Insider - For the latest job hunting and recruitment news and views

Handling being fired in interviews

I got the sack from my last job because I made some serious mistakes in my work. How do I handle this in my next job interview please?

Paul Smith

Related posts:

  1. Fired – but fizzling out I was sacked very unfairly in December last year, it’s...
  2. Nervous at interviews I have tried as hard as I can to write...
| More
avatar careersurgery 31 October 2008 Career Surgery
  • Adrian

    What did you do?
    Will your last employer provide you a standard reference without specifics on you being sacked?

  • Rolfe Pearce MBA MREC CertRP

    Most Interviewers ask eventually, “What was the worst thing you did in your work history?” If they don’t ask then it probably won’t come up. I am sure however that they will ask you why you left your last job, but not before you have reviewed your last job in a competency based way.
    So you have been bad…you have learnt and you can use this as a specific example of how you would not do that again. You can’t have been all bad so look at the core competencies of the position and focus on how well you did delivering on those. As you go through the interview you should be honest as to where you went wrong and how in hindsight you would improve your performance using specific examples.
    Let them know that you put your previous manager in a position where he had no choice but to let you go, you have learnt through demonstration and contrition that you will be very different with them.
    You may want to offer an extended trial period to make sure that they can trust your intentions

Disclaimer: Any views here do not necessarily reflect the views of Jobsite. As such we cannot be held responsible for the views expressed here or any actions taken as a consequence.