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THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!! Please help! Got laid off last week, and have a new interview tomorrow. How do I explain this?

B

Bryan

Diamond Member
Last week, my employer of a year sh!tcanned me outright. The bosslady and I never, ever did see eye to eye, and a disagreement over the company's holiday policy put the nail in my coffin. After a meeting between her, the accoutant, and myself back in December, she granted everyone 2 floating paid holidays for Xmas Eve/New Years Eve, since they fell on Sundays. I took them the week of New Years, then when I got back, she changed her mind and said I owed her time for New Years Eve, and that she never said it was a holiday. I noted our conversation earler in which she said they were, and she said that the accountant and I "must have gotten together and gotten our stories straight". Needless to say, I was pissed. I remained calm, but told her that I was very dissatisfied at being called a liar.

ANYWAYS, that argument led to my termination two weeks later in which she combed through my records and found that I reported a rather long workday in mid-December. I was at a disabled client's home doing field service, but she says she called the client, and "they said" that I had left earlier than my report showed. So, basically she accused me of something I did not do. (I DO have a gas receipt and cell phone log to show that I was there that late, and my father in law was at my house babysitting, and KNOWS when I came in, because it was so much later than usual). She gave me the "quit or be fired" ultimatum because "she could not trust me". She also stated that I could not use her as a reference, and added "you know why". 😕

The dilemna - I have an early interview with Regal Cinemas tomorrow morning, but I don't know how to answer any questions relating to this previous job. I'm afraid both being too brief, and going in to too much detail will disqualify me from the initial screening process. What should I say?
 
I'm assuming that you quit instead of being fired. Right? In that case if they do ask you anything about your job, you can tell them that you felt you weren't working to your full potential there and are looking for something different, better, etc... If they don't bring the job up...don't do it either. 🙂

Oh, and good luck!! (Let us know how it goes.) 😀
 
Do you have anyone else that liks you at that place you can use as a reference? Maybe someone higher up..a coworker...anyone.. Most likely your interviewer will not ask too much about yer old job except probably yer duties there.. maybe they'll ask why you don't work there anymore and you can just say you quit.. which isn't really lying.. well that's what i'd do.. good luck man...
 
Actually, I just sort of left. I didn't say anything like "you gotta fire me first!", or challenge her "evidence". When the head of a company (especially a small one) doesn't want you there, you're gone, no matter what.

Also, no one else there is really in a position to give me a good reference. I only had one boss, and the others are likely too afraid to do so in fear of being the next target.

8ball - I'm sure everyone has worked for this boss, in a stereotypical sense. 😉
 
your reference doesn't have to TELL yer boss that they're being a reference for you..they just gotta take a call if needed and say "yeah this guy was cool"
 
I wouldn't worry about it. You quit. Like Hzl said, you are looking for "more challanging work". They cannot give you a bad reference, either (legally). They can verify employment and give a good reference or none. Nothing to worry about. If you impress the prospective employer, you have a good chance. I know from experience as an employee and employer.
 
Alright. That might work. Still though, what if they DO decide to ask? If I give them the old "left for greener pastures" line, they'll probably want to verify with the former boss that I left in peace. If I say I quit, you know they'll want a reason. This is a sticky situation here. I'm so nervous I don't know what to do. My seven month old is in the midst of his immunizations, and I need health insurance pronto, or else I'm in deep kaka. Thanks for being my shoulder to cry on, folks. 🙂
 
What others have said, use a coworker as a reference. They only ask for "Professional" references, not former bosses. I'm doing the same thing right now. Instead of listing my boss as a reference, I'm using another guy in the office (the guy that actually got me the job) as my reference. He knows me better and worked with me more so I feel that he would be able to tell my next employer about me better than my actual boss who I actually talked to about twice a week.

And just tell them that you left your last job because you are looking for something that is more challenging to you in your career field. If they want to probe deeper, just intelligently dodge the questions without sounding too much like a politician.

edit: How often do employers check references anyways? I know my friend, mentioned above, would tell me if he was called by someone. I've put in several applications/resumes to various places over the past couple of weeks and he hasn't gotten a call yet. Maybe they only call if they are thinking of hiring you...?
 
something to think about.. an ex-employeer cant legally give you a bad rep unless justified. If she does you have all the right to know what she said. I beileve this is true in caifornia not sure of other states.
BUt dont worry about it.Impress them with who you are and what you can do. If you need a reference give it to someone you know well in that old company.

I remember i had to give a refernce for this company I joined, however I couldnt give the owner of the company because there was a legal battle going on between him and I. So I gave the next best person on the company that I knew that could give me a good reference. He did and I got the job.

However dont worry about it. If they ask do what hzl told.
 
They can not, and most likely will not, give you a bad rep. If they do. They are leaving themselves wide open to a lawsuit. I mean WIDE open too.

No one with any sense ever gives a bad reference nowadays. It's just too risky to do so.

I'd throw em right on the app, and pray they slander you. Talk about a serious lawsuit you'd have there man. 🙂

You actually may already have a lawsuit w/ the questionable way they fired you, but why bother, unless they decide to try and get even with you. 😉
 
On a simillar subject, I was the former phone switch admin, and my voice is still used on their day/night greetings/directory. I have asked them to remove it, but they have not complied. Besides trying to gain unauthorized entry to the system, do I have any grounds to force them to comply?

Oh, and suing a failing non-profit organization wouldn't be very rewarding, nor ethical.
 
Geez... Who were you working for???? The Nazis????

Are you a student as well??? Or newly out of school??? You could use an old prof for a ref...

Didn't you post a thread about a marketing job interview??? I know you were nervous, how did that do???

Good luck Bud!!
😉

 
If they do ask to contact your ex-employer as a reference, tell them that your ex-employer was very unhappy that you were leaving. You therefore feel that she would not give a good reference, and you would prefer if they do not contact her. If possible, recommend that they call a(n) (impartial) co-worker that was very familiar with your work.

P.S. ANother person that can sympathize with having a psycho-b*tch boss.
 
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