Interview Tips: Best Answers To “Why Were You Fired From Your Previous Job?”

By Jane Okoth,

If you had been fired from your previous job, the last thing you would imagine is being asked about it in the job interview.

The way you deal with a question about your firing will depend a lot on how well you are able to deal with such issues.

The question of ‘why were you fired’ holds the key to whether or not you would be considered for the job.

Fridah Abuya, a Human Resource Consultant at Virtual HR urges that caution must be taken when answering such questions.

“People get fired for many reasons and it could be that it was not your fault that you lost your job,” she says.

“It could be because of personal reasons with your boss or maybe you were among employees who were laid off,” she adds.

She however explains that the question is meant to determine key issues that concern your previous job.

Your relationship with your previous employer

Most of the recruiters just want to find out if you can speak ill about your previous employer.

She says that as much as you feel your firing was unfair, try and keep positive as ever.

“When giving out this answer, be honest and frank but also make sure that your explaining is short and simple,” she suggests.

If you had a bad relationship with your boss that led to your firing, don’t mention it in the interview because it will seem like you are trying to make up excuses,” she opines.

Ms Abuya firmly suggests that your answers should not seem like you are trying to put the blame on anyone.

“Explain why you did not meet your previous job requirements, the different competencies and your expectations but in a clean and professional way,” she explains.

For instance, if the interviewer is trying to dig out information about your previous working relationship with your coworkers, a safe answer could be

”One one occasion I was assigned to perform some duties which I believe I did, but there was lack of communication between me and my supervisor on how the job was to be handled.

As much as one is trying to explain why they got fired, Ms Abuya thinks that it is also important to highlight the experiences and lessons achieved from your previous work that you can apply when offered a chance.

“Don’t dwell so much on your firing story and try and focus on impressing the interviewer on why they should hire you,” she warns.

A good answer can be “I have had many valuable experiences in my last job and am currently looking for new responsibilities and challenges that can make me grow career wise.

Ms Abuya also pinpoints that your duration in your previous job may also determine if your firing was in bad faith or not.

“The way you would view an employee who has worked in a company for 5 years is not the same way I would view one for 6 months,” she argues.

“This is because an employee who has worked in a company for long is a valuable one,” she elaborates.

Her advice is that she advocates for importance of being frank and truthful about how you were fired.

“Nowadays potential employers go an extra mile and call your previous boss so lying is not an option,” she concludes.

For more queries on interview tips, contact Jane at jane@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke

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