How to answer 'fired' or 'resigned' question

[justlittleme01]

After a months long probationary period my employer decided not to 'keep me on.' He mumbled something about teamwork, without getting into details. I'd like to say I learned from this, however I had no warning anything was wrong - I think he felt I didn't fit in (and once in the union it would be literally impossible to get rid of me) He said I can resign if I wanted so I did. However, now there's other issues. Please assist!

1. Have you ever been dismissed from a previous job or resigned in lieu of dismissal?
Do I have to say 'yes' since that is the honest answer? Will the potential employer even take a look at my application after that!?!?

2. I filled out an application and under 'reason for leaving' I wrote, "relocation"
Will they contact my employer to verify this? I am hoping the call would just be passed on to HR and the HR person would just say my salary and verify I worked there and resigned. On the application I had to check if they can 'contact this employer'. I check marked 'yes' since I thought 'no' would be very red flag. For my references I did not list this previous employer - that's probably red flag enough though. I have an interview in the near future!

Any advice? Thank you. From the USA.

 

[davew128]

The word parsed response I'd use would be to say it was a short term contractual employment. That would be a true response without getting into anything else about the situation.

That said, not making it out of the probationary period is NOT a good thing. I've encountered it only once that I've observed and I knew early on that she wasn't going to make it, and not just because she had the audacity to question my skills as a tax practitioner because she clearly knew everything after passing the CPA exam.

 

[justlittleme01]

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to provide your advice. Perhaps I will use your wording. I'm wondering how 'accurate' it would be though as I feel it's not entirely true. There was no indication whatsoever that I was not going to make it. My supervisor complimented my work and spoke of the future as if I would for certain make it. And I did not question anyone's skills!

 

[commentator]

There is an issue to be dealt with here. If you say you "resigned" then you do not qualify for unemployment benefits while seeking that next job. That's why employers want you to say you resigned. They would be just as happy to let you say you resigned so that you do not qualify for unemployment after working for them, which will result in a slight cost to their unemployment tax rate.

But you didn't resign. And it's not going to look one whit better on an application if you worked at a really good desirable place for ninty days, and then "resigned. It is sort of crazy for the application to say "fired or resigned" any way, as there are many other reason, such as lay offs and relocation that would account for your leaving an employer.

They're going to figure that out. But really, you showed up every day and did your best, and due to something, you don't really know what, perhaps a bad fit,perhaps a lack of work perhaps a feeling they had, you didn't get put on full time, with all the union benefits, etc.. You should file immediately for unemployment insurance after your last day of work with them, because you are out of work through no fault of your own.

You have not been discharged for "cause." You were just not continued at the end of the temporary or probationary period. So I also would go with what dave said. Don't go out of your way to say you were "fired" or "discharged." Many company applications are set up so you are free to tell them things that are negative, and they would just love for you to tell them negative things about yourself that they would not otherwise find out.

But actually, I have seen many many people who were not continued after the probationary period with employers, especially with large, unionized employers. It can be the problem is with the employee, or it may be that they just made an executive decision not to fill the position right then. And there is no way I would even refer to the experience later as a "termination" and certainly not a firing for cause. Your employment not continued. that is the worst thing you should say about the whole experience. And it is quite likely that the employer would say the same, that you worked there from such date to such date and were not continued or not kept after that date. I suspect they are not going to be willing to go into anything negative about you, especially since they didn't give you any such feedback.

DO NoT get bent out of shape worrying about whether or not the statement is "entirely true." In truth, as I pointed out, you did your best, you showed up every day, you had no chance to change a behavior and be hired, you were just let go after your first three months of employment were up. You are not obligated to tell the truth in a way that negatively depicts your situation, just because it is more negative toward you and the next employer's perception of you.

I will never forget the elderly lady I met who was terminated (and later approved for unemployment benefits) who was going around town writing on all the applications she filed that she was "fired for stealing company merchandise." Yes, that was real honest. They did actually say that was the reason they fired her. However, it was proved that she did not steal anything, she was totally exonerated of a bogus charge, she was approved to draw unemployment, and later filed a successful EEOC complaint against this employer. Yet she was automatically assuming she had to tell the next potential employer these negative and untrue allegations about her, in the name of being "totally honest."

 

[TigerD]

A lot of people have a problem with this, but I tend to think that a probationary period works both ways. Not every employee is a good fit for every job. They might have the skills and just not mesh with the team. Or they might have the skills and not be comfortable with the management style.

You have to pick a job that works for you. Not staying through the probationary period isn't necessarily a red flag. But how you address it could be.

DC

 

[Ohiogal]

After a months long probationary period my employer decided not to 'keep me on.' He mumbled something about teamwork, without getting into details. I'd like to say I learned from this, however I had no warning anything was wrong - I think he felt I didn't fit in (and once in the union it would be literally impossible to get rid of me) He said I can resign if I wanted so I did. However, now there's other issues. Please assist!

1. Have you ever been dismissed from a previous job or resigned in lieu of dismissal?
Do I have to say 'yes' since that is the honest answer? Will the potential employer even take a look at my application after that!?!?

2. I filled out an application and under 'reason for leaving' I wrote, "relocation"
Will they contact my employer to verify this? I am hoping the call would just be passed on to HR and the HR person would just say my salary and verify I worked there and resigned. On the application I had to check if they can 'contact this employer'. I check marked 'yes' since I thought 'no' would be very red flag. For my references I did not list this previous employer - that's probably red flag enough though. I have an interview in the near future!

Any advice? Thank you. From the USA.

Yes you need to be honest. And no, you didn't relocate. Lying on a job application says a lot about your character or lack thereof. Expect any employer who hires you to fire you if they discover you lied.

 

[commentator]

OP, did you receive a separation notice when you left this employer? If so, does it say something like, "employment terminated ( or "not continued") at end of 90 day probationary period"? As I said, in unemployment insurance that is considered a "no fault" termination. I do not feel you should have to say either fired or resigned to be honest. Perhaps you did relocate. Perhaps the reason you were not continued was because your employer thought you might be going to relocate. Unlike some of the other very specific questions that might be asked on an application, like those concerning your having a felony or having a close relative who works there, I think the reason you left your last job is something they are going to deal with before they hire you or not at all. Have you talked to the former company, asked them what the reference they would give you will say concerning the reason you left? Usually it will be what they put on the separation notice if they gave you one.

 

[justlittleme01]

Thank you all for your advice.
I think I'm reading mixed messages here and I'm not sure which advice to take. One of you commented that what I wrote constituted a lie. Another wrote that what I wrote is reasonable.

Commentator, you suggested I say, "My employment was not continued." How would that sound to a potential employer though? In regards to the company, HR told me they would say I resigned. I'm nervous that the potential employer might call the local branch, not HR, though. Do I tell them I was "not continued at the end of the temporary or probationary period.' Who would want to hire me then? It would be honest though.
Debtcollector, do you have any ideas how I should address not staying beyond the probationary period?
Ohiogal, what would you tell them? I don't want to be denied a chance at the position if I tell everything. I do want to maintain my good character though.
Dave says to tell them it was a short term contractual employment. I think due to the expected long term nature of the employment it would be easy for a potential employer to see through that one though.

Other thoughts?

 

[cbg]

You're assuming that if you admit to having been dismissed, that will automatically bar you from other employment. Trust me, HR managers know that not all employees are a good fit for every position, and that just because you didn't work out for this position in this employment culture, doesn't mean you'll automatically do badly in that position in that job culture.

And you can also trust me that HR managers are smart enough to read between the lines when an applicant tells them they resigned from a job in the current employment market without having another job already lined up.

 

[commentator]

Right! Resigned just means you don't get unemployment. Which simply means it's good for the employer, bad for you. As I said, you were fully entitled to unemployment at the time you were not put on at the end of your probationary period. And working at a desirable place, and up and suddenly resigning about three months in simply means you're faking it. Unless, of course you did relocate and the job you are now applying for is in another location altogether. For that, I might believe you resigned from the job and relocated. But otherwise, no way they're going to accept "I resigned after three months from... (one of the best employers in the area)" They're going to say to themselves, "Yeah, sure you did!" and it would lead to lots of intricate questions, as it might indicate something about your honesty or attitude or the reason you were not carried on, one of those things they're trying to find out about you in the hiring process.

And the point made is that not being continued at one place, which is what happened, is that you simply weren't a good fit, OR they simply decided not to fill that job at that time, or the supervisor's daughter wanted the job, a whole lot of possible reasons. It is not necessarily any more likely to keep you from being hired than "resigning" which basically means, "I quit!" Quitting a job isn't usually well thought of by potential employers either. So I believe I'd be honest, but not self derogatory. You were NOT fired. You were not picked up at the end of your probation. Even if you didn't file for unemployment, which would've been a very silly move on your part, do not pretend you resigned when you didn't. that is dishonesty which isn't likely to help you anyway.

 

[davew128]

Dave says to tell them it was a short term contractual employment. I think due to the expected long term nature of the employment it would be easy for a potential employer to see through that one though.

Other thoughts?

I stand by my comments. You weren't fired. You didn't quit. You did NOT have a permanent position. You were in a temporary role that COULD have become and long-term and didn't. Thats a truthful comment. Anything else is fluff.

 

[justlittleme01]

Thank you all for your advice