Quick help needed!

[ufcrusher]

Hey hopefully someone can help me here....I am filling out a form which is asking my reason for leaving from a certain job and I cannot for the life of me come up with something that sounds good.

Here is the real situation: ( For those who remember, this was the boss who screwed me on a number of things which he had agreed to when I was hired. Also the one where I agreed to postpone my honeymoon until after the trials were done.) I was fired after my wedding for calling in sick the Thursday before my wedding. We had been working 16 hour + days for well over 2 weeks straight (no weekends off either) in preparation for 2 upcoming trials. I told him that I would like the Friday off before the wedding and that I needed to be able to go get my tux refitted (3rd time going in for it) and do other wedding things. My boss told me that I could take off the morning on Wed and Thurs if needed to get the things done. On Wednesday, I went to get the Tux fitted and it was still way off. The seamstress wasnt there but one of the tailors made the marks to fix it and I went into work. On Thursday, I went back into get my "fixed" alterations....they were even more off than before. Apparently the "tailor" wasnt a tailor and was just trying to help out the situation. I was told that the seamstress wasnt in until 1pm and that I would have to meet with her. (Bear in mind that this was put off due to my work schedule and not having any time off) I was working more than 40 miles away from where I lived and it took on average 45 minutes to get there (more with traffic) so I knew I couldnt go up to work and come back. After figuring out that there was no way that I would get into work until 4pm or later, I called in to say I wasnt going to be able to come in and explained the situation. The secretary called back telling me to call the head attorney on his cell. I called him and after giving me a hard time he said "well, if it needs to be done and you think this is the only way, then there is nothing that you can do. I guess I wont see you before the wedding so congratulations, say congrats to your wife, and you can even have off an extra day like we discussed." (He had wanted me to come back on Tuesday...but finally said I could come in on Wed)

To make the rest short, the Friday following the wedding he called me into his office and fired me for calling in on that previous Thursday saying that my calling in had opened the office to liability. I asked how calling in had opened them to liability and he said because he was going to have me do X that day and I couldnt do X. (in otherwords a bull reason)

Obviously saying I was fired looks bad and in my mind and every other seasoned atty/business person I spoke with it was complete and total bs. The guy was an ass and this was just him being one even more.

Thus, I am trying to think of a way to tell the truth but not make it look bad. Especially since every time I explain it to someone they have the same reaction, but I cant have it harm me before I get to a person.

Opt 1: An emergency with my wedding requiring my immediate attention led to my departure.

Opt 2: Dispute arose regaring my responding to an emergency situation led to my departure.

Obviously neither of these are perfect....so anyone have an idea?

TIA

[WhiskeyPapa]

"Details Available Upon Request".

[DankNstickY]

"Details Available Upon Request".

but whats he going to say when they request the details

[WhiskeyPapa]

'zactly what he told us. It gives him a chance to give details, and not try to sum it up in one sentence.

[DankNstickY]

o. i didnt read it. i have paragraph-aphobia

[ufcrusher]

How do you think they would react to that though....it sounds promising but might sound like a red flag.

[welfareloser]

give your opt # 2 plus kb0wwp's suggestion... it won't raise a red flag. you're saying you're willing to talk about it. trying to cover it up would be a red flag.

[ufcrusher]

Out of curiousity would just leaving it blank seem worse? This is a state position which frankly I have already interviewed for in the past. I was ranked 4 but no positions opened up and the interview/rankings only last 1 year.

They just listed positions again which is why I am scrambling to send this in but my resume has changed in the interim time between the two. When I just looked I noticed that I left a few unintentionally blank last time...so if it didnt raise a flag then....might it be the best way this time?

[gear02]

why can't you say you left because of unreasonable demands and false statements (your boss's promises in trying to hire you) relating to your wedding?

People would understand, especially if you tell them this story during your interview, and if they don't you wouldn't want to work there anyway.

[welfareloser]

hmm... yeah, if that's the case, leave it blank...

if asked to write something there, put in gear's first sentence, plus kb's suggestion...

that's my final answer. :P

[faither]

Philosphical differences.

I found that the company described to me during my recuitment was entirely different than the one I actually went to work for.

Promises made to me by my manager were broken and I was unwilling to continue to work for such a person.

[caribiner23]

This is not something you have to answer on a form. I would put "Seeking other opportunities."

Your real-life explanation makes perfect sense. Save it for the interview, when you're face-to-face with someone who matters (the hiring manager). HR people don't need to throw in their interpretation of what they think happened.

[gear02]

Philosphical differences.

I found that the company described to me during my recuitment was entirely different than the one I actually went to work for.

Promises made to me by my manager were broken and I was unwilling to continue to work for such a person.

faither's answer is the best so far that captures your situation.

[whitak24]

Philosphical differences.

I found that the company described to me during my recuitment was entirely different than the one I actually went to work for.

Promises made to me by my manager were broken and I was unwilling to continue to work for such a person.
The problem with this answer is that it's not honest (in the literal sense). If an employer was to call this jackass, i'm sure he would say that he fired UFC for insubordination or poor work habits or something like that. if the boss wasn't such an ass, he should have at least said "if you don't resign effective immediately, i will fire you," so that you wouldn't have that on your work history. but of course he was useless.

i would say something like your option 1, although i don't know if the word "emergency" is quite right.

good luck w/ the job, btw

[BrewMaster]

i say leave it blank.

[gwilks98]

I honestly wouldn't mention the wedding. Depending on how deeply they read into the resume, they could interpret your inability to work as a man who's held back by his life at home.

Why not have a friend call up that boss and have him pretend like he's a potential employer. Have him/her ask your ex boss for reason of leaving. See what he gives. Base your response on that if he gives an answer at all.

[oblongmelon]

You are not obligated to fill any questions like that out on an employment application. Now if the employer gets you in for an interview and asks you-be honest-tell him the story-but in a shortened version. PS.. you should have turned that ex boss into the Department of Labor...I don't know where you live, but here in New York, you can't be fired from very many jobs without at least one, or two written warnings....unless it's something that is life threatening..or very very serious...you're a lawyer right? can't you use some of your inside connections to find out if this guy had ever done this to anyone before?

[whitak24]

You are not obligated to fill any questions like that out on an employment application. Now if the employer gets you in for an interview and asks you-be honest-tell him the story-but in a shortened version. PS.. you should have turned that ex boss into the Department of Labor...I don't know where you live, but here in New York, you can't be fired from very many jobs without at least one, or two written warnings....unless it's something that is life threatening..or very very serious...you're a lawyer right? can't you use some of your inside connections to find out if this guy had ever done this to anyone before?
if you're an at-will employee of a private employer (and not protected by a union), you can be fired for pretty much any reason, as long as it doesn't have to do with your race/gender/etc. for example, if your boss doesn't like your political bumper sticker, you can be fired, and it's completely legal.

[ufcrusher]

if you're an at-will employee of a private employer (and not protected by a union), you can be fired for pretty much any reason, as long as it doesn't have to do with your race/gender/etc. for example, if your boss doesn't like your political bumper sticker, you can be fired, and it's completely legal.

Pretty good explanation there Whitak! With very few exceptions almost everyone is an at-will employee. If you have an employment contract that guarantees your position and states you are not at will then you are protected...but at the same time you are locked in for the contracted period. There are plenty of times where the fact that you are at-will is stated repeatedly in the handbooks/paperwork and other employment information but people fail to notice this.

[Jeffbx]

Yes, at-will is a good fallback for many employers, but I know that it's not enough in many cases. If you're a member of any protected class (race, sex, handicap, whatever) you can bet that an at-will clause won't prevent a lawsuit whether the firing was justified or not. I know in my company we have to have a ton of documentation & an established history of misconduct or poor performance before anyone is let go. They're too afraid of a lawsuit to rely on 'at-will' alone.

Of course, I guess a law firm wouldn't have the same fear of a lawsuit that most other companies have...