A small minority of us will have, at some point, been dismissed from a job and will have to admit, it was our fault. But, we have to / want to / need to work, so what do you do about getting another job when your last employer gave you the boot? It is a difficult situation to navigate with potential new employers so here are a few things to think about:
- If it was a very brief job, some may think we can leave it off our CV altogether. Beware - there are many ways for new employers finding out, e.g. if they see your P45 with your previous employers name on, or your personal referee mentions to your potential new employer that they thought you were still in the job you were in fact dismissed from. It's a risky strategy, and one which could lead to another dismissal if your new employer finds out! It is important to always be truthful during the job hunting stage as you will be seen as dishonest if you are found to have lied, even by omission in the job interview or on the application form.
- Social Media - if you have shared stories online about your dismissal, or about previous employers, then there is a strong chance any potential new employer could find your profile / online account and see what's been going on. All of us should manage what we share online very carefully, and keep a tight control over our privacy settings! This is truer now than ever before and is especially true if you are reluctant for information about a former job getting into the public domain. Potential employers don’t like to hear of people bad-mouthing their former employers because they believe the employee is more likely to say negative things about their time with their company as well.
- If you leave the job on your CV, then chances are any new employer will want to approach your previous employer for a reference. Your previous employer only has to give facts in a reference, and may well choose to disclose the fact you were dismissed. So, our advice is to manage how your potential new employer finds out the facts:
- Don't disclose on your CV or in any application form why you left the job
- Make sure you don't give permission to any new employer to request references before any interview takes place
- If asked at an interview why you left your last job, then be honest, but take time to explain the circumstances surrounding your dismissal.
- Finally and most importantly, if you did something wrong which led to your dismissal, take ownership of it and explain that you have learnt from your mistake(s)! That will go a long way to improving your prospects.
Being able to act like an adult and accept that you were responsible for the situation you found yourself in is a respectable position, even if you did something wrong at the time.
