Interviews are one of the toughest stages in the job seeking process. You cannot choose the questions that are asked to you during interviews. Sometimes they may just ask questions that you do not know how to tackle. It may bring back some memories that you want to forget. The greatest ability of a good candidate should be in tackling such tricky question. One of the most challenging questions that most candidates find difficult to answer is the question about termination. Most candidates lose their hold when they are asked why they were fired from the previous job. Getting fired is a demotivating and humiliating incident but if it happens you should be able to deal with it.
The best approach to questions like these is to take on a positive approach. Many candidates lose their confidence and fail to maintain their composure when the question is asked. You must remember that even recruiters prefer candidates who can endure failures and move ahead inspite of them. Confident answers can help you deal with such tough situations. Here we have listed out a few answers that are apt for questions about being fired.
Best Ways to Answer Interview Questions about Being Fired:
1. A Blessing in Disguise:
You may answer the interviewer by saying that being fired was a blessing in disguise. It helped you to get out of the wrong work environment which did not suit you anyways. You can say the work culture in this firm is what best suits you and that is the reason why you wish to join this firm. While everyone has some drawbacks, there are merits you possess that the interviewer should not make the mistake of neglecting.
Spend some time to highlight on your positive traits. Tell the interviewers how these traits will help the firm and how apt it is for the present role. Tell them you would be a great asset if they provide you this opportunity by selecting you.
2. An Opportunity to Introspect:
You may also be honest with the interviewers if you were immature while making the decision of joining the previous job. You can tell them that after you got fired, you got time to introspect and that is when you realized that you need to alter some of your ways. Tell them about the different steps you took to make yourself a more eligible professional. You can tell them that now you have gained an experience and have improved, so are a better candidate for the particular profile.
3. A Bad Phase:
There could be a bad phase in anyone’s life and this phase in the personal life tends to affect the professional life too. These are times when you fail to perform in your office and the firm is forced to take some action. If you have been through a similar phase, tell the interviewers about it frankly. There could be health problems in the family or a money crunch that prevent you to concentrate on work. You can tell them that the phase is over and now you are back in full swing. If you are applying for a regular job that does not involve too much work pressure, they may accept your answer without a word. If you are applying for sales or marketing jobs, the interviewers may reconsider as they require candidates who can perform even under extreme pressure.
4. Chance to Improve:
If you wish to put up an honest face and tell them that you messed up, you can do that too. But make sure you reveal to them that you have improved remarkably after your last experience. You may say that you haven’t been very serious about your career till you got fired in the previous job. You then realised that there are several aspects that require improvement. Tell them how you took efforts to improve and eliminate your weaknesses. If the interviewers are impressed with you in the rest of the interview, getting fired won’t hamper your chances of getting the next job.
5. The Wrong Choice:
If you are changing the field after the incident, you can tell your interviewers you made a wrong choice initially. You can tell them your interest was always in this field but you got carried away by peer pressure and took up the previous career. You must also clarify to them how you realized the big mistake in choice you have made. Tell them the different skills and abilities you possess that make you an ideal candidate for the present field.
6. Unable to Cope with Odd Shifts:
There are several job profiles that require you to work in odd shifts. Odd shift timings often affect the health of individuals. If you had problems due to odd shift timings, be honest about it in the interview. If you are honest, it helps the interviewers assign the perfect job profile to you that you will be able to handle. If you have problem with shift timings, tell the interviewers about it during the interview process.
7. Company was Downsizing:
There are times when the company downsizes and it removes several employees just to ensure proper cost cutting and budgeting. If the company is in a real bad shape, it may even get rid of the main employees in the firm. If you were removed in one such situation, you can tell the interviewers openly and confidently. You must tell them that while you have survived several downsizing, this one got you out of your place too.
Getting fired does leave a bad mark on your resume. Even worse is the impact of getting fired on your own self esteem and confidence. Yet giving up on hope and not trying again is the option cowards choose. You need to regain your former confidence and try your best to get the job you want. The above answers usually satisfy interviewers and you have proved your abilities in the tests and interview rounds, just getting fired once won’t ruin your career.
8. Steps to Get your Career on Track after you Get Fired:
Getting fired is a very bad thing to happen to any office goer. It not just puts a black mark in your career but also hampers your confidence disastrously. It is not easy to recover after you get fired. But if you take the proper steps, you can get your career back on track even after you get fired.
9. Introspect and Find Out Where you Failed:
Failure in career can happen due to many different reasons. Some people fail to perform in their jobs because they do not enjoy their job. If you think that is the reason for your failure, you need to find out what profession you actually enjoy. Pick a profession that you have fun working in.
You may also lack training in certain fields that are vital for the role you have taken up. If you are not trained in these skills, you won’t be able to perform well in your job. Evaluate and see if you lack certain skills. Train yourself in these skills before you start a job hunt again.
10. Identify the Best Way To Get Rid of your Follies:
Sometimes individuals lose their jobs because they fail to maintain a cordial relationship with their colleagues and bosses. If your case is similar, you need to work on interpersonal skills and develop a little diplomacy. These skills are vital if you wish to work in a reputed firm or organization. Good relationships with people in office often matter much more than the quality of work you provide. Try to improve on these skills before you apply for the next job.
Some people lack proper communication skills and this prevents them from surviving in modern jobs. If you are facing a similar problem, you must try and work on your communication skills. Make sure you have a strong hold on your language and are able to communicate properly.
11. Start the Job Hunt:
You need to start job hunt on a war footing as soon as you lose one job. Update your resume on all the significant job portals. You may update your LinkedIn profile and check out the latest job opportunities posted there. You may also check out newspapers and magazines for the different job opportunities. Stay in touch with your colleagues in the same field as they may inform you if there are good job openings in their companies.
12. Stay Confident and Patient:
The greatest challenge in such a scenario is to stay patient and undeterred. Many companies may reject your profile. You may not find the right opportunity soon. There may also be instances when the new firm may try to hire you at a lower pay looking at your present situation. It can be a demotivating experience and you may lose all hope. But remember that you won’t get into a company or firm if you are not confident or positive. So stay patient and the right job opportunity will surely come your way soon.
