WHY WERE YOU FIRED? | How to Answer Truthfully

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Why were you fired // Thank you for watching! What do you find is the most challenging part of an interview?

[@Sugarlips321]

Losing my job didn’t suck I am grateful I’m out of a toxic work environment.

[@lacygorman9154]

Me too. Did you find a new job?

[@Sugarlips321]

@@lacygorman9154 yes I got an offer.

[@PaganMin-1966]

Yeah at least can sleep in peace

[@Sugarlips321]

@@lacygorman9154 yes I did

[@JuliaCha]

I got fired when I was 23, because I stood up to a narcissistic bully! In an interview, having a panel can be overwhelming sometimes. Just have to remember we can't please everyone...

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Julia Cha I’m sorry it happened to you but glad to hear that you stood up for yourself. And you are absolutely right, we cannot please everybody. Thank you so much for watching.

[@mechshakthi9404]

Hi julia same situation happening now to me can u explain briefly how u handled that

[@MarianaKaiser]

I like that you gave examples of the answers we might use, this is definitely one of the toughest questions one can face in an interview!

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Mariana Kaiser Thank you! I’m really glad it resonated with you. 🌸

[@SincerelyMaria]

I agree with talking about what you learned from the previous situation because it really shows that you are mature, you have learned and moved on. Also that you are ready going forward! Great video :)

[@stephandden]

Such a great way to respond - I definitely agree that you need to be honest, but address it quickly and finish by talking about what you've learned from the experience. 👏

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Steph & Den Thank you so much for watching and I’m really glad it resonated with you. 🌸

[@rramanauthor2992]

this is definitely a touchy subject for a lot of people, this video is going anyone who finds this issue tough to deal with! :)

[@althunder4269]

No company will say an employee was fired because they can be sued. They will say the job title and employment dates and that is all.

[@Broccoli821]

So, if you were fired, do you have to say? I believe your sentiment but what if a job asks if you've been fired?

[@CarolMould]

This is a really tough question. Thanks for sharing your insights on how best to handle this question

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Carol Mould You are welcomed.

[@emmamugambi1333]

That's AWESOME,. I feel super confident going in for those interviews. Thank you for this video very very helpful.

[@DebbraLupien_AkashicRecords]

Like Dhana said below, being interviewed by multiple people. I once had 3 supervisors interview me at the same time. I was just getting started on a career so it was extremely intimidating. I wish there had been a coach like you at the time. Your guidance is awesome!

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Debbra Lupien Thank you so much for your kind words. It really means a lot to me.

[@DhanaClarkson]

Great animations! I haven’t had an interview in over 15 years but being interviewed by a panel of people was the hardest for me. You feel like you have a spotlight on you.

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Dhana Clarkson Yes. Panel interviews can be tough and requires it’s own set of preparations. Thank you so much for watching!

[@DrLaraZib]

I can imagine that is a scary question to hear... but great tips for anyone dealing with this!

[@TheOmega3Zone]

Well-explained process for what is bound to be an awkward interview. Excellent tips.

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

The Omega 3 Zone Thank you! 🌸

[@TheOmega3Zone]

@@TheCareerUpgrade, you're welcome.

[@Crapopps2]

fantastic video, helping me in a time of need

[@michellereese4488]

Thank you, great video!

[@CristianFontanelliTV]

Great question! Everyone should reflect on it and improve for the next opportunity

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Cristian Fontanelli Thank you! 🌸

[@VeronicaDiPolo]

Thanks for explaining what to do or not to do

[@YesToTech]

You make this super easy! Can't wait to use this answer in my next interview :)

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Yes To Tech Thank you! 🌸

[@TiidiiLivingwithSabrina]

Love the animation! The toughest questions are the scenario ones "tell me about a time you did xyz" cause it's so hard to remember things on the spot!

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Tiidii Living thanks for watching and leaving a comment! Those questions can indeed be tricky, but there’s a neat trick that I will be sharing in an upcoming video, that helps with the answer.

[@kristineannesalcedo5933]

Don't show emotions of bitterness got it

[@AnnaSvedberg12]

Loved this video! I think when I was doing interviews I always thought the question around "tell me about a time when...". It's hard to prep for and sometimes it's just blank :D

[@DelusionDispeller]

I was let go from my school job yesterday. The situation was because I thought I had left a supplement in my bag and that a child got a hold of it, so I alerted staff. Turns out it was in the fridge in my lunch bag. As you can imagine, poison control, parents,etc were contacted and then re contacted when I found the supplement. Next week, I was called to the office and let go

[@Irischurl]

Thank you for this video! It really helps!

[@JasonTaylor-po5xc]

There is no one true answer. Every interview and company is different. Even within the same company, different screeners might view being fired radically differently. Because of that, as much as I would prefer to take the honest/lessons learned approach - this often fails or it is used against you when/if the offer is made (lower salary than someone with a "clean" record). To avoid that, the best policy is to avoid the question if possible. Never bring it up yourself and only answer with a prepared and concise answer - with no emotion involved. If you signed an NDA, this could be used to avoid the question entirely - since you are likely barred from discussing the details. At least in the US, employers can't ask your former employer why you left - they can only verify dates of employment. The new employer will want references but many companies refuse this policy themselves (double standard). If you decide to lie about your termination, make sure it is something that cannot be verified because you can be fired if found out and it has to make sense. You can't simply say "to pursue better opportunities" because you can do that while still gainfully employed - so that would be a huge red flag. Lying, while morally questionable, is also a high risk approach - so be extremely careful. During the interview process, you can sometimes get a sense if this is the type of company that would understand if you learned your lesson or not. Either way, it is still a gamble. So, be light on details and certainly don't volunteer any more than absolutely required. When food, rent/mortgage, and possibly your entire life are on the line - you have to play the game in a smart way. Companies want to eliminate as much risk as possible during the hiring process, especially if you are in protected class. So the best way to deal with this is to wow them during the rest of the interview process that this becomes a non-issue. Thankfully, many companies don't bother asking. For myself, I was fired from my first job out of college. There were a number of contributing factors - including many I would only later realize. It was a dot-com startup that changed business direction 3 times in 6 months. I should have left at that point, but I was terrified about looking for a job in a new city (Atlanta) with little experience. However, I made a mistake in my haste by not completely testing some code which I pushed into production (we all had direct access as a startup - no safety nets). Yeah, it caused a form to not work properly (it worked on my machine LOL). I was required to come into the office alone on the weekend to fix the issue (a lot of trust), and yes, push it directly to production when it was fixed. That Monday, I was fired. It turned out to be a good thing - the ship was sinking and that was held back from the staff until they were all laid off a month later. I landed a better job with better pay at a _stable_ company in just a few weeks.

[@judypingmccormick3904]

Brilliant. Would you kindly suggest the best answer for : "Why did you leave your last job (just 2 weeks ago), without a new job lined up?" Thank you.

[@KimoCraft]

very tough question to answer, but you need to get an answer ready!

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Kimo Craft Thank you! 🌸

[@leilaricciardo]

Great animations for explaining this topic!

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Leila Ricciardo Thank you so much! I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@JamesHollowayYT]

Love the animations 💪🏼 and we always can upgrade our career!

[@TheCareerUpgrade]

Thank you so much! I’m glad you liked it.

[@theswcoaching]

Great video. This has never happened to me, but I've always been curious about how someone would deal with that situation.

[@ngoziuguru1734]

what about in a No Cause situation..how do you answer such question in an interview

[@VictoryPedalCab]

"Job loss due to no fault of my own"

[@PaganMin-1966]

Employers dont usually want to hire people who got terminated from their jobs, even if they tell the truth

[@lacygorman9154]

I lost my job a week ago. I was told to go home. The job was as an office manager. I was fired for making an error. It is really hard to find a new job. I am getting interviews but still not getting the job. Do you have any suggestions?

[@johnandannastravels6258]

Great video

[@BabuMirdha8160]

amazing channel 🌻🌼🌷👍👍👍👍

[@breatheliveandthrive7404]

Why were you fired? I wasn't. I quit before they could do it! Why did they want to fire you? Just unlucky target by a Malignant Narcissistic employer. Thats all!

[@jenniferbarnwell6592]

For making threats so the boss man punished me by making me stay at home thinking long and hard what I did swear I never do it again but it doesn’t mean I can’t get another job

[@mindbodyandsoul81]

what if your terminated for cause , for breach of policy because you failed a random drug test in a saftey sensitive job? then what are you suppose to say? especially if your seeking a job in same industry and you need to land a job asap, especially if you cannot put them on your resume now you have a 9 month gap. Should you just leave the gap a simply say you had a family obligation.And are just now returning to the workforce and looking for a new career path.

[@Kris-xw4ns]

I see you wrote that a year ago. I hope you landed a job by now. You should find out your state's laws regarding what employers can reveal to other employers. I know someone who was terminated. Their employer told them that Minnesota law prevents employers from divulging anything except your work dates. As far an employment gap, you can explain you took time off to focus on home projects while learning new skills so you could complete them. Or, you needed to attend to a family member. I've read that you should explain an employment gap like it was a job so they don't think you were sitting around doing nothing!

[@Classicbeauty857]

Of course the politically correct answer would be to tell the truth but I don’t think you should. Telling the truth only raises alarm bells and you have to count on someone being compassionate enough to give you a second chance. Recruiters look for the best and if your coming with baggage and a negative story your not going to look good against the competition. I say figure out how you can fill the gap on your CV and get references elsewhere. Blame the job market, it’s them with them who have the unrealistic expectations. If we all told the truth about everything no one would get a job!

[@purple_arc]

What about when they do a background check and notice you failed to mention that job? Did you do something so horrible that you opted not even to bring it up? That's exactly y I was fired. I made a mistake and didn't mention it only for it to be later noticed. After a couple of days of consideration, I was "let go". Although it's embarrassing, I rather not go thru that again. Plus we tend to look for similar positions, since we have experience in the field and lesson learned so will do better in that area. Employers tend to know each other if in same market so better to be honest upfront than have them find out later, and have to explain yourself, risking termination for being untruthful.

[@Classicbeauty857]

@@purple_arc where I’m from they don’t conduct background checks, only certain positions require it. Most will just ask for 2 references.

[@purple_arc]

@@Classicbeauty857 Lucky for you. Here, depending on company, large Corps def but private owner varies, usually all do background checks to protect themselves, and business, financially & legally.

[@Kris-xw4ns]

People need to know the state laws on what an employer can legally reveal. Minnesota law says employers can only say your start and end date. Former employees can sue the company if they disclose you were fired. So, when people use the term background check, a background check looks to see if you've had an DUI's or committed any crimes.

[@Al-rn5qy]

Completely agree. Despite what some employers say, they will use being fired against you-sometimes even if they believe you. In my 20 plus years of working, I know of only one exception where the guy told the hiring manager he was fired and was still hired anyway. The reason he was still hired: the hiring manager knew, but didn't like the firing manager!😂 Notice though this is the exception, not the rule. More often than not, your new prospective employer will side with the employer that fired you. There's always a way to explain things without lying. The key is to prepare an answer for this question beforehand where you don't use the word "fired". We know interviewers like to ask this, so don't be caught off guard. And if the interviewer prods further or don't like your answer, it usually means they weren't interested in hiring you anyway! Best wishes folks😉

[@wbislavolgs]

I’m 10

[@saffirechanning7286]

Hello. I was fired from my last job. If a job interviewer asks me why I was fired from my last job, can I just say that I got entangled in some inter-office politics, which didn't have anything to do with my job performance? Hey, that's the SHORT ANSWER for WHY I was dismissed from my last job. The DETAILS sound too much like a SOAP OPERA, which I just rather just FORGET about. I just wanna focus on moving forward. Does that sound like a SATISFACTORY answer?

[@brianmurphy250]

Same exact situation here! Hopefully some kind souls will give us an answer!

[@damudurathnayake281]

Example of a better answer: "Unfortunately, my last position involved some challenging interpersonal dynamics within the team. While I take responsibility for not navigating those complexities effectively, it did teach me the importance of clear communication and proactive problem-solving. I'm eager to apply those lessons in a more collaborative and supportive environment like the one you have here."