Dear J.T. & DALE: I got fired for harassment. (Someone took a joke the wrong way.) Now, as I apply for new jobs, can my former place of work disclose the situation? I’ve heard that all they can give out is dates of employment and they can’t “slander” my name about what happened.
– Justin
J.T.: In order to avoid any potential legal issues, most companies only verify dates of employment, and sometimes salary. However, some also are willing to answer the question, “Is he eligible for rehire?” As you can imagine, should they say “no,” the potential employer knows you were let go. I suggest you find the right way to explain proactively to potential employers why you left. That way, if a reference check reveals that you aren’t eligible for rehire, it won’t catch them by surprise.
DALE: In a time when there are plenty of people more easily offended than amused, you can’t blurt out the explanation about telling a joke that was taken the wrong way. Instead, you need some way of explaining the situation that doesn’t mention harassment. Why? Because any HR person is going to be very reluctant to hire a “known offender.” (Should you offend co-workers again, the company is open to accusations that it ignored your past.) So, how to get around that issue? Perhaps you could honestly say: “I got caught up in office politics. There was another employee whom I got sideways with and who got me pushed out.” If it’s true that you see your offense as being politically incorrect, that’s the sort of statement that is less likely to set off HR alarms.
J.T.: As with any explanation of something negative in your employment history, be sure to take the extra step and explain your regret and how it made you a better employee. You need to add something like, “That experience has made me realize how important it is to get along with everyone on the team, and I’m determined to be the ultimate team player.” Every employer wants employees who learn and grow, and discussing your development can become a positive. Just please make sure it’s true.
Dear J.T. & DALE: Try as I might, I’m having difficulty making connections with businesses that could use my skills as a freelance writer. I’ve tried attending meetings of business groups, and generally the networking doesn’t reach the relevant people, plus I’m out the money for the lunch or dinner. Any ideas on marketing myself?
– Richard
J.T.: Thanks for the question, Richard. It’s one I expect to be getting more often as the independent-contractor economy keeps booming. The Career Advisory Board predicts that up to 50 percent of our workforce could be independent contractors/freelancers by 2020.
DALE: As for writing, I have two wise men of freelancing to suggest that you Google: Ed Gandia and Michael Katz. The former does a helpful podcast about what he calls “High-Income Business Writing,” and the latter has a newsletter called “Blue Penguin Development,” about one market niche – writing newsletters for professional service firms. Both are free, although both also offer paid services. What they’ll help you understand is that you have to pick a specialty, and having done so, your marketing becomes like the old “build it and they will come”: You pick your specialty, and then your marketing options will appear. (For instance, if you have done some writing for a dentist friend and decide that it would be a good specialty, then you’d put together a sample newsletter and then drop off copies at dental offices with a cover letter asking if they’d like a nifty patient-communication tool that you’d create for them.)
J.T.: Meanwhile, I suggest you also sign up on sites like Upwork (Formerly oDesk/Elance) and Thumbtack. These sites let you post your credentials and bid on jobs. In the beginning, you may have to lower your rates in order to win a few assignments; however, as you exceed expectations and get high approval ratings, you’ll be able to increase your rates and aspire to be in that high-income writer group Dale was talking about.
– 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.
