You Have Been Fired Unjustly - Interview Tips to Overcome the Hurdle with Honesty

Check out this scenario. You apply for a job, get in on probation for one year with the promise that it would become permanent employment once you complete the probation period satisfactorily. All is well until your supervisor/ boss declares that you actually do not seem to have the required skill-set for the job and you are fired.

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Your boss gives you an overall raving reference, however, which somehow implies that the reason for the termination is not about you. One month after you leave, you find that your boss leaves too - which perhaps implies that the project for which you were hired was not sustainable.

What Do You Do When You Go to Another Interview after This Incident?




Many would be tempted to lie, feeling that they are not being unethical since they were victimized, and it would be difficult to prove in the limited time and scope of an interview. The stigma that you were laid off for not measuring up to the requirements of the job can set the interview back by a few notches and you might lose a good opportunity.

Overall, it does not really feel dishonest. However, if you look at it closely, it is lying, and lying very often causes more trouble than help. To ensure that you are not misunderstood, you need to put it into a positive light. This requires tact, diplomacy and the ability to highlight the positive side of the situation. Here are some tips that will help you come out of this impasse without as much as a scratch:

1. Do Not Volunteer Information - If it is possible to glaze over this employment, do so. However, if this employment enhances the value of your CV, put it in, but do not speak about it unless explicitly asked. Volunteer no information whatsoever; answer to the point and only what you were asked.
   
   
2. If Asked, Tell The Truth - If they ask you, tell them the truth, but in a positive light. You may rather say that though you were hired for 1 year, your work was completed quicker and you were relieved from the job. At this point inform the interviewer that you could get a reference from your ex-supervisor/boss for the period, if required. This would put their mind at rest about your performance on the job.
   
   
3. Do Not Dwell On It - Most people start talking too much either because they are embarrassed or because they become nervous about this issue. Do not dwell on it. Once you have given whatever information they require, move on from the subject to the next as smoothly as you can.

See the following articles for more information:

• 21 Major Interview Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs
  
• The Best Way to Prepare for a Job Search and Interviews
  
• How to Talk About Other Interviews in Your Interviews
  
• How to Answer the Tell Me About Yourself Interview Question
  
• How to Answer the Do You Have Any Questions for Me Interview Question

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