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> The goal of a resume is to present a sufficiently compelling work history
> that the personnel department considers you sufficiently qualified to be
> worth interviewing. So yes, if the positions from which you were fired are
> relevant to the job you're applying for, they should appear on the resume.
> Most people in the high-tech sector are more than familiar with the
> phenomenon of layoffs for reasons good and bad, and can empathize with you.
Okay, layoffs are one thing. I agree that being laid off sucks and most people
will empathize.
However, I don't empathize with people who sit down in an interview and start
complaining about their former employer who fired them (or laid them off).
There is always two sides to a story and a person who was fired is ALWAYS going
to think it was unjust regardless of reality. When somebody starts telling me
how bad, evil, and disorganized their former employer is (was) the first
thought in my head is: "bitter, resentful, unproductive...call John Ashcroft."
Moreover, if you were fired from a job, take the time to figure out why. A lot
of people get fired for very good reasons. I've fired three employees in 8
years. And every one of them were fired for very valid reasons (stealing,
lying, etc.) A bad experience with an employer is a learning experience. You
can either shut down and just start assigning blame, or make use of the
situation and figure out what you did that you won't (or will) do again.
So I agree with those that say: don't volunteer information that isn't going to
help you. But more importantly, keep everything positive. Don't look at layoffs
and firings as bad events, but as learning experiences. How a person handles
adversity says a lot about them. People who blame and complain generally make
horrible employees...and a decent manager knows this.
As Kirk would say "How we deal with death is at least as important as how we
deal with life."
Andrew Plato
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