Why would you want to reveal that you were fired on your resume? The purpose of a resume is to get an interview not to get a job. On a one or two page resume, it would be impossible to cover the reasons for being fired. It would be even harder to justify your position adequately. You have some choices here.

If your last job was a 3 month special, it is going to be a problem. That is a long enough span that a prospective employer may question what you were doing if you just leave the gap in place. Being unemployed for 3 to 6 months, while not uncommon, does not sell you very well on a resume. That's too much time to stretch a previous job without risking getting into trouble for falsifying information.

In this instance since it was a short term job, you can just be honest and say that it was not a good career fit for you. While this doesn't say, "I was fired," it does give you some wiggle room in the interview. We have almost all had jobs that just didn't work whether or not we were fired.

Getting fired from a longer term job presents a different set of needs. If you lost your job after 5 or more years, you may not need to even mention that you have left that job if it's been less than 60 days. The employer may read the dates of employment as if your resume was a few weeks old. You can even leave off the employment dates since you're not required to furnish information that can reveal your age.

Should you be one of those rare individuals that believes you have to tell everything you know, write and rewrite a short paragraph about why you were fired. Have a few friends that can write well review it. Polish it until it says that you were fired, but you were planning on quitting because of difficult or extenuating circumstances. You can't make it pretty, but you may be able to make it soft. Don't oversell. Just give the facts and let go.

Regardless of your approach, be ready to give a good answer in the interview. Most people who have done any hiring at all learn to read between the lines of a resume. They will notice gaps or uncomfortable language. If they call you in for an interview, it means one of two things. They liked your resume and want you to talk them into hiring you. Or, they have a shortage of warm bodies available for hire and are willing to take a risk. Either way, if you go in prepared, you have a good shot at the position.

Learn more about this author, Allen Teal.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Fired: How to handle it on your resume?
We want to hear your view. Write now!