I work best in a team environment, and am accustomed to being in an environment where everyone supports and encourages one another.” What I’ve learned from that experience is to try to ask more questions, clarify the requirements and expectations, make sure things are in writing, and try to make sure that I have the information I need in order to do a good job. There was little direction from the supervisor, tasks were not explained very well, and it seemed like the place was in a constant state of flux. The nature of the work I was doing in my last position didn’t suit my strengths. Even if the routine changes, if you tell me what I need to do differently, I’m happy to oblige. I’m able to work independently with little supervision, and I work best in an environment when I understand what the expectations are. Since then, I’ve done some volunteer work, clarified my own professional goals and expectations, and worked on improving my communication skills. My supervisor and I realized that it wasn’t the right fit for either one of us, and fortunately it was a cordial departure. It was apparent from the start that there were some communication problems and philosophical differences, and I struggled early on. When I was originally hired as the, the description and expectations of the job were very different from the job that I actually ended up doing. Sample Answers to Explain Why You Were FiredĪ few answers that you can provide for specific situations include: (1)Philosophical difference or bad fit. No trash talk in a job interview or networking situation.Ĭhalk your termination up to it being a learning experience, and take pride in the fact that you persevered through a challenging situation and did your best for as long as you possibly could. The main thing to remember is no matter how bad the situation was, don’t say anything blatantly negative about the employer.
Being fired is a “speed bump” in your career that has happened to literally millions of people who have gone on to have great careers. Keep in mind, that most everyone you talk to has likely been terminated at least once in his/her career, or if he/she hasn’t been terminated, they know several good people who have been terminated. Remember all the good things you have accomplished in your career and life.ĭon’t beat yourself up or adopt the mind-set of nobody-will-hire-me because you’ve been fired. Stay PositiveĪs you prepare for your interview after you’ve been terminated, do your best to stay positive. Answer the question, briefly and positively (examples below), and move on. When possible, sandwich your response between two positive statements. “Sadder but wiser” is also a good approach when the departure wasn’t particularly amicable. If your departure was somewhat amicable due to the position not being a good fit, a lack of communication over job responsibilities, or failure to recognize warning signs during the interview process, it’s best to talk about it from a “sadder but wiser” perspective. Show That You Learned from the Experience It’s best to talk about the situation positively as a learning experience.
There are several reasons for being fired that can be explained:īest Ways to Explain that You Were Fired (Terminated) During an Interview But that doesn’t make answering the question, “Why did you leave your last job?” any easier. So, if you’ve been terminated or fired, you’re in good company. Since most of us (but not all of us) in the USA are employees “at will” without laws or regulations, a labor union, or a contract protecting us, we can be fired for any reason - or for no reason at all - by our employers.