what reason for leaving on job application?

[orangetree99]

I've only had 3 jobs in the last 30 years, the first two I was there a long time and was made redundant from the first and the second relocated too far for me to travel but always have good reviews. I got a new job very quickly but 3 months in and they have dismissed me in my probation period. Evidently my work is fine but they didn't think my personality fitted in with the office. To be honest I wasn't enjoying it much and I think it probably showed. I'm not sad not to be working there but I am worried about what reason for leaving I can give on new job applications as nobody would give a job to someone dismissed in their probation period. It came out of the blue and I wish they had talked to be and asked me to resign. My manager said she would give me a good reference but does she have to give a reason I left. Would it be reasonable to ask her to put something different.

I don't volunteer information about why I left, though some application forms may ask for it, in which case, you do need to put something. I can provide the reasons if asked, but over time, people do move on and change. And no one is likely to be totally honest if the real reason is something like, "the manager turned out to be a narcissistic, sexist, incompetent wanker, and I was finding it increasingly difficult to get out of bed each morning and go and face all the back-biting in the team." The company you leave may not know why some people go, just that they gave notice, then left.

I'd probably just say that the second job ending gave me an opportunity to think about what I wanted and the new job didn't live up to its promise and wouldn't enable me to fulfill my goals."

She can't lie on a reference, but she can state the bare facts, "orangetree was employed here between September and December 2016" or whatever.

I wouldn't worry too much -people get let go because of reasons like funding cuts, too, and you've few rights when you've only been there less than 2 years, so they're most likely to go - people do go on to get other jobs.

Can they really dismiss you because they didn't like your personality? Even on probation. Surely you can agree to leave by mutual consent,but being sacked is a step too far!

Ebearhug you sound like you worked for one of my previous managers!

Thanks for making me laugh and feel better Ebearhug. clmustard - yes they can dismiss you without reason in the probation period. They were really nice and it was more of a "this isn't going to work" conversation. They were right and I was looking for a new job and I think they knew that - it's a small family business and only 4 people in one office so personality does matter. Sometimes people just don't work well together and I accept that but I just wish they had asked me to resign and then my manager could just have put resigned on a reference. I can easily think of a reason I left on a job application/interview but job offers are always subject to satisfactory references and "dismissed in probation period" sounds like I did something terrible so would it be appropriate to ask her to put something else. All the job applications I've looked at say one reference must be from your most recent employer.