| Dear Steve and Jon, I was fired from my last job because of differences in professional style from my boss. During a job interview, how do I present the fact that I was fired? Signed: Fired. |
Dear Fired, For many reasons, companies prefer to hire candidates who are currently employed, so do all you can to stay on good terms with your employer. Never use your company email address on your resume, but develop an anonymous email address to use during your job search (e.g., AtlantaQC@yahoo.com). When posting your resume on Monster, CareerBuilder, et al., consider using a pseudonym and your cell phone number, along with the anonymous email address. Avoid responding to "blind ads" that do not identify the employer, and request your search firms to remove your name and contact data when they submit it to a company. |
Dear Fired, It is good that you already recognize the considerable risk. It is almost impossible to guarantee confidentiality even if you restrict your networking to close friends and even if you swear them to secrecy. When you send your resume to recruiters or potential employers, make sure you know who will receive it, stress the confidentiality, and confirm how they are going to use your information. For possible damage control, your work should continue to remain exemplary. Build and maintain as good a working relationship with your current boss as you possibly can, but still do not share knowledge of your job search. To be on the safe side, expect your work telephone and email to be monitored and expect your employer to have internet 'agents' searching the internet for their employee's names and the company's name wherever they might surface. |