Interview Chatter

If You Have Been Fired For Cause…

by Darlene McDaniel on July 21st, 2008

Let me beg for forgiveness up front. I am going to write about what you should not do if you have been fired for cause. In other words, you did it, you know you did it and they fired you because you did it. What you did doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. The bottom line is you are guilty as charged and now you are unemployed. Feeling bad and you are trying to figure out what to do. There are a lot excellent post written about what you need to do. Check this one out: So, you’ve been fired. Lots of great comments from some of my readers. But this post is for those of you willing to admit you really did it. Here are a few things you should not do when sitting in your next interview.

When they ask you, so why were you fired at your last job -

1. Don’t make up a story and hope they won’t find out.
2. Don’t give the impression that you are hiding something.
3. Don’t lie.
4. Don’t say naughty things about your previous employer or boss.
5. Don’t play the blame/shame game.
6. Don’t tell the interview there were personality conflicts.
7. Don’t tell share all the gory details.
8. Don’t give negative commentary about yourself. “I was so stupid” Don’t say it.
9. Don’t give create additional questions by using “hot words”.
10. Don’t make up excuses for poor performance, dishonesty or any other reason you were let go.
11. Don’t threaten to take your previous employer to court.

Over the last year or so, I have spoken to many people who have found themselves unemployed due to poor decisions on their part. I am not talking about poor performance. I am talking about dishonesty. Things like: lying on time sheets, taking extended lunches, stealing, etc. These kinds of things are completely inappropriate and in my humble opinion, should be the last thing people are losing their jobs for. But it is rampant. Dishonesty is probably the number one thing I hear from those honest enough to tell me why they were let go. My bottom line tonight - If you did it, and you got fired for doing it, than you need to do some serious soul searching before you attempt to find another job. If you don’t identify the root issue of why you did what you did, you will do it again.

Share This

Related Stories

• TeleConference - So, You’ve Been Fired
• Help If You’ve Been Fired
• Have You Ever Been Fired?
• Help If You’ve Been Fired
• Lying in an Interview is Unacceptable

POSTED IN: Coach's Cornor