Hello,

I'm sorry to hear this. It definitely happens from time to time and it certainly won't prevent you from getting another great job! It will be found out in the background check, but as Francesco pointed out, they will only see this after you are made an offer. 

I would go into the interview preparing to talk about this experience. Don't criticize your former job/employer (this looks really bad on candidates), recognize that it was a good experience where you learned a lot, and explain that it was due to a lack of fit (or something of the like). If there were some mistakes you made that led to you being fired, explain how you learned from those.

No need to hide or be apologetic or ashamed! Just explain it and say there was no FIT. You learnt a lot and are ready to move on and are looking for next opportunity.

This happens and there is no penalty unless you lie/twist the facts.

Whatever you do - there is one thing that you must not do - and that is lie about your background.

That said, you need to be smart about how you reveal the information. You may not always want to over-share at the drop of a hat. While you also don't want to be mysterious and tight-lipped about it since that can raise more suspicion. You need to be comfortable with the fact of what has happened since it can happen to any one.

You also need to consider the situations under which you were fired. If you were laid-off due to something beyond your control (e.g. reorganization, COVID, etc.) then there is really no issue at all. However, if your firing was due to a performance issue then you must keep some good stories at hand to convey the information in a transparent manner and yet not appear as a low performer.

Happy to discuss and brainstorm an actual answer depending on your situation's actual intricacies. Feel free to message me.

Hi there,

Yes, they can find that during the background check. However, this is conducted after you get the offer. So the only issue would be if the gap is evident in your CV, in this case the interviewer may ask.

If they ask, I would structure the answer as follows:

1. Be honest and don’t try to hide the issue. It is a sign of maturity and they would find that anyway
2. Explain the reasons why this happened. Present the situation and take responsibility
3. Explain what you have learned and how you will make sure you won’t have the same issue in the future

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

Yes, unfortunately this is absolutely going to come up on a background check.

That said, if you were fired simply because of mis-match, demand issues, etc., you should be absolutely fine. 

Just let them know that while the experience was great there were just differences in culture/style. Make sure to make clear that the reason was x (and that x doesn't exist at the current firm and/or is resolved)

It happens whether it’s performance related or not. I wouldn’t lie but I also wouldn’t feel like you need to hide it. If you’re joining a consultancy at entry level, they usually won’t do a thorough background check beyond your criminal records.