job-hunting primitive wants a good answer to awkward detail

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=362x708

Oh my.

MarianJack  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Mon Oct-06-08 06:21 PM
Original message

I'd like to ask for some job hunting help.

I was canned, fired, axed, terminated, got my ass kicked out of my last job in March. I did nothing criminal or dishonest, I simply made a mistake. I was asked if I'd made a particular mistake, I admitted that I did, and 20 minutes later I was walking to my car with my personal items in a couple of grocery bags.

My question is simple. How do I deal with that in interviews?

To this point, I've been very honest about this. I have had 3 interviews that I thought were VERY good. Mind you, I have supervised in my career. I've interviewed, hired and fired people. I believe that I know what a good interview sounds like and, as I said earlier, I know that I had at least 3 very good interviews. After a second interview that I felt certain would result in the third interview, I got home and found an e-mail blowing me off that was sent less than 10 minutes after I'd left the building. Both my wife and I were shocked.

I'm 53 and am looking for a place to STAY.

So what should I do?

Should I lie about how I left my last job? Should I dye my hair and shave a few years off of my age? Should I go shovel shit for a living and forget about anything professional?

As with many thousands of people in America suffering through a bush economy, I have a family to support and my wife's salary won"t get us where we want to go. Also, and forgive me if this seems sexist, I'm not the kind of man who wants to live off of his wife.

Feedback would be GREATLY appreciated!

SCRUBDASHRUB  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Mon Oct-06-08 07:55 PM
Response to Original message

1. I say never lie about how you lost your job. If things were to progress, they would probably find out anyway (it could be before you were hired, or even after you've been at a place for a while).

I actually was terminated at my last job. Had only been there four months, and wasn't given a reason...only that it wasn't a good fit.

Were you there for a long time?

MarianJack  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Tue Oct-07-08 08:56 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. About 2 1/2 years.   
   
Things are tough up here in Maine (as everywhere).

I've had to do an unintended career change.

Now, wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.

Isn't Maine one of those blue states?

[Chris_]

MarianJack  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Mon Oct-06-08 06:21 PM
Original message

I'd like to ask for some job hunting help.

I was canned, fired, axed, terminated, got my ass kicked out of my last job in March. I did nothing criminal or dishonest, I simply made a mistake. I was asked if I'd made a particular mistake, I admitted that I did, and 20 minutes later I was walking to my car with my personal items in a couple of grocery bags.

My question is simple. How do I deal with that in interviews...

My question is even simpler.  What the **** have you been doing the past 6 months?

Even when the economy has been at it's worst, I've NEVER been on unemployment 'insurance'.  It's too damned easy to go to work at a day labor shop, or pushing wheelchairs and collecting luggage at the airport, and if you're willing to put your back into it, it pays better too.  I've never been between jobs in my CHOSEN PROFESSION longer than 6 weeks, either.  Not so much because of my skills set as it is my WORK ETHIC, which has become something of a reputation I protect like it was my own child.  So, I am at something of a complete disconnect as to how to tell an interviewer what the hell I've been doing in the 6 months since I was escorted off the premesis by my last employer.  It's just not in the scope of my experience. Sorry I can't help you, bud.

MarianJack  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Tue Oct-07-08 08:56 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. About 2 1/2 years.   
   
Things are tough up here in Maine (as everywhere).

I've had to do an unintended career change.

Really?  Everywhere?  There's no good economy ANYWHERE?

Damn.  What do you do, make buggy-whips or something?  I'm getting phone calls and requests for bid from folks all over the country for my services.  That tells me that there are folks all over the country with more work than they can handle; a fact I can attest to at least within the scope of the area I live and work in.  The folks I talk to are all consistent in one point though; they need somebody they don't have to ****in' babysit for 10 hours a day more than they need an expert in the skill set they're advertising for, somebody who is there to DO THE WORK, not just collect a paycheck.  You're telling me that with all that management experience, all that hiring and firing of folks that you claim to have done, that you don't know how to market to that need in an interview?

Damn.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I expect the problem is not just that you were fired, MarianJack, but that (1) you gave them an earful of how unjust it was and tried to rationalize the whole thing to them, or (2) you skirted talking about the "fired" part via ambiguous words like "let go," "laid off" etc., but they figured it out anyway from a chance mention that you were on unemployment or some other clue, indicating a possible integrity issue, or (3) they know the guys you worked for and the reason you got fired was not just some teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy boo-boo.

[Texacon]

It must have been fired for something bad if it won't tell what it did at the DUmp.  Those people will overlook just about anything and give you a pat on the back for it.

KC

[asdf2231]

My question is even simpler.  What the **** have you been doing the past 6 months?

Sitting on his ass collecting his unemployment checks.

Silly!

[NHSparky]

Sitting on his ass collecting his unemployment checks.

Silly!

Well, it IS Maine, so it's not like he's alone in sitting on his ass collecting welfare.

[USA4ME]

MarianJack

I'd like to ask for some job hunting help.

Wrong website for that, Jack.  Now, if you had said "I'd like to ask for some job avoidance help" you would have asked the experts.

.

[GOBUCKS]

I was canned, fired, axed, terminated, got my ass kicked out of my last job in March. I did nothing criminal or dishonest

This is a very common problem in DUmmyland career paths.

It happens when the DUmmy drops his or her pants, and sits on the Xerox machine.