Must I mention a previous employer with whom I had a bad experience?

Question

The employer was verbally abusive & his idea of communication was to shout. I would just as soon not have to discuss this with a
potential employer but if I left it off a resume or application, it might
come back on me some way. How do I handle this? Thank you.

Answer 1

Just because you have to list it on your resume doesn't mean you have to discuss it in detail in an interview. Don't bring it up and it may not come up.

The article below may offer some help. It is about making a great first impression on an employer.

Answer 2

You should mention this employer but leave all other information out and, should you get an interview, address that employer with the interviewer at that time. Keep your remarks unemotional and business-like to add to your credibility. Legally, an employer is only able to say that you worked there and now you don't. They may not reveal details of your employment without your written permission (therefore, be careful what you sign on an application which contain a release of information). Also, just because the company was an employer doesn't automatically give them more credibility than you. You can say you left because the person you worked for created an atmosphere of intimidation and was verbally abusive.

Answer 3

If this happenend a long time ago, you can drop it off your resume. I had a number of jobs that I didn't last long in, a number of years ago. These are not listed.

If it is recent, by all means list it. Try to put what you did there in the best possible light. If you are asked why you left, state: "Some of the management felt that shouting was an appropriate means of directing. I disagreed, and moved on." Don't run them down, but do state facts clearly. Most everyone has dealt with an unpleasant person in their careers, and they will just move on to the next question.

If your interviewer repsonds with: "And what did you do to set him up?" you know that the interviewer immediately suspects you to be at fault. This should tell you *everything* you need to know about working at this new company.

Don't worry about it. You did nothing wrong, you had an ****** for a manager, and you left. I would have done the same thing, and anyone with a shred of self-respect would have, too.

Answer 4

It is always best to be completely honest on your resume. Many employers check references and confirm employment history these days prior to hiring you. If you leave it off your resume and they discover it you could easily lose the job of your dreams in seconds. You are much better off not showing a lapse in employment...that your job history has been stable and you can always request that the company does not contact that employer when you get closer to getting a job offer from them if they do in fact check references. Only other possibility is if you had a peer/co worker from that company that would act as a good reference for you so you had someone that would provide some positive feedback for you. No matter what, never ever bash your former employer or boss no matter how much you don;t like them to a potential new employer...this will get you shown to the exit door pretty quickly. Good luck!

Answer 5

Yeah, you can't leave it out of your job history, but you do not have to go into any details about any incidents. If asked about that particular job just stick to any positive events (there has to be something). Talk about anything you learned that helps you with your career. Whatever you do, don't badmouth your old employer. This just makes you look bad. You can discuss any work history without bring up the negative points. And, that, is exactly what you should be doing. I was a retail manager for some years and have interviewed hundreds of potential employees. Trust me, saying the guy was a jerk or whatever is only going to reflect poorly on you.

Answer 6

Honesty is always the best policy. When referring to your previous employer be diplomatic. State you chose to leave as you felt you could not achieve your full potential there. That quite often communication channels did not seem to be as open or clear as you like and that you like to ensure you perform at your optimum potential within the workplace. Emphasise as to how you see good communication in the workplace as being essential to good team work, safety of yourself and other staff members etc. In other words you have let them know why you left your previous job and have moved into letting them know you are team player, aware of the safety of self and others in the workplace, customers are happy and of course this ensures the bottom line is looked after.
Good luck and hope you get the job.

Answer 7

You could say you left because of 'communication problems' (he shouted so much you got sick of it), or say you were self employed at the time. Or, depending on how long the employment gap was, you could just leave it out all together. If they ask say you were taking care of a sick family member or something. Or say you were a vendor at some outdoor market or something.

BTW, if a boss is that hostile, you can sue him for verbal harrassment and mental cruelty. Call the LRB (Labor Relations Board) in your state.