Handling Interviews After Being a Fall Guy? 140
bheer asks: "Salon's Since You Asked column is carrying an interesting question right now — what do you say in interviews after getting fired as a fall guy at your last job? Cary Tennis, who writes the column, admits he may not be the best person for this sort of question. So I thought I'd ask others what they thought about this. Software developers are sometimes able to get away blaming the business requirements/analysis process, but anyone with any experience in this business probably has had nightmares about being the fall guy and may even have a strategy or two up their sleeve. How would deal with being in such a crummy position?"
Re:a "novel" idea. (Score:3, Interesting)
1) bitch that you were the fall guy and that it wasn't your fault, etc.
2) Say your employment was terminated as a business separation that was for the companies good, even though you were not the actual issue.
3) Quit before you're fired.
-nB
Re:Definitely (Score:2, Interesting)
Me being a jerk aside, I think you just helped out my professional life AND my personal life.
Re:a "novel" idea. (Score:4, Interesting)
So were cool why we aren't hiring you here....
"It was time for a change"
How long is it going to be before you want a change here?
"I left because of politics"
Then you really won't like this job.
"I am ready for something new"
Then why you applying for pretty much the same job here?
"I need to grow professionally"
And when you do, you are welcome to reapply. Thank You.
I'm sure this is just geek bravado...but with this attitude, I know I'm not going to hire you. I've hired several people that have been fired in the past. I've also given recommendations for folks I've had to ask to leave. Sometimes a job just doesn't work out. When someone asks about it, you put as much of a positive spin on things as possible and move to the next question. Hell, I've asked these sorts of questions and dug in because I want the real dirt and seeing how this person handled it is an insight to their character.
I can safely say I have been fired once. When asked about it, I told my future boss that if he ever tried to put his hands on my ass, I'd punch him too. And then we laughed about it. Some reason, knocking out an employer seemed to be something he didn't see as a bad thing. Actually said that even though he wasn't going to touch me, I might still want to beat the shit out of him at some point. Probably the best job I've EVER had.
Unfortunately, I've moved up several times since then, still at the same employment while my old boss is running some school in Alabama or something. I'll have to post this anonymously because its better for me to give the information about alleged beat downs personally than have it show up in google where it is a little harder to explain.
(As a side note, sadly, the bad boss was brought up on child porn charges a few months after this...he was a dirty creepy freak when I worked for him, but I *REALLY* didn't believe he was more than just a run of the mill sleaze...at the same time, I've never met anyone that set me on edge like that whenever he'd try to get any of us interns alone...I've never hit anyone that didn't physically attack me before or after that day).
Finding landmines. (Score:5, Interesting)
The more detailed and impersonal explanations about shortcomings or roadblocks to advancement that existed in a previous workplace typically pointed to a better candidate. Why? Analysing frustrations or failures without integrating personal emotions exhibits political IQ... hugely important in mid to large size companies. Being able to provide detailed explanations about the causes of frustrations or failures demonstrates scope of vision... a massive indicator of an employee's ability to deal with compromise/problem solving in the workplace through an understanding of the pressures and demands that shape production across multiple interrelated divisions.
You might be amazed at the number of job candidates who look great on paper but boil their lack of advancement or success at a prior job down to interpersonal conflicts with management etc... I know I was amazed.
The more wholistic awareness a candidate displays in answering this question, the more secure a prospective employer can be in the candidate's ability to preserve and improve the corporate culture.
Regards.
Re:Here's what you do. (Score:3, Interesting)
I worked with someone a few years ago who was way overburdened. She was basically being asked to play three roles for one salary (product, project and dev manager). She repeatedly asked for help and got none. So she left. Her boss discovered he didn't like doing three jobs any more than she did and shortly thereafter we got real project and product management. Should she be unemployable?
Every job is going to ask you to do some things you disagree with. Most of them you can live with. Go on record with your disagreement and move on. If it's something you can't live with, then you should leave. I'd prefer to have an employee with a backbone than one that's working at a job they hate because they won't stand by their principles. Besides, it's not like employers show any loyalty to workers these days. It's unfair for you to expect anything other than the same in return.
Re:Confidence and honesty (Score:1, Interesting)
If he reported to your wife's firm that he was fired for cause, they shouldn't want to interview him anyway. So his odds are better if he lies and says he was laid off, since they might not discover the lie. He'll lose more than if he could honestly say he was laid off, but lying should still net him more interviews (with people who don't background check as well as your wife did) than saying he was fired with cause.