CHAPTER 9 So You Were Fired
W
hile most people have been fired at least once in their careers (and many employees several times), let’s face it: being fired is not a stellar asset to have on your resume. For this reason, it really pays to ask yourself one question before you immediately update your resume with your last place of employment—namely, do you have to include it?If you worked at a company for six months or less, you may be far better off leaving it off your resume. Fibbing by omission is not the same thing as lying outright, and you might find it beneficial to fudge the facts a bit, rather than having to deal with the pernicious “Why were you fired?” question during an interview.
On the other hand, if you worked at a company for over a year, you will need to include it on your resume. Every job teaches us something—even if it’s only why we should never take the same type of job again! When questions about why you were fired are being fired at you, try to focus on what you learned from your last job and bring it out in your interview.
You’ve finally recovered from being fired. For the first time, you feel like maybe it really is the
“best thing that ever happened to you.” You’re free at last. You feel strong, confident, and optimistic about the future, that is until some interviewer slams you with the “Why were you fired?” question.
Then, suddenly, in less than a nanosecond, you feel the sting and the shame of it all over again. Of all the questions in the interviewer’s arsenal, this one is particularly barbed.
So how do you protect yourself from experiencing these painful aftershocks? First, anticipate the question, and have a strategy for dealing with it. Then, carefully plot out your answer in advance and rehearse it multiple times. Take care not to gloss over your answer, because the worst thing you can do is to reveal that being fired has somehow put you off your game. You’re the consummate professional, and professionals learn to brush off being fired with aplomb.
201.
Why were you fired? What happened? Talk to me.A.
During the four years that I worked at the company, they had massive layoffs three separate times. Each time, the company blamed the financials. Certain projections were unrealistic. And there were also heavy business losses. They tried to contain the damage by first laying off “back office”employees. But almost immediately afterwards, their day-to-day operations deteriorated. Bills weren’t sent to the clients on time—causing late payments, and damaging their bottom line even more.
During the second round of layoffs, they cut 25 percent of their middle managers, a huge and terrible bloodletting. And as you know, middle managers are frequently the people who really get the work done. Then, clients started complaining that some of the people who were let go shouldn’t have been, and eventually, some of those clients started pulling out of the company themselves.
It was a completely terrifying time for all of us, but I have to confess that when I made it through the second round of layoffs unscathed, I really thought that my job was secure. This turned out not to be the case. But even though working for a “sinking ship” is never fun, I really learned a lot from the experience. I had a wonderful mentor who, sadly, was laid off in round one. He taught me how to develop strategic plans, organize press events, and foster strong customer relationships.
Why This Technique Works
1. Your prospect asked why you were fired, but you have successfully positioned your leaving the company as a layoff.
2. You don’t sound angry. In fact, you say that you learned a lot.
If you really were fired, and not just let go as part of a general downsizing, tread carefully. It will be easy for your prospect to check out the facts. So study the answer that follows.
202.
My good buddy, Nathaniel Burns, told me you were fired from your last job. He seemed to think that you had trouble dealing with some of the people on staff. Can you elaborate?A.
I was indeed fired from my job, and as the saying goes, sometimes these things are really“blessings in disguise.” But I didn’t have trouble dealing with anyone on the staff. In fact, it was sort of the opposite situation. My direct boss, Sheila Waterson, was away three weeks out of four, handling business in L.A. Staff members would find it difficult to reach Sheila at critical moments, and unfortunately, they started reporting to me about some of the organizational problems they were facing. These people were scared of Sheila since she has quite a temper, and so they “hid” behind me, asking me to confront Sheila about the various issues that they had. By getting rid of me first, Sheila was simply “shooting the messenger.” But since I left the company, sadly, many of these other people also lost their jobs.
I would like to say for the record that Sheila is one of the most talented executives I’ve ever had the privilege of working for. I learned a tremendous amount from her, and genuinely respect her problem-solving abilities. But it’s difficult to be in two places at once, and the company probably could have benefited by having a second “boss” around who was at Sheila’s level—someone empowered to make executive decisions in her absence, and not simply report staff members’
problems to her.
Why This Technique Works
1. You successfully made your ex-boss sound like a tyrant (by saying everyone was scared of her), but when it was your turn to say something nasty about her, you turned around and complimented her instead.
2. You sound like a fearless warrior; your ex-boss sounds like she pointed the trigger at the wrong person. Excellent.
203.
I was kind of surprised when I got your call, Katherine. Didn’t you have a 3-year contract with BBK? How could they fire you?A.
Well, as you know, Marlene, contracts are fairly easy for companies to wiggle out of when they want to. When the new CEO came in, he was determined to make some swift changes. So I was taken off several of my accounts, and instead put in the risky area of “new business development.”Unfortunately, the CEO wouldn’t let me run with my ideas. He had canned the person who had been in charge of the department and was trying to replace him. As a result, I was told to “wait until the new guy arrived,” but that never happened.
While I was “waiting for Godot” to appear, my numbers slipped. The company offered to buy me out of my contract, and I blissfully accepted. However, I have several ex-clients who love me, so if you hire me, I’m fairly certain that I can convince several of them to switch over to your firm.
Why This Technique Works
1. You used intriguing language, describing a “waiting for Godot” scenario that many executives have experienced firsthand.
2. You gave your interviewer a compelling reason to hire you: the new business you will bring to the firm.
Top 3 Tips for Being Invincible
1. Have a battle plan. If you were ever fired or laid off, chances are you will be asked about it.
All great generals plan their moves in advance. So do master chess players and smart interviewees.
2. Know your audience. Target your answers to the place where you are interviewing. Moving from a large company to a small one? Decide what you will bring to the company, and don’t be afraid to “sell it” on your interview. Transitioning from a small company to a big one? Custom- tailor your answer accordingly.
3. Watch your language. Always use language (both verbal and body) that demonstrates that you really deserve the job.
204.
I understand that you worked for the mercurial Stephen Bane. At the same time, I see from your resume that your stint with him didn’t last very long. What was it like to work for him, and what were the circumstances that lead to your leaving?A.
One thing that you never hear about Stephen Bane is what a fantastic teacher he is. I considered it an honor and a privilege to work for him, even if he was prone to the occasional outburst. I learned so much from him along the way that I will be forever grateful. What people never realize is that Stephen is even tougher on himself than he is on his staff. He taught me a few cardinal rules that I will carry forward with me. For example, he told me that I should never start a project until I have all of the facts. In our field, the deadlines are severe and so a lot of people panic. They’ll begin working on an assignment before they’ve marshaled all of the facts. This leads to work that is shoddy and poorly organized. With Stephen leading the way, I learned to gather the information first. As a result, you’ll find my work thorough, logical, linear, and well reasoned.Why This Technique Works
1. Asked why you left, you didn’t answer the question, but instead focused on what you learned from your ex-boss.
2. If Stephen ends up giving you a mediocre reference, it will be discounted, due to his irascible reputation. And if he ends up giving you a fantastic reference, you’ll be hired on the spot.
While it’s never a good idea to bad-mouth your exbosses, take care to keep your praise to sentiments that are believable. You want to prove that you hold no grudges, yes, but go easy on the bs.