First time being fired and now trying to get my life back on track.

[The_Dude8]

As stated in the op, I was fired for performance reasons. Being a bank teller was a tough job. I cost the bank money due to the fact that I couldn't figure out the various frauds that occurred under my watch. You'd be surprised at how many fraud related activities a bank sees in a given day. I gave it my best, but I just couldn't also do the other bank related tasks up to expectations. I was absolutely not fired for being lazy or anything like that. I do consider myself to be a responsible individual and did not do anything illegal which led to the termination of my employment at the bank.

I did not file for unemployment benefits. During this time, I went travelling around to clear my mind. I've never felt this depressed before. In so many ways, I feel so hopeless trying to get my career started, but college graduates with BAs are a dimes a dozens these days. It's tough and I'd imagine things will get worse before it gets better.

could you provide some of the frauds you experience during your time as a bank teller? So future AT bank robbers, i mean tellers know what to look out for?

thanks.

 

[Schfifty Five]

As stated in the op, I was fired for performance reasons. Being a bank teller was a tough job. I cost the bank money due to the fact that I couldn't figure out the various frauds that occurred under my watch. You'd be surprised at how many fraud related activities a bank sees in a given day. I gave it my best, but I just couldn't also do the other bank related tasks up to expectations. I was absolutely not fired for being lazy or anything like that. I do consider myself to be a responsible individual and did not do anything illegal which led to the termination of my employment at the bank.

I did not file for unemployment benefits. During this time, I went travelling around to clear my mind. I've never felt this depressed before. In so many ways, I feel so hopeless trying to get my career started, but college graduates with BAs are a dimes a dozens these days. It's tough and I'd imagine things will get worse before it gets better.

First, you should definitely look into filing for unemployment. The worst that can happen is they deny your claim. The best that could happen is you get some money for 6-12 months.

Honestly, I know being fired sucks, but the bank teller job isn't that prestigious for lack of a better word. It sounds like it wasn't a permanent career position and more of a side gig.

If an interviewer asks about it, be honest, but you can say that you weren't able to meet their expectations in their timeline. Their expectations/goals didn't fit well with the type of person you are...and then have an explanation of what your strengths are, etc.

 

[Gibson486]

I'm not looking for pity. I'm just looking for sound advice as I navigate through these uncharted waters. I did a lot of self reflection over the past couple of months. I just want to move on, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of references. The ones that I do still dates back to my university jobs. I still talk to them from time to time and I'm sure they'll still vouch for me.

The difficult part for me right now is to figure out how to best explain the work stoppage over the past few months and then convince the potential employer why they should give me a chance. Right now, I really do feel like there's a black cloud hanging over me and for my own sake and sanity, I'd need to get over it.

That is the thing. There is no good advice. You just have to deal with the fact that you need to get a job. In all honesty, I am not sure why it took you that long to reflect on the situation. You just need to accept it and move on. When I got laid off, the first thing that happened was me lying in bed wondering what the hell I am going to do. It did this for a few days....then the few days turned into two weeks. At that point, I realized that I have been been beating myself up for a week too long. I just forced myself to get over it and started talking to people and networking. The quicker you get over it, the better off you will be.

As for the work stoppage, just say you took time to enjoy the stuff you love and to explore what you really wanted to do.

 

[jingramm]

Gibson486, how is your job search going?

 

[lykaon78]

3. I heard that when companies call your previous companies about your employment, the only info the previous company can give is your employment dates, nothing else.

I have direct reports. Our H.R. department prohibits us from giving any references at all. We refer callers to them and they confirm employment dates and re-hire eligibility only.

Of course they expect other companies to spill the beans when we are hiring.

My understanding is that you can say what you want but anything you say could risk a defamation law suit. So companies would prefer not to say anything.

 

[gorcorps]

These days, it's pretty easy to just say "they were downsizing because of the economy" and most future employers won't think anything of it. A gap in your resume during these times is fairly explainable.

 

[lykaon78]

As stated in the op, I was fired for performance reasons. Being a bank teller was a tough job. I cost the bank money due to the fact that I couldn't figure out the various frauds that occurred under my watch. You'd be surprised at how many fraud related activities a bank sees in a given day. I gave it my best, but I just couldn't also do the other bank related tasks up to expectations. I was absolutely not fired for being lazy or anything like that. I do consider myself to be a responsible individual and did not do anything illegal which led to the termination of my employment at the bank.

Depending on the job you're applying for (say not in the financial sector) I think its perfectly reasonable to say I simply wasn't a great bank teller. Depending on the new job you are requesting you might score points with your new boss.

 

[Lanyap]

As stated in the op, I was fired for performance reasons. Being a bank teller was a tough job. I cost the bank money due to the fact that I couldn't figure out the various frauds that occurred under my watch. You'd be surprised at how many fraud related activities a bank sees in a given day. I gave it my best, but I just couldn't also do the other bank related tasks up to expectations. I was absolutely not fired for being lazy or anything like that. I do consider myself to be a responsible individual and did not do anything illegal which led to the termination of my employment at the bank.

How long did you work there?

If the issue of your termination comes up just explain that you tried out a job that, as it turned out, you were not good at and that you have moved on and re-evaluated your work abilities to determine what you are good at. You need to ask yourself, or get help from a career councelor, what type of work you would be good at. Use this as a learning experience and figure out what you should be doing. No one is good at everything.

 

[Farang]

How long were you there? If this was a college job I might just leave it off the resume.

That said, for what it's worth, getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to me. It only happened once, but I can say for sure I wouldn't be where I am had it not happened. Long story short I left my job for another, got fired at the new job for bullshit reasons, had to take an even worse job to pay the bills for 6 months, turns out that pay-the-bills job was what got my foot in the door to the awesome job I have now.

I'd also add that long term, this means nothing. Being a teller is an entry-level job, so worst case would be you find another job like that to fill the gap. Once there is something in front of this job you got fired at, nobody will ask questions about the teller job. I can say as someone that hires people that you could have punched your boss in the face and smacked your co-workers ass 3 jobs ago and I'd never find out about it.

Where you run into trouble is when you get fired for poor performance in your profession. Your profession isn't a bank teller so you should be fine.

 

[JEDIYoda]

dude as long as you weren`t fired for stealing pencils...when there was more obvious stuff to steal your in the clear....

 

[kyrax12]

I wiki up some info. regarding bank tellers and I noticed that most bank teller jobs required a high school diploma and onsite training.

I mean it shouldn't be THAT hard right?

 

[Icepick]

I have heard that some companies are now not hiring people that are unemployed. Basically if you are not employed your resume goes into the circular file.

Yeah, I've been hearing this on NPR lately too. Complete F'ing bullshit policy if you ask me. The theory is that if someone's been unemployed for an extended period (a few months or more) their skills and work ethic begin to wane. Again, complete bullshit and any employer who behaves this way is nothing but a tragic waste of humanity and should be branded as an unpatriotic piece of shit.

 

[lsquare]

First, you should definitely look into filing for unemployment. The worst that can happen is they deny your claim. The best that could happen is you get some money for 6-12 months.

Honestly, I know being fired sucks, but the bank teller job isn't that prestigious for lack of a better word. It sounds like it wasn't a permanent career position and more of a side gig.

If an interviewer asks about it, be honest, but you can say that you weren't able to meet their expectations in their timeline. Their expectations/goals didn't fit well with the type of person you are...and then have an explanation of what your strengths are, etc.

I never said being a bank teller was a prestigious job. I never liked doing retail-like jobs. It was boring and made me felt that it was a waste of time and money going to university.

It was definitely a side gig, but I had no choice. The bills had to be paid and I needed some money to live my life.

I filed for unemployment benefits today. Only time will tell whether I get accepted or rejected.

 

[lsquare]

That is the thing. There is no good advice. You just have to deal with the fact that you need to get a job. In all honesty, I am not sure why it took you that long to reflect on the situation. You just need to accept it and move on. When I got laid off, the first thing that happened was me lying in bed wondering what the hell I am going to do. It did this for a few days....then the few days turned into two weeks. At that point, I realized that I have been been beating myself up for a week too long. I just forced myself to get over it and started talking to people and networking. The quicker you get over it, the better off you will be.

As for the work stoppage, just say you took time to enjoy the stuff you love and to explore what you really wanted to do.

Everyone is different. Perhaps I'm not as strong as you and that this experience is still somewhat haunting me. It's not like I haven't sent out any resumes and cover letters. I haven't heard back from any prospective employers.

 

[lsquare]

dude as long as you weren`t fired for stealing pencils...when there was more obvious stuff to steal your in the clear....

No, I never stole from anyone and I don't have a criminal record. I'm about as clean as it gets.

 

[BrokenVisage]

Y U no work harder?

 

[lsquare]

How long were you there? If this was a college job I might just leave it off the resume.

That said, for what it's worth, getting fired was the best thing that ever happened to me. It only happened once, but I can say for sure I wouldn't be where I am had it not happened. Long story short I left my job for another, got fired at the new job for bullshit reasons, had to take an even worse job to pay the bills for 6 months, turns out that pay-the-bills job was what got my foot in the door to the awesome job I have now.

I'd also add that long term, this means nothing. Being a teller is an entry-level job, so worst case would be you find another job like that to fill the gap. Once there is something in front of this job you got fired at, nobody will ask questions about the teller job. I can say as someone that hires people that you could have punched your boss in the face and smacked your co-workers ass 3 jobs ago and I'd never find out about it.

Where you run into trouble is when you get fired for poor performance in your profession. Your profession isn't a bank teller so you should be fine.

I was only there for 6 months. If I leave that out of the resume, I'll have a very long gap from the day I graduated from university to now.

 

[Tsaico]

As a manager who hires from time to time, I wouldn't worry about it. I generally go for the interview and how they fit into my team. Then the background check, I look for things that would be a fail, such as felonies in their criminal histories and the like. I liked the response with the "just not a good fit right after college response." I hate it when interviewees give me long stories about their answers.

 

[lsquare]

Hey guys,

I hate to bump this thread, but I have had no success in my hunt for a new job. I have another interview tomorrow and I'm afraid that I'll get another unfavourable reception.

I tried to follow the advices here and briefly just mentioned that I was dismissed from my last job. However, even after I spin it and put it into the positive and change the topic, they want to revisit it. After I explain it in details about what the mistakes were that led to my dismissal, they were like, ok, that's interesting and I would never hear back from them.

What frustrates me the most is that the mistakes that I made as a teller should have no bearing and or impact in the other sectors that I'm interested in. I don't understand how I failed to detect fradulent transactions would somehow indicate that I'm not suitable to be a market/industry analyst, policy analyst, and lots of other entry level positions in what I deem to be good jobs for a college graduate like me. I did well in school and I think I paid the price in doing these so called dead end jobs for close to 10 years of my life. I keep on reiterating that I have never been fired prior to my last job and never for doing anything illegal nor had any misconducts. Yet, I feel like this is continuing to haunt me.

I have another interview tomorrow, but this time it'll be for another dead end job after failing to land anything worthy of my education and hard work over the past 10 years. I'm at a point where I have no choice, but to just accept whatever comes along the way. Yet, I have a feeling this may turn out to be another waste of time where my mistakes at the bank will haunt me again.

My question for you guys is what more that I can do to get this monkey off my back?

 

[aceO07]

Hey guys,

I hate to bump this thread, but I have had no success in my hunt for a new job. I have another interview tomorrow and I'm afraid that I'll get another unfavourable reception.

...

My question for you guys is what more that I can do to get this monkey off my back?

You don't need to state it as it actually happened since it doesn't matter in this case.

"I felt it was time for me to make a change. The job was not suited for my skill/education."

Those statements are true, right? As for the gap in between the job ending and now, you had a tough time finding employment. Also true.

 

[brainhulk]

time to occupy Oakland!

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Psychology is a phony under-grad degree; you can do little to nothing with it. You honestly have two options: take classes to get certified to teach or go to grad/professional school.

Otherwise you've wasted 4 years of your life.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Why the hell do people studying things like psychology?

 

[dmcowen674]

Hey guys,

I hate to bump this thread, but I have had no success in my hunt for a new job. I have another interview tomorrow and I'm afraid that I'll get another unfavourable reception.

I tried to follow the advices here and briefly just mentioned that I was dismissed from my last job. However, even after I spin it and put it into the positive and change the topic, they want to revisit it. After I explain it in details about what the mistakes were that led to my dismissal, they were like, ok, that's interesting and I would never hear back from them.

What frustrates me the most is that the mistakes that I made as a teller should have no bearing and or impact in the other sectors that I'm interested in. I don't understand how I failed to detect fradulent transactions would somehow indicate that I'm not suitable to be a market/industry analyst, policy analyst, and lots of other entry level positions in what I deem to be good jobs for a college graduate like me. I did well in school and I think I paid the price in doing these so called dead end jobs for close to 10 years of my life. I keep on reiterating that I have never been fired prior to my last job and never for doing anything illegal nor had any misconducts. Yet, I feel like this is continuing to haunt me.

I have another interview tomorrow, but this time it'll be for another dead end job after failing to land anything worthy of my education and hard work over the past 10 years. I'm at a point where I have no choice, but to just accept whatever comes along the way. Yet, I have a feeling this may turn out to be another waste of time where my mistakes at the bank will haunt me again.

My question for you guys is what more that I can do to get this monkey off my back?

Monkey not found

Don't even bother with that bottom dwelling service position.

It never happened.

Take it off your resume and just state you are new to the workforce.

Otherwise leave the country, this one is scarce for jobs and getting more scarce everyday.

 

[biostud]

It all depends on the jobs you're searching. You have to focus on what you can bring to that specific job. What are your own perception of your performance as a Teller? It's OK to tell that you got the job because you needed the money, and were willing to work and get involved in another field than your education. That's a good character trait. But you also have to tell why it didn't work out. Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses is very important to an employer. But you have to spin it in a positive way. Ask yourself all the negatives about yourself and find a way to turn the negatives into positives. Learn terms you know you can fall back to when asked the difficult answers.

It might not be my the key area in my education, but I'm always interested in learning new subjects... work hard to do so...
...Financial transactions is not my main interests but, analyzing.(subject)....is where I really excel...
I might not be a leader, but I'm really good at getting people to work together....

etc.
Always have some concrete examples of where you excels. Not grades, but real life situations.