I just started my first LPN job in October and got fired 2 days ago. Its the only nursing experience I have so in order to get another job, i have no choice but to put it down. The experience I got looks good on my resume.
I got fired for being absent 4 times during my probation period. What should i say to prospective employers when they ask why I left? I dont want to say I got fired. Can I just say it wasnt a good fit?
Also, on my resume, i didnt put an end date, it just says Oct 2009-present. Should I change it?
"haitian" is almost as identifiable as "claudette", even in a community with a large Haitian population. This thread connects the two names. Best wishes.
I can understand the OP's dilemma and frustration here.
Telling the truth is in theory a good thing because it demonstrates honesty, integrity and in some cases can set you free.
On the other hand telling the truth may not lead to the OP getting a job, making money and putting food on the table. If he/she says I had some personal problems with baby sitting this may work against him/her. A manager may think well if they are going to have child care issues all the time and be absent then I'm not going to hire them.
My advice: give telling the truth a go at first. If you find that your constantly getting rejected then try lying.
To the OP, I don't know if anyone has ever asked you to give references; let me tell you, it's a real eye opener. The HR person generally calls you and knows how to schmooze, and they're always careful to ask things like "...so, off the record, what's your bottom line personal opinion of the person; and don't worry, this won't get written down?" or for something factual like "...so, is she still employed there, if not, when did she leave?" To butter you up, they even talk about a potential opening for your type of expertise (sauce to loosen lips, I'd say) and ask if you're thinking about moving over to their institution also (gets you on their side because now a potential job offer for you personally may be at stake; clever).
From my past experience in military law enforcement, these HR types could have worked CID (the military version of criminal investigations); they are that smooth. Before you know it, you're saying things that you really didn't think would matter and then in retrospect, realize that you're running your mouth. This is why it's important to always tell the truth. Unless you've trained yourself to be a pathological liar and have gotten your alibis so rock solid, some loose fact that you didn't account for will always trip you up.
That said, I'd a friend and former colleague (with whom I've since lost touch with) from a few years back, that had gotten herself fired. She was effectively blackballed from just about every place that she tried looking for a new job, and this was in New York City where there are so many hospitals that you can trip over them. In several separate instances, she had even gotten acceptance letters or phone calls; only to have them rescinded when some "new information" came in, or they "decided to go with someone else" instead. After almost two years of non employment and mounting bills, she ultimately moved back to Florida and that was the last I'd heard from her.
Thus, you may not know it, but the back channel chatter, especially in the nursing hiring arena, is not only far reaching, but deeply involved in just about any hiring process, especially for relatively new nurses that had left their first job only after a few months. That fact alone is a red flag and you will be subjected to extra scrutiny. Any hint of lack of honesty and your application will go right into the "never consider for hire" folder that every HR person has in the front of his file cabinet.
I wish you well, but you should nonetheless consider how a seemingly benign decision (that may perhaps offer a slight interview advantage) may eventually come back to haunt you and prevent you from ever returning to gainful employment. Good luck.
I think that, given the reason you were let go, it's better to tell the truth.
To me, saying that you "weren't a good fit" is potentially worse than saying you were fired because you couldn't find a babysitter for your children and had to miss 4 days work. Not a good fit is so vague it could mean almost anything.. the work could've been too hard, you weren't catching on quick enough, etc. Since that's the only work experience you have, you can't assure future employers that you'll be a good fit with any position. Employers may worry that you'll just quit on them if you don't like the work in 12 weeks too. You CAN tell them, however, that you have found a reliable source of child care and that missing work will not be an issue in the future.
That's my reasoning for telling the truth, anyway. Like a previous poster said--you could always try telling the truth and if you find that's not working, try lying. If you get hired and didn't check the box on the application that asks if you've been fired before and you're found out at any point in time though, you could be terminated on the spot.. so that's something to keep in mind as well.
If it were me and I did that, I'd be constantly worried that I'd be found out and lose my job. You never know when or where someone you previously worked with is going to pop up and word can travel fast. If you were fired for lying on an application, you'd be in far worse shape than you are now.
I can understand the OP's dilemma and frustration here.
A manager may think well if they are going to have child care issues all the time and be absent then I'm not going to hire them.
This is why this person needs to make sure the childcare issues are resolved and be honest with any potential new employer. Tell them what happened, and tell them what you've done to correct the issue.
To the OP- I'm sorry you feel that people are being harsh on you. Really, they are not. They're telling you like it is, and whether you choose to accept it or not is your decision. The nursing profession is centered very heavily on integrity and accountability, and those things are very important to a lot of people here. Lying just to get a job is the opposite of integrity and accountability, and it will come back to haunt you in most likely the worst way possible. It does sound like you know what the right thing to do is, you're just trying to find somebody to tell you otherwise so you can feel better about it. I don't think that is going to happen here... sorry.
i just started my first lpn job in october and got fired 2 days ago. its the only nursing experience i have so in order to get another job, i have no choice but to put it down. the experience i got looks good on my resume.
i got fired for being absent 4 times during my probation period. what should i say to prospective employers when they ask why i left? i dont want to say i got fired. can i just say it wasnt a good fit?
also, on my resume, i didnt put an end date, it just says oct 2009-present. should i change it?
i think the best thing is to move and learn from the mistakes. that aside, since you are a new grad maybe you could avoid mentioning your first job to start with. good luck.
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i think a lot of people are missing the point - he or she is asking for -
what should i say to prospective employers when they ask why i left? i dont want to say i got fired. can i just say it wasnt a good fit?
also, on my resume, i didnt put an end date, it just says oct 2009-present. should i change it?
The world outside this online discussion thread will be more kind and less judgmental, imho. Because in a real world you will have variety of people, rather than people with same opinion. But it is always good idea to learn from the mistakes and listen to what everybody has to say, especially the harsh ones - some of them do help. We got two ears - to let things in and let things out.
thanks for the advice, i will change the end date on my resume.But just curiuos, if i lied about being fired, how would a new employer find out since my old job can only say dates, dept that i worked? I just think saying i was fired isnt gonna help me get the job, and i need this money badly, three kids and behind on morgage, need i say more.....
Don't kid yourself, they can say whatever they want legal or not. In this business as in every business it's a small world. People will find out you lied, it's a given. Trust me I've lived a long time and had lots and lots of jobs. Tell the truth always no matter what, live your life like that and you never have to wonder what you said to whom.
The world outside this online discussion thread will be more kind and less judgmental, imho. Because in a real world you will have variety of people, rather than people with same opinion. But it is always good idea to learn from the mistakes and listen to what everybody has to say, especially the harsh ones - some of them do help. We got two ears - to let things in and let things out.
I don't think people here are being "judgmental," just honest, which is, in its own way, being kind. The OP, though, is free to do as she chooses (and live with the consequences), as we all are.
I don't think people here are being "judgmental," just honest, which is, in its own way, being kind. The OP, though, is free to do as she chooses (and live with the consequences), as we all are.
If we take this discussion outside the online into a real world, I doubt half of these "honesty" will come out. When the OP is directly asking some questions, and the people instead start roaring about something else (although related, but not asked for) I call it judgemental. More bashing than answering the question. Who in the right mind will disclose his past mishap with jobs, especially in this economy. Those who say they will, I will :yeah:because you just lost your opportunity to get it and gave someone else a chance - others before self, indirectly done.
Never lie. For one, once you start it gets hard to remember what you said to who. Although employers are only able to give start and end dates it is amazing how much information can be shared in other ways. People talk, managers know other managers, group members know others.
Get your child care issues settled, always have a plan B. Emergencies can happen but they should be an exception not the rule. Good luck.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
"haitian" is almost as identifiable as "claudette", even in a community with a large Haitian population. This thread connects the two names. Best wishes.