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I was recently let go from my job for what I would consider laughable reasons.

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Anonymous

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I was recently let go from my job for what I would consider laughable reasons. During the interview process for a receptionist position I asked if I would be busy and mentally stimulated as that is what I was lacking in my job and when I get bored is when I make mistakes. I was assured I would be busy and have opportunities to learn. I was also told I was coming into a family type environment. This was beyond false and they only people who made me feel welcome were at the corporate office.

Ultimately the reasons cited for letting me go were forgetting to start the dishwasher a few times as well as messing up a FedEx mailing (first and only time I made a mistake with Fedex). I had no formal write ups nor did I receive proper training when I started as the gal I replaced had been promoted and she was unavailable to me. How do I explain this when interviewing at a new company?

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  1. Denise Levine

    When you are interviewing, tell them that you didn't know you were being hired as a maid. Since when do receptionists have to take charge of other people's dishes?

    Tell the interviewer that you had no idea this was coming since there was no formal process in place.

    Good luck!

  2. Chrissy Williams

    Thank you! It was a little crazy

  3. Anonymous

    I had a manager who said she was going to base the administrative teams reviews on how well the break room was cleaned. Not even joking on this one. This same group went above her and had that removed, she was a micro manager to say the least. You should never have to clean up after your co-workers.

  4. Anonymous

    Every law firm I have worked at has had the secretaries be responsible for the dishes. Not like everyone’s personal lunch dishes - depositions and mediations require entertainment trays and the clients or witnesses leave the dishes.

  5. Chrissy Williams

    Oh I'm talking their cups, coffee cups, dishes and silverware in the sink that I would need to put in and then start the dishwasher. It was super petty.

  6. Anonymous

    Relatable. I went through something similar last year: Owner let me go because I did not want to answer the phone after business hours for any reason (as in, she expects people to answer phone calls for any reason, emergency or not with no upper limit as to when someone could call). This is not what I was told when hired (I still swear she said she expected business hours availability but apparently gaslighting was also one of her jobs)

    Could you say that it was an organization that was disorganized and did not clearly define your duties? I am sorry that happened to you.

  7. Anonymous

    It depends how long you were employed there. If your tenure was under 90 days or less then you don't mention it on your resume or in interviews. It doesn't really contribute to your experience.

  8. Anonymous

    It wasn't a good fit. Simple as that. Just explain that the role was not as described. Not sure how long you were there, but as an alternative if it was less than 3 months decide if a gap is better than having that on there.

  9. Chrissy Williams

    I was there almost 4 months.

  10. Anonymous

    I would still do as I share above your comment. 3-4 months not a big deal. You could tell folks you took classes and wanted to focus on strengthening your skills during that time so that you could find a great job not just a good one.

  11. Anonymous

    Assuming you're the original poster above -- just wanted to flag that you're anonymous in the post and your real name is in the responses. Pointing it out in case you didn't want to be public.

  12. Anonymous

    My only advice would be NEVER work for a company that states a "family environment". They are NOT your family or your friend. Major red flag.

  13. GirlBossanova934974

    Other viewers have made great suggestions here. The so called FAMILY ENVIRONMENT stuff is always a big red flag. The fact that the company expected you to run the dishwasher tells you everything you need to know. You can tell the next company you expect to work as a receptionist. That is what you do well. Another huge red flag going forward is this lack of common courtesy shown new employees. This is another red flag as it often points to a very hostile work environment where people are engaged in petty fights and bickering on a daily basis.

  14. Anonymous

    All of this!!!

  15. Anonymous

    Moving forward, please don’t over share information like: I make mistakes when I’m not busy. You sharing this info during the interview process doesn’t excuse the errors. I’m not totally sure what family environment means here, but I sense that you were looking for mistakes to be overlooked?

    I see so many people on this site complaining about improper training. And there’s no doubt this is the case in some instances. But I’m also surprised that more don’t speak up and use their words! If you weren’t comfortable with FedEx (or whatever the situation was) did you ask for help? I get the other person wasn’t available so I’m assuming you went to your boss?

    Unfortunately, many jobs throw us into the deep end when we start. It forces us to fend for ourselves, to be resourceful and figure things out.

    As others have said, say this wasn’t a long term fit.

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