Common knowledge is that career gaps on your resume is a bad thing. But what looks even worse is having been terminated from your last job. The question is: as a resume builder, should you omit any previous terminations?
Of course you could and take your chances… many candidates do. However, if you were at your previous job for any real amount of time, the work gap will be glaring. Beyond that, pesky little things like termination often find their way to the attention of an interested interviewee. If you’re a serious candidate now, you may not be for long.
Being terminated is simply a disadvantage, and it does NOT automatically qualify you from the position. However, it does mean you have one extra hurdle to deal with between here and there. Here’s how to hop the hurdle with grace:
Be honest
Rule #1 of successful resume building is to be up front and transparent with you potential employer. As I mentioned, those white lies tend to come back and bite you. Don’t try to sweep them under the rug.
In your resume, be very explicit about having been laid off. This is opening the door for the interviewer to ask why, which they undoubtedly will. When they do, you’ll have the opportunity to…
Explain what happened
Why were you laid off? If you were laid off because you came in late 5 days in a row… that’s tough stock to sell. However, if you lived 3 hours from work, your employer knew your situation, and it was only 10 minutes you may have a leg to stand on.
Your best bet? Be as specific as possible. Explain exactly why you were laid off, and give any justifications you have (if any). Once you’ve built this base of honesty, you’re sincerity alone should keep you in the running for the position.
On a side note: never paint your previous employer as a bad person (even if they were). Talking bad about them just serves to make you look bad. Instead, focus on the specific disagreement, not on the person you disagreed with.
Fish for a reference
This tip may be a bit far fetched, but I’ve heard of many a resume builder pulling it off. The basic strategy is this: If you were let go of for less serious infractions, go and try to land a letter of recommendation from that employer. Include it with your resume, and you’ve essentially killed any real concern about the termination.
This is particularly effective when you were laid off because of company redundancy or financial reasons. However, no reason for termination is off limits. If you think there’s a chance in the world you can get one, it’s worth going for. The worse they can say is no.
So, there you have it. Remember that no disadvantage is unbeatable. Face it head on, give it your best shot and never stop at the first no. You’ll be back on the saddle in no time.