Am I basically unemployable now?

[FiredFromACannon]

When I was 17 I took a job at a small company and after 11 months I was fired, I didn’t do anything wrong, the boss said I made too many typing errors (although none were ever brought to my attention) and I found out later he had sacked previous secretaries after 11 months, presumably so they didn’t get employment rights. This was over 20 years ago.

I applied for 2 jobs recently and at the end of both applications there was a tick box “have you ever been dismissed from employment?” No box to put the circumstances or explain it was over 20 years ago. As the super honest person I am I ticked them assuming I’d be able to explain later in the interview process, today I received 2 automated rejections.

Criminal records drop off your record after a certain time but one cunty boss when I was 17 and I’m marked for life!

Id just tick no and leave it off your CV tbh

No job I've applied for have asked me that question. So perhaps you need to find jobs that don't ask.

Have you worked in the 20 years since?

I really can’t imagine why you’d tick the box

I have, my current job I started as a temp and was made permanent so the only question they asked me at the interview was can you start on Monday?

Just start ticking no!

I would tick "no"

Just leave it off

Just tick no and remove that experience from your CV. Easy.

Just tick no. It was over two decades ago. I was fired from a job for whistleblowing 30 years ago and I tick no.

UABVU for ticking “no” a second time

As you know that the employer did not dismiss you "for cause" (as the US would say) then I would tick no. You were let go unfairly and at the whim of that employer which is different to being dismisses for an actual "good" reason of poor performance when a chance to improve was given etc.

The only health warning would be if the company still exists and the new employer went looking for confirmation of employment etc I would check what would be the outcome before an interview.

And be aware that telling a lie in the interview process can be grounds for gross misconduct dismissal

It was 20 years ago. Just tick no in future.

And I've never been asked that question in any job application either.

Just leave it off. Twenty years is ancient history.

btw I also got fired from my first year at 17, but I was completely useless 😂

If you’d done something illegal and got fired then I’d say maybe you should be honest, but you were a kid and it was 20years ago. Delete it from your CV and tick no!

I personally can't even remember what job I had at 17 or how I left, and that was 23 years ago. I wouldn't even add it to your CV personally, you were a child. If it comes up again (and I've never seen that question on a job app) just tick no

You weren’t sacked, you were ‘let go’ at the ‘end of your contract’. Tick no.

I'm really honest, but 20 years ago when you were a teenager?! Tick no and forget about it. I got sacked from a waitressing job at a similar age and I've never thought to mention it. I highly doubt they'll be seeking a reference from that long ago 😂

Just tick no! It was over 20 years ago, the criminal record limit is due to law, this one you can just apply common sense to as it’s just a question on a job application.

As others said just tick no and leave it off your cv. If that is the way your former boss was they are unlikely to remember you.

I work in recruitment and would say never ever lie, you will get found out... but I'm going to make an exception on this occasion. As others have said either lie or leave it off your CV. That advice might change if you're public sector. Some organisations state that they need full dates, no gaps etc. Take a look at the wording.

Don’t tick it

Presumably you’re not giving them as a reference? Just say you’ve never been dismissed, something that happened 20 years ago less than a year into a job you had as a teenager isn’t even that memorable so I’d just forget it if I were you.

I’m confused about this. You’re 37.

I’ve always been informed that only your most recent jobs are relevant when applying for jobs, ie last 5 years. Why are you disclosing being fired 20 years ago? For better or worse, this 20+ year old job is no longer relevant for assessing your current employability.

Of course, employers are going to use that question to filter candidates out, but I don’t think the spirit of the question is to gather info on what happened 20 years ago.

Sometimes when you answer things completely honestly you get unexpected outcomes.

When I was in school, filling out various forms for exams I had to take, the careers counsellor randomly asked me if anyone in my family was Hispanic.

I thought it was a pretty strange question, but assumed she was making conversation in a nutty sort of way (she was quite a socially odd person - I think she lived in her car and kept all her clothes hanging from filing cabinet drawers in her office), so I said one of my uncles is from Mexico. 🤷‍♀️

Turns out that was the completely fucking roundabout way they asked whether you were eligible for a Hispanic student scholarship. Which I was then awarded, and had to go tell them there had been a mistake and get it re-allocated to someone who was actually eligible. 🤦🏼‍♀️

That taught me an important lesson to always try to work out why someone is asking you something before you try to answer.

In your case they wanted to know if you’d ever committed gross misconduct - not whether you’d been let go from some silly teenage job 2 decades ago that has no bearing on your career now.