Q:  On my job application is the following question: “Have you ever been fired, asked to resign or been laid off by any former employer?”  I am stumped.  On one former consulting assignment, I was not renewed.  Also, I used to be part of a university special program that was eliminated for lack of funding.  How do I respond to this question?  I do not want to be screened out without a chance to meet someone at the organization.  I am certain I can do a great job in the role posted.  At the same time, I want to be honest and fair.  Help!

A:  This is very tricky.  You are correct in assuming an affirmative answer raises red flags.  No employer want to hire someone who has been fired before which is often the case even when the firing might have been hasty or without cause.  Given the number of professionals seeking work, employers have their pick of qualified applicants without any employment record blemishes.

As a technical matter, the term “laid off” is most frequently applied to union and wage earners (although it is also used loosely to refer to any kind of loss of employment).  Also, consultants are not technically employees, so, they cannot be “fired” as such.  Technicalities aside, it is important to figure out how to deal with situations where you were asked to leave for causes outside of your own performance.

There are two compromise answers to approach this matter. The first is to answer “Yes” to the question with an explanation.  Give a direct, simple response that is not defensive or unduly lengthy.  “Left because funding source was depleted.”  “Left due to elimination of the entire department.” “Left because business relocated to Goa, India.”   These responses indicate the loss of employment was due to causes outside of employee performance.

Another acceptable approach is to answer “No,” again, with a brief explanation.  “Never fired; asked to resign or laid off.”  “Moved to new company when entire department relocated to Taiwan under new management.”  Again, this non-defensive, direct approach will probably satisfy most employers.

The counter argument to either approach comes about if SOME of the previous employees were asked to serve the organization in other departments, other capacities or overseas.  This suggests valued employees were given alternatives and options, but others were not.  A subtle way to diffuse any questions about such circumstances is to include a person from that company or organization in your list of references.  This helps dispel questions about the circumstances surrounding your departure.

Clearly, neither approach is appropriate if you were, in fact, fired, asked to resign or laid off. With any of those the case, simply respond “Yes” to the question, and offer a reference from that company.  Again, this helps dispel negative inferences.  Your willingness to provide details helps de-emphasize the episode.

Contact Karen Alphonse at Karena@execSearches.com or visit ExecSearches.com for more information about our career coaching services.

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