Fired without clear reason, what to say in interviews

New
Tap14

New

Tap14
Apr 19 21 Comments

I was fired last week. It was shocking to me as I had no performance issues leading up to this and my weekly 1 on 1s with my manager had been cordial. The reason given was a laundry list of things including I was not effective, I didn't have the skills and that this was a reorg. My attorney feels they threw the book at me because they were concerned about me suing.

All advice I see is to be honest about the situation and include a lesson learned but I don't have a clear understanding of why I was let go. If I say it was a reorg which was a reason given
it could bite me if a background check shows I was fired. Alternatively I mention I was fired and turn the ambiguous reason into a clear story with a lesson learned. Any advice on how to proceed?

TC: Unemployment
YOE: 9

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TOP 21 Comments
  • Amazon
    Dime-dozen

    Go to company page Amazon

    Dime-dozen
    Reorg is your best bet. Failure is a part and parcel and firing happens for a gazillion reasons. No one would care after you get a job this time. So just roll through interviews and do what it takes.
    Apr 19 0
  • Conviva
    XWIO21

    Go to company page Conviva

    PRE
    Amazon, Google, Netflix, Apple, Meta
    XWIO21
    Background check does not check if you were fired. It checks how long your employment was.
    Apr 19 2
    • New
      Tap14

      New

      Tap14
      OP
      My understanding is that is normally the case but they can ask if I am eligible to be rehired.
      Apr 19
    • Wish
      Lrzt85

      Go to company page Wish

      Lrzt85
      That will not happen lol. You’re fine just say there was a reorg end of story
      Apr 19
  • Third party background checks absolutely do ask why you left and confirm it. A person I know said laid off, and the company said performance issues- she was told she now had an adverse action against her and could never be hired at this company.

    Spin it how you want in the interview. Background check forms, be brutally honest.
    Apr 19 2
    • companies are scared shitless of getting sued and hand out no information besides employment dates. your anecdote is the exception, not the rule.
      Apr 19
    • It happened to more than one person that I know. I narrowly missed an adverse action against myself that way too. Luckily I listed the company in another part of the form as letting me go, squeaked by.
      Apr 19
  • Amazon
    cIAy83

    Go to company page Amazon

    cIAy83
    Just say it wasnt the right fit. Im assuming this is in the US, ‘background check’ isn’t going to delve too deeply into employment history, its mainly going to verify dates
    Apr 19 1
    • New
      Tap14

      New

      Tap14
      OP
      This actually could work as well. It was a new manager and skip who both came from an engineering background. And yes it is the US so they mostly cover dates and titles.
      Apr 19
  • When I got fired after a PIP I just told all companies that I interviewed with that I got laid off. Background checks only check dates of employment. Not reasons why you no longer work with there. As long as your name don't make national headlines then you are good.
    Apr 19 0