Awhile back I was writing an article on tackling the question on how to answer the approached question, “Have you ever been terminated?”
I made it pretty far into the the topic and wrote about it from a psychological point of view as well as from a professional stand-point before deleting it protecting others while making a stance. You do that from time to time when you know you are saying something that goes against the grain although it never goes away.
Here I am now almost a year later approaching the subjectry completely differently and much more stream-lined in approach by tackling it as answering the question, “Reasons for End of Employment”.
I’d self-admit as I have been job searching recently that the invasiveness of “reason for leaving” has not really popped up anymore in the applications I’ve applied to. The question always will show up and hiring managers will always look to see how long you stayed at places. It is unspoken but it is something that is looked at while others are told to mind their P’s and Q’s on how to handle that question without being taught how to do so. Employers want to know if you are commitment material or if they could just borrow you and send you on the way in other means after a short amount of time. (It totally depends on the company.)
Has the art of commitment been lost to the idea of not having to pay for sick or vacation? Full-time vs. Contract are two completely different worlds where in lieu of sick/holiday you get paid above the “average salary” to compensate while recruiting companies take on the burden of insurance and other areas that non-commitment moments make.
The job market has changed over the years to not overlook the contract rise over the full-time employment area. Long gone the question of making a life-time commitment, it is about instant gratification or perhaps manipulation of that system in some regards. (I repeat, every company is different.)
We are taught to never speak ill of past employment and that holds true. To speak ill is a reflection of self in how it is approached and it is always best to be objective and leave emotion out of it.
Perhaps you left for better opportunities. Perhaps you left from the slow cooker of being burned. Maybe either you or them smashed the opportunity to the point that there is never a return. How do you handle that when the question is asked from future employers?
Employment is necessary for survival or you need to have your own company and standards to go by.
When interviewing in 2022 (or really any time since the digital age), you are competing with 100s of applicants. That is true especially in the well named companies that know everything is in a name.
what is forgotten and discounted is what about your name? What about you and your contributions. If you are job searching it is either from lack of employment or a search for a better way of life. How do you sell yourself to companies who names are made and broken by the people they retain?
The trick is never let the bigger fish think you are worthless and to be cast back out. Every company is made of people who struggled, strove and made it or trying to make it. As you become one of the many fish in the sea, how do you separate the fact that either time is not given or people just know when they know?
That End of Employment question is always going to be there. I’ve seen the “Have you ever been terminated” question enough to say that you will be discounted on some regard for evening answering that honestly before they look at the company at hand. It is something they look for or would ask and could be embarrassing or an amazing story to answer. It depends on if you even get that far in the process.
I’ve made the decision to have an official “End of Employment” reason added to my CV for my 16-year professional history knowing others have had longer or shorter in experience. The decision made from the lack of interviews allowed in the digital realm and from a tired behavior of trying to creatively answer that question for each company in each application that involves researching the company, filling out the application, writing a cover letter and maybe getting a response of interview or rejection. I totally get it in the digital age and I never fault that. More people want to work than ever and it is incredibly difficult to get a foot in the door.
Perhaps I do it with Pie.
I’ve never been terminated in my life professionally until PureRED in 2019. My official response to that is on my Linkedin profile or on my website, www.philipbonneau.com/about
I’ve been terminated again in 2022 by The Savannah College of Art and Design. That official response too is on my Linkedin profile and my website.
The other stories are either mass lay-offs or resigning when new opportunities of growth arise. My career is pretty solid to say where things changed and how I am as an employee.
Perhaps in an attempt of creating compassion or passively reading a story, it is important to give foundation of facts of objectivity when it is your life and career. No matter the circumstance those questions will always come up and how you choose to answer it is best left to official responses privately or publicly. Both have their recourses and pluses/minuses.
I like the idea that if approached you know enough to get to the point on either side as both our times are valuable and should not be wasted.
I think of Glassdoor as an anonymous way to answer how to rate a company, but I question what are you being rated on indirectly before you even set foot in the door. Even now, I’ve had experience with personality tests before interviews that I am sure fall into the illegal category if results not submitted. A digital presence is there for anyone to look at and judge one way or the other.
What is being taken or perceived by our digital presence?
I leave the option up to the individual on if you choose to have a “Reason for End of Employment” on your CV but for me it falls back to a catering quote I took in at an early age where you are only as good as your last catering. That is always going to apply to who hires you and what you presented to them. You may get another chance but it will fall on your presentation.
For 5 years now I’ve made pie every way I could and I love the ingredients mixed in the background. I can not be faulted for my service despite the industry standards and I suppose it is appropriate to own words in class as much as it is to let people in for that 15-30 seconds of profile glancing.
In the end there will always be judgement, stories talked about or new adventures had.
Until then, a brave approach of Glass-dooring my experiences in the most professional way I can.
From my kitchen to yours,
We have all been there in either 3 of the realms.