What to Do When Dealing With the Most Dreaded Question of All

Today, I'm answering a letter from a job seeker.

"Dear Julie,

I am working on my resume and don't know what to do. After staying home with my children, I recently returned to my career field (nursing). Earlier this year I worked at a hospital for three months and was let go after my probationary period was successfully completed. There were personality difficulties with some under-performing colleagues, but the official reason for dismissal had to do with medical issues, which are now completely resolved.

Since this was such a short period of employment, should I not include it in my resume? If I did include this job, and then was asked why I was fired, how much information should I give? I don't want to lie but at the same time, I don't want to be discriminated or overlooked because of the fact that I had been fired (first time in my entire life) nor do i want to disclose all of the information of my medical issues. If you could please give me advice on what decision I should make to better my chances of getting the position I'm looking for.

Regards,

"Confused"



Dear "Confused,"

No wonder you're confused! You're in a rather murky, but not uncommon, situation.

First, you must BE PREPARED to answer the why you aren't there anymore question. IT WILL COME UP. You should call your previous employer, and speak to the HR department and see how your file was processed. Does it say "due to incompetence" or "due to personal medical reasons?" (I'm just giving an example here, not saying YOU are incompetent.)

Also, ask how reference checks work. See if you have a copy of your employee manual and if it says anything in there. Some companies have it as their legal policy that only dates of employment can be verified. (Basically, because one could sue them for harassment, discrimination, breach of privacy, whatever. Someone might sue because they were "black-balling you in the industry, etc. It's a CYA policy.) Ask who the "correct" person to refer verification of employment would be. Would it just be some random person in HR? or the dept personnel you had issues with? This is super important to find out.

Sometimes you can buddy-buddy up to the HR person who does the verifications, and also inputs that info (why you left) in your file (often on a computer somewhere). You can check and see what your file says. Perhaps this information can be tweaked in a light that is not quite as damaging to you. Not lying, not falsifying documents. Please don't think that I'm proposing something of that nature.

Personally, I once convinced the Office Manager of an old firm to say that I was laid off and imply due to the economy instead of due to the fact that the owner of the company decided my "Hello, sir, how are you today?" wasn't polite and kowtowing to him enough. (Oh yeah. Seriously. See? We all have one of "those" jobs in our history.) This Office Manager really liked my work and also didn't appreciate the way I was being let go. So he agreed. You can discuss this with them. If you can work this out, make sure that person and their direct number is put down as a reference, not your supervisor, unless your supervisor would be willing to agree to this as well.

I also have a referral partner that you can pay to do these reference checks and verifications for yourself, to make sure if they are following company policy, if you are interested. It's not that expensive, actually.

Now, let's think about what we can do in a proactive manner about your situation. Do you have anyone there that liked your work? Anyone who would be willing to speak positively regarding your work ethic, or doing your assigned tasks well? It doesn't have to be your direct supervisor or people on your team. Another administrator, or a doctor, or a head RN that "saw" you a great deal? Could you talk to them about using them as a "character reference" and also writing your a letter of reference? Being able to produce written letters of recommendation in an interview (and in an application document) can be very powerful tools, even more so because HR administrators and recruiters see them so rarely nowadays. Does this individual have personal contacts in your future department? Would they be willing to put in a good word for you or introduce you personally to the decision maker? Again, think about what you can do to head a potential employer off at the pass.

To answer your question about what to say: I think it is perfectly fine to state, "Unfortunately, I had some personal medical issues that came to the surface when I began that position that hampered my ability to perform my job effectively (or to my complete potential). Now that those issues have been completely resolved and are no longer a concern, I am ready to move forward with my career." Easy-peasy.

If they ask for more details, they're just being nosy. However, most interviewers won't touch that with a ten foot pole, AS LONG AS you can assuage their fears that your "medical issues" won't be a problem again. That's the main point you need to emphasize.

Finally, leaving the position completely off your resume is not a great idea, in my opinion. Ultimately the final decision is yours, but leaving it off is chancy. Some might disagree with me, but here is my reasoning.

1. It's your most recent position. It does show that you've worked recently and are attempting to re-enter your field.


2. People are going to talk. The medical world is just not that big, especially in your specific geographic area. People know people who know people, and it is natural that someone is going to ask around.


3. Not listing this position makes you look like you have something to hide, and it's logical that someone would start to wonder what that might be.


4. What happens if you get the new position, and your new supervisor hears about you from a friend? Would that new supervisor consider that "falsifying your resume?" And that is never a good situation to be in.

So I believe being up front and bringing it out in the open is your best bet. Whatever decision you make, just be SURE about it, and cover all of your bases.

Good Luck!

Julie Mendez

Making Lemonade Days in Your Job Search

Well, I finally got it. I've been fighting off this "change of seasons" cold for weeks, trying everything I could think of. I guess even my mom's chicken soup recipe couldn't ward off this one.

Yet I have a to-do list a mile long, and time-sensitive stuff for my clients that just can't wait. So, while I was going through my day yesterday, I thought how this might be a very relevant topic for job seekers to be thinking about as well. How do you continue your job search on days when everything isn't just "perfect?"

Because, let's face it, if you only work your job search when the stars all align, you'll probably get nothing done. This is another way of just sitting back and waiting until life or that next job just come to you and fall in your lap. Several years ago, that might have worked. Not anymore.

No, your job search IS your full-time job. And you can't call in sick every time you get the sniffles or you have a bad hair day. You HAVE to keep going. You HAVE to continue to trudge through that to-do list. You HAVE to show up.

So, my tips for dealing with your job search when that seasonal cold hits:

1. First off, take a shower. Don't sit in your grungy pajamas because that is only going to make you feel worse. And sitting in a steamy shower is a great way to break up all that gunk in your head.

2. Do the self-care business. Drink a large glass of orange juice. Make the homemade chicken soup in truckloads; prepare a huge pot of hot tea, and alternate sipping large quantities of both. Take whatever over-the-counter or prescription medicines are appropriate, and don't forget the zinc and echinacea and a good multivitamin. Have a large quantity of Kleenex handy and a small garbage can to throw them in. Pull out the hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes.

3. Finally get your calendar, to-do list, and your computer. Let's check out what you can get done today in the safety of your home. Unless you can be reasonably germ-free and not sound like a foghorn, today might not be the day to do a lot of in-person networking. People will NOT appreciate being sneezed on in the height of H1N1 season. And that is not how you want to be remembered, either!

The only exception to the rule would be for an interview. Even then, with the current scare of H1N1, I would personally evaluate my ability to mask/hide my symptoms for an hour, and then call the company. Give them the option of interviewing you anyway when you are not at full-par, or rescheduling if possible for later in the week.

So, let's get back to that to-do list. Yesterday, I had two calls scheduled that I couldn't change, so I made sure to take an extra dose of meds right before my calls. I also worked my way through a pile of computer work that had been ignored: responding to contacts on LinkedIn, reviewing a client's resume and making notes, searching online for new "out-of-the-house" networking opportunities for next week (doubling up since I won't be able to get out much this week), working through the email inbox, and doing some administrative paperwork that I hate doing that was weeks late in being done. I busted my bum on getting all of that computer work done, and today I was able to start with a much cleaner slate and a much clearer head.

Think about how this can translate to your job seeker to-do list. Check out your marketing materials - do you have your resume, one page bio, and your SMART stories up-to-date? Have you been neglecting your online brand (LinkedIn, web portfolio, blog)? Can you order those business cards online? Do you have a pile of industry articles and magazines that you need to catch up on so you can stay up to date or use for fodder for white papers or that blog? How about your networking calendar? This is a great time to fill your calendar in the upcoming weeks with coffee meetings for informational interviews, or association/group meetings and networking functions. You can do quite a bit of research online for your target companies. You can check out who's hiring on the job boards, and research which recruiters are active in your field. Perhaps you can finagle a couple of phone interviews that will turn into in-person interviews next week as well.

Do you get the picture? Even if you are locked up in your house for a week with the sniffles you should have PLENTY to keep you busy. Watching soaps and "The Price is Right" all day long is not going to help you get a job. But working your job search strategy plan, even when things aren't ideal, will.

Plan your work, and work your plan. No matter what. That's what will get you the job.

And get to bed early! Nothing helps a cold like some extra sleep!

Julie Mendez