Dear J.T. & DALE: I was put on performance review and given 60 days to turn things around. I started looking for a new job because I had a feeling I’d eventually get fired. Well, I was just terminated. However, I’ve been interviewing, and I have a final interview tomorrow with a company I really love. Do I need to come clean and tell them I just got fired?
– Austin
DALE: First, aren’t you glad you hustled yourself back into the job market? A lot of people assume that a “performance review” is the company’s way of giving them extra help, like offering a tutor to a struggling student. That can be true, but more often a review is just the opposite: It’s the company’s prelude to firing you without having to pay unemployment.
J.T.: Going forward, Austin, you are not required to offer up information about being fired, and I’d avoid sharing it. BUT, my guess is that somehow it will come out. They may ask you what your current employer will think of your leaving, or ask to check references. So, be prepared. You might say: “I am excited about this new job, and it’s important that I tell you I ended my engagement with my former employer. In the past few months, it was apparent that our goals weren’t aligned. That’s why I started looking for a new job. We agreed this week that it wasn’t working out.” Your goal is to be honest while being upbeat and positive.
DALE: That’s a good spin, suggesting that the split was mutual. Still, you’ll have to answer unwelcome questions about “alignment” and so on. Better to avoid the topic altogether. How? You said it was a “final” interview, so you’ll probably be meeting the boss’s boss or other future colleagues. Come with lots of questions, mostly based on what you learned by reviewing the company website and talking to contacts familiar with the company. Be sure to throw in my all-time favorite question: “What kind of people do best here?” That will get them thinking about star employees, and you can guide the conversation to your future, not your past.
Dear J.T. & Dale: I recently divorced after 20 years as a stay-at-home mom. I need a job but can’t think of what I could do. Help.
– Bo
DALE: The typical solution is to start reading job ads and applying until you find the highest-paying job you can get. This is a shortcut to mediocrity and, often, misery. A better option is the appealing notion of “follow your passion and the money will follow.” I wish that formula had a bit more science behind it, money not being a well-trained follower. Still, you start there.
J.T.: Yes, look at your hobbies and interests. If there is something you love doing, there invariably are products or services related to it.
DALE: That reminds me of a woman I know who followed her love of horses and ended up selling saddles at
horse shows.
J.T.: Additionally, don’t be afraid to go to friends and relatives. Referrals influence 80 percent of hiring. If the people you know can vouch for your personality and professionalism, an employer may discount the fact that you don’t have recent work experience.
DALE: Speaking of friends and relatives, a great way to start networking is to seek their advice. Invite them out for coffee and explain that you are doing career research. Not everyone has jobs, but everyone has opinions. Then, once you’ve narrowed your search to a type of profession or industry, go back to them and explain your new goals, and ask if they know anyone in those fields. They will now be your allies and referral sources
in your search.
J.T.: Once you land a new job, even if it’s a compromise and far from your ideal, you’ll be able to see the possibilities for your future and begin the process of evolving into it.
DALE: Yes. Every job is a platform from which to spot better jobs.
– Workplace consultant and career coach J.T. O’Donnell has coached, trained and mentored employees and managers on a wide variety of career-related subjects since 1994. Her book, “CAREEREALISM: The Smart Approach to A Satisfying Career” is available at JTODonnell.com. Management guru Dale Dauten has written six books and is an authority on innovation in the workplace. His latest book, “Great Employees Only: How Gifted Bossess Hire & Dehire Their Way to Success” is available at Dauten.com. copyright 2013 King Features.
