5 ms·

Ok, it sounds like you have a lot to work on, personally speaking. That's not unusual; most smart people in their 20s do have serious issues to work through. I

Ok, it sounds like you have a lot to work on, personally speaking. That's not unusual; most smart people in their 20s do have serious issues to work through. I don't know you, so I can't comment on that. You probably have a better sense of what you need to fix about yourself than I do. Three job-ending personality conflicts in less than 3 years is worse than average, but not the worst I've seen. But do take the hint that you might be doing a few things wrong. You don't need to be a popular-jock type, but please do yourself a favor and bring your social skills at least up to the 35th percentile. Read books like How to Win Friends and Influence People and read them seriously. (Just don't get into that sleazy PUA shit.) Personal change is the hard part. Regarding career repair, that's much easier. Find a good recruiter and she'll help you with a lot of that. First, don't put months on your CV, just years. If you worked at a place from Nov. 2008 to Jan. 2009, put 2008-2009. If your tenure was 6/2010 to 8/2010, just put 2010 unless it was an internship (then put a season, e.g. "summer 2010"). Second, never say you were fired. Say you left of your own volition; no one can legally contradict you. If previous employers say something different, have your attorney send a C&D letter. Make sure your departure reflects positively on your ambition but not negatively on the company. Third, check your references. Use a professional reference-checking service like Allison and Taylor instead of trying to do it yourself. Find out what people are saying. If the references are damaging, bring on the C&D's. Fourth, most people with "damaged track records" are people who give away the store on their ex-employers. The "permanent record" exists, but only in your mind. If you can just learn to shut the fuck up occasionally (I'm speaking from personal experience and past mistakes, so I know how hard this can be) about the injustices you've faced it will do you favors. You can do much more damage to your enemies (if that's what you want; most people stop caring about their enemies once they're successful) by succeeding and getting into an important role later in life than you can by smearing their reputations in 20 unsuccessful (you can't throw shit without some sticking to you) interviews. When you interview, keep the conversation technical and focus on what you worked on. The politics and personality conflicts you should gloss over entirely. And learn a few stock evasive answers if you get questions related to these matters. When interviewers probe you for political dirty laundry on past employers, they're not doing it because they "value" your opinion; it's either (a) a test, or (b) scouting against competitors, and neither benefits you personally.

throwaway789a 15y ago
> Second, never say you were fired In my CV I don't mention I got fired. However, from the certificates of employment (I'm not sure this is the correct translation for the German "Arbeitszeugnis") you can easily figure out that I was fired.
gaius 15y ago
Well, that is not strictly true, a company can perfectly legally say it would not rehire you, and the next company will read between the lines. Good luck trying to sue - if word got out that you did, you really would become unhireable. Also, hiding gaps on the CV is a major red flag. It would be grounds for instant dismissal, it's as bad as pretending to have a qualification you don't.
- michaelochurch 15y ago
  Well, that is not strictly true, a company can perfectly legally say it would not rehire you, and the next company will read between the lines. Good luck trying to sue - if word got out that you did, you really would become unhireable. In the U.S., no. Blackballing law is extremely friendly to the employee. And no, you don't sue over a bad reference. You have your attorney send a C&D letter and they fall back to the "default" reference: name, dates of employment. Generally, you never need to sue over a bad reference. The best response to a bad reference is to replace him, ideally with someone who worked with you at the company and can vouch that, yes, you actually did good work. Also, hiding gaps on the CV is a major red flag. I didn't tell him to hide gaps. I told him to put his years of employment (not months) on his CV, e.g. 2009-2010 instead of Nov. 2009 to Jan. 2010. He may still have to put the dates on the formal application that comes later in the hiring process, but after you've had an interview, CV smells don't matter as much. It would be grounds for instant dismissal, it's as bad as pretending to have a qualification you don't. You cannot be serious. Omitting two months at a startup that didn't work out is not the moral equivalent of a quack surgeon pretending to have a medical degree. That said, from a strategic perspective, omitting a job of even 2 months is almost never a good idea because a gap is more damaging that a bad job (which can always be spun). (If it's less than 2 months, omit it; you didn't really work there.)

throwaway789a 15y ago

> Second, never say you were fired In my CV I don't mention I got fired. However, from the certificates of employment (I'm not sure this is the correct translation for the German "Arbeitszeugnis") you can easily figure out that I was fired.

gaius 15y ago

Well, that is not strictly true, a company can perfectly legally say it would not rehire you, and the next company will read between the lines. Good luck trying to sue - if word got out that you did, you really would become unhireable. Also, hiding gaps on the CV is a major red flag. It would be grounds for instant dismissal, it's as bad as pretending to have a qualification you don't.

michaelochurch 15y ago
Well, that is not strictly true, a company can perfectly legally say it would not rehire you, and the next company will read between the lines. Good luck trying to sue - if word got out that you did, you really would become unhireable. In the U.S., no. Blackballing law is extremely friendly to the employee. And no, you don't sue over a bad reference. You have your attorney send a C&D letter and they fall back to the "default" reference: name, dates of employment. Generally, you never need to sue over a bad reference. The best response to a bad reference is to replace him, ideally with someone who worked with you at the company and can vouch that, yes, you actually did good work. Also, hiding gaps on the CV is a major red flag. I didn't tell him to hide gaps. I told him to put his years of employment (not months) on his CV, e.g. 2009-2010 instead of Nov. 2009 to Jan. 2010. He may still have to put the dates on the formal application that comes later in the hiring process, but after you've had an interview, CV smells don't matter as much. It would be grounds for instant dismissal, it's as bad as pretending to have a qualification you don't. You cannot be serious. Omitting two months at a startup that didn't work out is not the moral equivalent of a quack surgeon pretending to have a medical degree. That said, from a strategic perspective, omitting a job of even 2 months is almost never a good idea because a gap is more damaging that a bad job (which can always be spun). (If it's less than 2 months, omit it; you didn't really work there.)