I am unemployed. In the interview, should I say that I am currently working at my former firm or just tell that I am unemployment?

Don´t lie! Some MBB (and other) firms run extensive background checks on candidates and this will come back to you - one way or another.

Also, there´s generally nothing wrong with being unemployed. If you got kicked out, the question is as to why:

• No red flag: You got laid off as part of a mass redundancy (or similar) - Tell the story with confidence and no animosity
• Red flag: You got kicked out because of poor performance, breach of contract, misconduct, etc. - Make sure you have a good explanation but don´t lie!

Make sure you can reasonably explain the circumstances of your unemployment and this won´t hurt you as much as you think it might.

Thats okay. No need to feel ashamed or guilty of this. It happens.

You can be successful elsewhere.

Just be ready to explain your situation and never lie. Say that the mutual FIT in the previous company wasn't there, so you are now hunting for new opportunities. Talk about what you learnt, what impact you made and where do you want to go next.

Speak about your skills with passion. As long as you show that you have a plan , there shouldnt be any major issues.

Have a look at this article for more tips & guidance-https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-do-i-know-which-career-is-right-for-me

1. You don't have to bring the topic, but you can't lie on being unemployed (but you can be doing something else - like focusing on MBB recruiting)

2. You don't have to tell the true reason you why left the company. This is not part of the background check - and no one can really expect that you will volunteer this kind of information on an interview.

Hello!

I wouldn´t lie, but I wouldn´t bring it to the conversation either if you are not asked about it tbh. 

Prepare very very well the story about how you got laid out (if you want to be that honest, you can also just say that you left), since it´s somehting that you would 100% get asked if the topic arises. There is zero shame and it can actually be an amazing story if you can focus it correctly on learnings. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hi there,

First of all, I am deeply sorry to hear about your current professional situation!

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for quite a lot of users, so I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• Generally speaking, I would highly advise you not to lie about your employement status. Even if this might not be found out immediately, you work at your current employer with the risk of being terminated without notice if you provide false information about your employement history (in most countries at least).
• On the contrary, I would advise you to think about activities you are currently pursuing - chances are high that they are somewhat work-related. For instance, you may be increasing your engagement in voluntary work or your own business, or you are simply taking a (short) time off after your last employment.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare your applications and interviews in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

I hope this helps,

Hagen

Hi there,

You cannot lie during an interview (they will immediately reject you once they find out), so if they ask the only option is that you say the truth. If they don’t ask, you don’t have to say anything of course.

There could be several reasons for a layoff, so this won’t automatically disqualify you if you can motivate properly and explain what you learned as personal improvement.

Best,

Francesco

Hi there,

Please do not lie about employment history.

Don't bring the topic up, but if they do ask, you'll need to tell them you were laid off due to pandemic-related issues.

Ideally, you're doing something right now (running your own business, contracting on the side, etc.) that you can flag to show you're still active.