Fired - What to Say on an Interview

I was fired last Friday because I was talking on my cell phone outside to a potential employer (non-competitor) about a possible interview. My boss also she said she found my resume. She terminated me on the spot. Wow.

I have a second interview in a few days. My resume shows that I'm currently working and in my first interview I was. How do I handle this? What should I do about her not giving me a good reference?

I have been in the industry for 19 years. Help!

I believe that honesty - at least to a point - is always the best policy when interviewing. Whether you're dealing with this second interview situation, or you're in a first round situation, you'll need to deal with why you're no longer employed.

Try to stick to the facts, without pulling your emotions into the equation. You might say something like:



I'm hoping that you have a good track record with your former company, and can point to results that would be totally counter to the action that's been taken. Assuming that's the case, you might follow up this statement with a couple of quick points regarding your accomplishments. For example:



Then, stop talking! Your boss will be the one to look bad in this situation.

When it comes to references, you can suggest in light of what just transpired, your former boss might not be the most objective person to comment on your performance. Then, offer a few other people in the organization who can speak to your results. Perhaps your boss' boss? You can also include customers on your reference list, along with a peer or two.

You mention that you've been in your industry for 19 years. If this experience is with more than one company, you might use a manager from a former company to provide an unbiased reference.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your second interview!