I was let go from my job. What do I say to potential employers when they want to know what happened?

Question

I worked in a customer service job for a month. I loved answering questions and helping people, and listening to their concerns.
However, it wasn't the job for me. It also dealt with sales. I'm not a salesperson--I'm not aggressive/persistent enough.
I felt the products were not legitimate--they were for weight loss, "male enhancement," and memory loss/depression.
My supervisor told me when she let me go I wasn't meeting the minimum requirements for convincing people to keep the products, but if I wanted a reference, she'd be happy to give me one. This makes me think she liked me as a person, but felt I wasn't cut out for the job.
My question is, how do I explain the situation to prospective employers without sounding negative? I hated the rude people who treated me like crap. If I'd known the job would be in sales, I would never have taken the position.
Also, what are my chances of being hired by someone else? Will they understand I wasn't cut out for that? Thanks!

Answer 1

Be honest... say what you just said to us...

"I worked in a customer service job for a month. I loved answering questions and helping people, and listening to their concerns.
However, it wasn't the job for me. It also dealt with sales. I'm not a salesperson--I'm not aggressive/persistent enough.
I felt the products were not legitimate--they were for weight loss, "male enhancement," and memory loss/depression.
My supervisor told me when she let me go I wasn't meeting the minimum requirements for convincing people to keep the products, but if I wanted a reference, she'd be happy to give me one. This makes me think she liked me as a person, but felt I wasn't cut out for the job"

That sounds perfect. Memorize it.

Answer 2

Here's the perfect job for you - work the Help Desk at a company. You get to do all the things you mentioned you like, but without the sale crap. In terms of your questions, I'd be honest and tell them that you took the job without knowing it was a sales job and that the job really wasn't for you. Also, you could just not mention the job at all. You said you were there for only a month - that's not a real big employment gap. You could say your stopped working to look into getting additional training/education. Just a thought and good luck to you.

Answer 3

You have to be honest but you just need to learn to talk about your setbacks positively. Don't tell them you were fired. But don't lie. When they ask about your previous employment, tell them unfortunately it didn't work out but you learned a lot about your skills and what you really want to do. Not every job is going to be a great one. You'll probably have a lot more like this one. You sound like a person that would work well in customer service. Obviously you are a good worker if your boss still wants to give you a reference, that's great.
You should look for something in customer service. You don't have to work in sales to do customer service, but it sounds like that was the part of the job you excelled at.
As for getting another job, get out there and look. But remember when they ask about you last job, be POSITIVE. Don't tell them that you hated rude customers and it was a crappy product. Turn it around and tell them what you learned from the experience. You can tell them that you are not a salesperson. But be sure to tell them all of your great qualities.

Answer 4

Personally, I would be totally upfront about the whole situation. Make it clear that you wish to work for a reputable company that is protective of it's customers. Also make it clear that you would not of taken that job if you had been aware of what the products were. An employer that is looking for reliable, long term employees will hopefully respect your "honor".