I was fired today

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I'm sorry - I'm not sure if this should be posted here or in a different section, but ...

I was fired from my job today. I was a (lowly) part-time admin assistant for a non-profit organization. My bossette told me that I have a bad attitude and she was letting me go. *sigh*

I know there are a dozen posts on what to do in a job interview, but I guess my questions is: how do you respond in an interview when the subject of previous employment comes up? A prospective employer is bound to find out that I've recently been fired. How can one put a positive spin on being fired?

Thanks.

Last edited by Nan on 09 Aug 2008, 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Sorry that happened. It's never pleasant.

If asked, I say "it wasn't a good fit" - and only detail what I mean by that if pushed. I say things like "the organizational culture was very social, but I'm more of a work-a-holic" or "I'm a very thorough, meticulous, detail-oriented person that that job had numerous interruptions".... Whatever you say, you want there to be a positive message in it.

I had one boss many years ago with whom I butted heads often - they laid me off rather than have to manufacture a reason they were wanting to fire me. I was told that "my attitude belonged on an assembly line" and not in "a professional environment". I was a computer operator - read that, I ran machines all day. I was paid for a 40 hour week and actually protested at being asked to work more hours without more compensation. Elitist bastard, he was.

You'll find something else. Best of luck!

Are bosses allowed to fire people like that in your country? In Ireland you have to have a good reason to fire someone like misbehaviour or gross incompetence. A "bad attitude" does not sound like a good reason.

I have no advice to offer, I'm just curious about this incident.

@nan -
Thanks. I think that was just what I needed to hear! I guess I'll hit the search on Monday and see what is out there.

@corroonb -
Most employers in the US are "at-will," meaning either party can terminate the employment at ANY time and for ANY reason. I was having a particularly bad day [read: rapidly approaching meltdown because of my boss's micromanaging - she kept hovering over my shoulder], and my boss (who isn't really my boss - she is my boss's underling) decided that I wasn't welcome in the office anymore. Simple as that: "You have a rotten attitude. You are unprofessional. I have to let you go."

I'm sorry to hear that that's the case. Do you not have any unions or labour associations?

Thanks for satisfying my curiosity. I have no political agenda here, I'm just interested in comparing my country to others where I can.

There was a man who was a janitor at a church. The church got a new minister who would leave notes for the janitor on what he wanted done. The man couldn't read so he didn't respond to the minister's notes. As a result he was fired. The same man later became a very successful businessman. The man was with his accountant and the accountant was in utter amazement that a man who couldn't read could attain such success. The accountant said to the man; your story is amazing, just imagine where you'd be if you had learned to read. The man replied I know exactly where I would be and what I would be doing. I would still be doing janitorial work at ______ Church.
The gist of this is to look upon your firing as a chance to do something better. As far as what to reply about your last job; all a previous employer can say about a previous employee is to verify that they actually worked for us from ___ to ___. By law they can't say anything else.
If asked about your previous employment, just say you resigned. Say something like it didn't offer you any room for advancement. DON'T say anything negative about your previous employer. The German proverb applies here "He who talks to me about others will talk to others about me." Good luck and I hope your job search is successful beyond your wildest dreams.

It's interesting that you mention labor unions. There are some fields that have unions, but many do not. I was working for a non-profit organization (I don't want to be too specific lest the organization recognize itself) which quashed several attempts by labor to unionize. I don't think any non-profits in the US allow for unions.

In the USA, unless your company is unionized (and less and less are), you could be fired for simply wearing your hair in a way the boss does not like and you cannot do a thing about it. It is called at-will employment. As for unions, it is up to the employees as to whether they want a union or not and frankly, other than job security, they are not worth the money you pay for them. I should know considering I worked in a unionized company.

As for employers calling for a reference, it is not illegal to say why a person left the company however, especially with larger companies, the fear of a slander/libel lawsuit is so great that they do not allow managers to say anything other than dates and pay rates if asked.

If asked, simply state that your employer and you came to a mutual agreement to terminate your employment because you did not fit in at that particular company. I had it happen to me where I was laid off from a job where I really did not fit in either. I have now found something that I am a better fit.

Sorry you were fired, or rather "let go". Glad that they did it for a stupid reason rather than invent one that could keep you unemployed.

Hope you find a good job with better management soon.

I'm sorry to hear you lost your job.
It's not easy to deal with this when looking for new employment.
Maybe you could tell future potential new employers that you had issues at your last workplace, and a bit of a personality conflict with your managers. This idea is just a maybe.

I was in a similar situation just recently, eventually though I did find someone who was prepared to give me another chance and things are going quite smoothly.... for now.

Sorry to hear that you lost your job, I definitely know how that feels like.

I was fired from my job back on 10 Jan 2008. It was a office assistant/IT manager position I had held since 01 Nov 2005. Most of the time it was stellar. Since the middle of summer 2007, I was dealing with severe depression and just coming to terms with my AS. The nature of the work involved extensive errands, phone contact, and face-to-face meetings and reviews. Freaked the heck out of me each and every time.

I was fired as stated above. I was given the reasons as "poor work ethic, unprofessional conduct, and betraying the trust of the community and collaborative agencies". Seriously? What the heck? Working 25 hours a week at that job, another 30 a week at an internship, going to classes and studying ... and is it any wonder I was melting down?

This is the only job I was fired from, and it is the one I have the most resentment about.

sorry to hear that...

@rainbowjanna that's a very stressfull job you got there before

Tell the interviewer that the whole thing was just a big misunderstanding. This might work.
Good Luck.