Is it ok to lie in a interview about how you lost your job?

westieluv · Aug 31, 2011

I can really feel your pain, but no, it is never the best policy to lie about your employment history. You didn't specify what it was that you did to get fired, but if it was something illegal or that ended up in court somehow, it will surface somehow, as these types of things are public records and can be accessed by someone doing a background check. If it was something less incriminating, like being late or calling in sick a lot, then you run the risk of the HR manager calling the facility where you worked and finding out. I know that they say that former employers aren't allowed to give out any information other than that you did work there and when, but one DON that I used to work for told me once that there are "ways" of finding things out in a roundabout fashion without anyone ever actually "saying" anything negative about the employee at all, if you KWIM.

IDK, I guess you could try it if you are really desperate and feel that you definitely won't ever get hired again if you tell the truth, but I know that I would be a nervous wreck if I lied about something like that and I wouldn't be able to pull it off. I just can't lie to people's faces, especially when it's something like this that I could get into huge trouble for if I was ever found out.

ilove · Aug 31, 2011

How would they find out after they hire me though? It wasnt a criminal thing or anything major. I didnt want to reveal the actual reason because it just hurts me because I never actually did what the employer said I did. but I ended up losing my job

westieluv · Aug 31, 2011

I can't say if they would ever find out. If you were falsely accused, though, is there someone that you worked with that you can provide as a reference who knows the truth and would be willing to back you up?

I'm sorry that this happened to you. Being falsely accused of something, especially when it can have a major impact on your career, is awful. I hope everything works out for the best for you.

ilove · Aug 31, 2011

I think i'm just going to take the chances because if I dont lie then she has like 20 other candidates who have had no problems with employment. No HR would believe someone who says that they didint actually do it and it's just a tough situation. I hope it works out for the best!

westieluv · Aug 31, 2011

Me too. Good luck! :)

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 31, 2011

If they ever find out the truth, you would probably be terminated immediately with no chance of rehire. Then you would have 2 serious black marks on your record -- one of them deserved.

I wouldn't lie about it, but I would try to "talk around it" and avoid the outright lie. If forced to discuss it, I would tell the truth -- making my case as best I could.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Aug 31, 2011

No, don't lie about it.

In the interview you will be asked why you left. On the appication you will list why you left. That piece of paper will be in your file there Forever. So, if 5-10 years down the line it was revealed that you lied, you can be terminated immediately.

Your past employer can say "terminated" when contacted, or they may be asked "Is employee eligible for rehire?" without going into detail. Did your past employer state what sort of reference they woulld give when contacted? Even in Chicago I've run across others professionally from 20-25 years earlier, and yes, they remembered me.

You need to think of the best possible way to honestly present your circumstances, whether its to say it was an unfortunate series of events & you were caught in the middle; or that you made a mistake & this is what you learned from it & why it won't happen again.

I once hired someone who left a previous employer under very bad circumstances, but he was honest about it & it didn't sound like something likely to happen again. He turned out to be one of my best employees.

Good Luck.

ilove · Aug 31, 2011

Ya but the only way they would find out is in the interview/ reference contacting process. How would they find out after they hire me? Wouldn't they do all their investigating before they hire me? It's a nursing home setting.

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 31, 2011

1. It's a small world. People in different institutions know each other ... change jobs all the time ... etc. You never know who you might run into.

2. It's not uncommon for employers to continue to check references, etc. after the person has already been hired -- particularly when they have a hole in their schedule that they want filled quickly,

3. It concerns me that you main concern is "not getting caught" before being hired -- and not about the wrong-ness of the lie -- and not about the long term effects on your career should your lie be discovered later. Ignoring the long-term consequences is not wise.

ilove · Aug 31, 2011

Apparentely, my former employer told my potential employer everything. I didnt get the job. But im glad i didnt because after seeing your posts, I realized what a bad thing I did.

cccormier · Sep 1, 2011

Not to be intrusive or nosy, but did you end up telling the "potential" employer anything relating to the truth? Or did you lie around it?

So sorry to hear that you did not get the position... what happened to you certainly isn't fair, and surely hard to get around when seeking new employment.