I was recently fired from a job of 5 years - I cannot use them as a reference - please help with my Resume?

Question

I cannot show this 5 year gap on my resume or use them as a reference... What should I do?

Answer 1

Do you have any friends there? Refer all people to your friends and hopefully your friends will vouch for your skills.

Otherwise find a way to explain why you don't work there any more and spin it so you look like the hero.

Or you could tell the truth and swear you have learned from the experience and it will never happen again.

Answer 2

I'm a headhunter with 25 years of experience....you can't hide a 5 year gap on your resume....with so many companies now doing background checks, the truth regarding where you worked will in all likelihood come out....you aren't obligated to use them as a reference and you probably don't want to....a prospective employer, when calling them, can ask whether or not you're eligible for re-hire....if the answer is "no" and that company DOES rehire former employees, it could raise a red flag....I would just use friends, pastors, teachers, whomever, as references....if it comes up in the interview about why you didn't list your last employer as a reference, just answer by saying that you left for professional reasons and that you don't feel that it's good practice to say negative things about ex-employers during the interview process....good luck

Answer 3

Put the job on your resume. Employers will like seeing that you stayed at a job for that long because it means that you are willing to stay at a certain place for a long time, and it's less likely that you'll quit a month or so after being hired. As for references, don't use the last job. Just do your best to find other people that you know that can provide some sort of character reference. Don't use family.

Answer 4

As an HR Manager for the past 10 years, there is no doubt you should list your previous employer . It sounds like there must have been something pretty big happen to cause your seperation and I can understand you would not want your prospective employer fo find out what the pretty big something was.

Certainly your entire 5 years weren't all bad, so focus on that time frame of your employment and tell the prospective customer that your seperation was a mutual agreement between you and your supervisor. Also let them know that you are now looking to advance your career by using your skills/knowledge to support their business needs.

FYI----It is not illegal to talk about a prior employee's work performance, skills, behavior, attendance etc.. Just make sure you have supporting facts when the former employee's attorney calls Corporate office to discuss your statements.

Answer 5

Gaps in work history can hurt your future career big time. I agree with the other's that a company's Human Resources Dept. can't tell anybody that you were fired. But, HR people do know other HR people. So an occurrence of somebody telling them you were fired is possible. If you were fired for something illegal or for attendance issues that can be a problem. But, if you were fired for problems with a manager than that can be explained. I don't recommend lying on an application. But your best bet is to see somebody that handles resume's for a living or even a career counselour. Good luck.

Answer 6

I had this same problem when updating my resume. List your duties in detail but change the name of the company to whatever you want. In leiu of listing the actual company info. consult with someone you know, explain the situation and see if they'll help you. You could put your friends number on your resume and alert them that if a new employer calls them to say that they are with that whatever company name you listed and to say that you were a great employee and they haye to lose you but they understand that you needed a career change because there was no room for advancement with their company. When you do this, you will be able list all of the job duties that you performed but you won't have any negativity from your former employee. You might want to list a former co-workers number on your resume instead of a friend just so that they can affirm in detail, what your actual job duties were and have a little background info. I hope this helps you! Good luck.

Answer 7

A couple of people have mentioned that it's illegal, and I don't know if that's true. But I have heard that they won't give details because they're afraid of being sued. Either way, it's better to give that job information and tone down the reason you were fired. I was in a similar situation and they didn't hold it against me. Another way to "get rid" of a gap, if you're female, is to say you were being a homemaker during that period. That's fairly common. But the job is better on the resume...it's 5 years' worth of experience.

Answer 8

You really need to list them on your resume as a place of employment. However, when you list references you do not need to list them as a reference.

It would be a good idea if you still have a friend at that company to be a reference for you.

Answer 9

It all depends on what you were fired for! If it is something that you are ashamed of or against the law, you'd be better off, keeping the job to yourself, and listing skills that you have done working at home. Vowing never to repeat the same problems, at a new job! If you were fired, because of cut backs, or reasonable dispute, it is best to come clean with a new employer. Make sure your answer is a good explanation, and not something off the top of your head. Employees, have a right to know that whomever they hire can be trusted!

Answer 10

List them as your employer. There is great (legal) risk if a former employer trashes you when a future employer calls to verify employment. Employers won't risk it because they can be sued by a former employee for defamation. They will only verify your title and dates of emplyment. Find a collegue at your former company to act as reference. Make sure you provide him/her with the reason you want them to state for why you left. Some explanations:

Change in management

Change in responsibilities

Keep the reason short and to the point. Future employers don't need to know the political and emotional drama of it all.

Have a friend call your former company and verify your employment as he or she if going to hire you. You can ease your mind that you will not be defamed and have your chances of gaining a new position ruined.

Good luck.

Answer 11

They can only refuse to give a reference which is pretty much the same thing as a bad reference. Ask you friends, perhap one of their parents could act as a referee? If you know anybody who's well known and respected in the community approach them and ask if they could act as a referee. Alternatively, honesty is the best approach. Explain why you were fired, explain why you regretted doing what you did and let that little slice of honesty work it's magic - in the long run it pays to be honest.