manner. And being prepared gives you the self-confidence and makes you feel less emotional about it.
HAJIRA SHAHEEN
faqs@cnkonline.com
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Opportunities
