Were you fired from your last job (or one of your prior jobs)? Are you at a loss as to what to say about it in an interview?

The job search process can be stressful in and of itself - and having to explain a past job loss can be an added source of anxiety. But it need not be. Workers in the 21st century rarely stay at the same job for their entire careers like most of their grandparents did. Not only is it common to change jobs, some believe it's the best way to leverage salary and career. While most of the changes may be of our own volition, odds are a few will involve being fired or laid-off.

Sometimes, people find themselves in the wrong job and/or working for the wrong people. Philosophical differences arise, the chemistry is not right between you and your boss or the organization, the company hits a rough patch, your boss is difficult and self-absorbed, or the job doesn't turn about to be what they represented to you during the interviews. And sometimes it's you: you didn't come to work on time, didn't try very hard or didn't care, made an irreparable political misstep, or you had personal problems that interfered with your job performance.

Regardless of the reason, several things are clear:

• There was a mismatch between you and the job that you did not figure out in time to keep control of the outcome.
• Independent of your overall performance (which may have been excellent in terms of results), you didn't turn out to be what your employer needed or wanted.
• The fact that this mismatch was recognized (in whatever form) and that everyone is moving on is a net positive!

Following is a list of 7 pieces of advice to help you deal constructively and effectively with interview questions about involuntary departures from past jobs:

1. Be prepared with an answer when an interviewer asks why you left your last job. This is not one you want to have to think up on the fly!
2. Always tell the truth! It is better to be up front and honest than to be caught in a lie later on (grounds for termination from your current job!). Be real about what works for you and why the firing took place - if for no other reason than to avoid taking another job for which you and the boss, environment, or job itself are a poor match.
3. Once you're fired, you can't change the circumstances. But you can control how you view them. Before beginning to interview, detach yourself from the event and honestly examine what happened both to gain insight and understand your own and your boss/employer's contributions to the outcome. Look at the separation as a blessing - things weren't working and everybody has a chance to move on and make a fresh start.
4. Do not go into interviews feeling defensive. If you feel defensive, you will likely act and sound defensive, leaving the interviewer with the impression that you have something to hide (and not something good).
5. Whether you were at fault or not, it's all in how you phrase it. Devise an answer that is based on the truth and sincerity of what you feel and what you believe - while remaining positive.
6. Don't give a long, rambling story or blame the company, your boss, or anyone else. If you were even partially at fault, take responsibility. Never make excuses! Talk about what you learned from the experience how it has served you and/or will serve you going forward.
7. Keep your answer brief, keep it honest, and keep it moving.

For a great list of sample answers to the question "Why were you fired?", visit "Job Interview Answer: Why Were You Fired?" by Alison Doyle on About.com.

With some forethought and a positive attitude, you can make answering this question relatively painless and move on quickly to what should be the meat of the interview: why you are an excellent fit to the position for which you're interviewing!

Interested in finding out more about what may become possible for you through coaching? Feel free to call me at 415-285- 0826 to set up a free 30 minute consultation by phone.

And, as always, I very much appreciate any feedback you would like to give as to how I can make this newsletter more useful to you.

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