Back in my work history, I was fired from a job due to external circumstances going on in my personal life.

Anonymous

March 1,2023 at 10:12PM UTC

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Back in my work history, I was fired from a job due to external circumstances going on in my personal life. Cliffnote version... I was working in a job I really liked but, traveled every day 82 miles in commute to get to my job location. I had planned on relocating closer but, needed to save up a bit in order to move. I was newly married at the time, to someone I obviously didn't know that well...another long story. Anyway, things were becoming bad at home...a lot of lying and discord from him, and I came home early one day to find he had cleaned out my entire house...of every thing but my clothes! This obviously sent me in a tailspin. I tried to explain to my boss what had happened without too much detail. She was neither understanding, nor would she give me any time off to deal with it. I did my best to pull it together but, within a month was fired...she said she believed I could do the work and do it well but, my focus was gone. I was of course upset, and left crying.

Fast forward 8 years...I'm back out looking for work, have my life together and all but, always stumble when asked about this experience or the question "have you ever been let go from a job". HOW do I successfully navigate this question without going all into the situation? The work I did in the position; even though I was only there 8 months, was substantial and I'd like to list it...or should I?

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AnonymousMarch 1,2023 at 10:26PM UTC
Be honest. Tell them the truth. You let a bad relationship spill into your work life. It happens! Your older, wiser, more mature, and can make better decisions. It was a painful life experience that has left you wiser. Hopefully, right?
AnonymousMarch 2,2023 at 1:11AM UTC
She shouldn't tell them it was a bad relationship. That leaves her vulnerable to judgment. Just a family situation or a situation in her personal life.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistMarch 2,2023 at 1:30AM UTC
I absolutely would never recommend a candidate say that. The less you say the better. You can say a personal family issue affected your focus and the situation was dealth with long ago but I would never recommend someone say anything about a bad relationship.
That is none of anyone's business.
Bonnie CoventryMarch 1,2023 at 10:48PM UTC
"8 years ago a family situation affected my focus at my job. While that personal part of my life took time to take care of I was separated due to not being available to perform my responsibilities. I'm so glad that is far in my past and able to continue to move forward in any new opportunities that I'm seeking. Thank you for asking as I know that our lives are journeys with an ebb and flow. " I feel this is a suggestion of answering and putting the question to rest. Good luck!
AnonymousMarch 1,2023 at 11:47PM UTC
Maybe "I had a very serious, personal life event that didn't allow me to give my work my full attention." And leave it at that. Let them decide for themselves if it was your house burning down, or your kid dying from cancer, or something else. It's not really their business after all.
AnonymousMarch 3,2023 at 2:56PM UTC
8 years ago?? Water under the bridge! Forget it. If you’re actively looking for a new job and you are getting interviews, no one cares. If anyone does ask: I was going through a bad divorce and couldn’t do home life and work very well. Period. End of conversation. (Aka none of your business). Employers really don’t want to hear about this anyway so don’t expect or worry about the questions.
Emphasize the positive things you have done in the past 8 years. Good luck.
Heather BinghamMarch 3,2023 at 5:45PM UTC
I loathe this question. So someone says, "yes, I was sacked because they said I couldn't do my job". How many questions does that raise? Was the training adequate? Was your manager any good? Does that company look after people, or just cast them aside for no good reason? Did they work you into the ground? Did they sack you instead of a proper redundancy process? That's before I even consider whether the person in front of me is any good. Half an answer is no answer.
If I were in your situation, however, I would say "Yes, I had a lot of problems at home and I wasn't able to maintain focus at work as a result. Happily I resolved the situation, learned from the experience and I've moved on and maintained a good balance ever since". Usually the right response is just a version that tells enough of the truth, without oversharing. The best of luck to you.
AnonymousMarch 3,2023 at 9:03PM UTC
Thank you all - very much appreciate the advisement!
Angela P.March 4,2023 at 4:56PM UTC
I’m wondering why anyone would answer that honestly. I’ve seen applications that ask if you’ve ever been terminated for criminal acts, but if it’s not a crime, it’s not their business. Just say no and move on.
CourtneyMarch 4,2023 at 6:01PM UTC
This alone shows how honest you are, but in this scenario the less you say, the better. A lot of growth happened in the span of 8 years-you’re a new person! Please don’t let your past come to surface and potentially steer you away from where you are headed.
AnonymousMarch 4,2023 at 7:23PM UTC
Yes do list it. Let folks know that you were going through either a difficult divorce or that you had someone in your family that needed care giving. That is enough to say but let them know that your company at the time could not support giving you time away to deal with things so you mutually decided to part ways. Keep it simple. The Past is NOT your future.
Kristie WhiteMarch 5,2023 at 3:16PM UTC
Yes, list it. Then separated due to personal emergency. And for the record, I think after 8 months and good performance, your former boss was a jerk. And missed the opportunity to have a great employee! I’ve been fired myself, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad employee. Hold your head up, be confident! Sh$t happens.
AnonymousMarch 28,2023 at 4:46PM UTC
I always answer with, 'the position was not a good fit for me. Management chose to fire me and I was able to claim unemployment.' My situation was not the same as yours but my firing was not due to performance or anything under my control.