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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by helpme on July 9, 2006, at 20:21:21
I lost my job last year, "quit/fired" from an office so stressful, manipulative, and heinous no one can hardly believe it anyway, and I will spare details. And there was a ridiculous turnover, so it wasn't just me with a problem, but I was the dummy who stayed long enough to totally, utterly fry out to point where I vomited each day before work, at work, had panic attacks at work, etc, etc. Called in sick all the time- forced to make up all those hours despite ridiculous number of sick days accrued. I took several emergency properly documented fmlas due to stress, one a hospital stay- but was still reprimanded for "not giving advance notice for this absence". I was not allowed any days off, "because we are short staffed. Dedicated, or not?". Finally incapacitated by this nightmare, I just resigned, "effective immediately" for "health reasons". Just walked away. Not a chance in hell I could have done any two-week notice, let alone finish another hour.
The experience shattered my self-confidence job-wise, (and in general), I have no references from there, and they listed me as "fired". I'm utterly broke, even taking money from mom now.
I hate myself sometimes for being retarded enough to stay that long there, thinking it would get better.I have no one to be a reference for me, and I worked there for 5 years. (The staff was eventually forced to spy on each other by the management- so everyone ended up hating everyone else. And the management hated all of us, and I technically quit with no notice-and was fired a week later for doing so. And human resources didn't really care, despite many complaints from many people.)
Any legal action would be too much drama and traumatic, I think, and I didn't have the strength to do anything anyway.
I need a new job badly. I am kind of ready to look- but it is a full year later. How on earth do I explain in an interview what I've been up to? I anticipate, "What exactly have you been doing this last year? Why did you leave your previous position?"
How would I answer that? I can't come out and say, "Complete mental health meltdown and incapacitation!"
Posted by PhoenixGirl on July 10, 2006, at 21:11:39
In reply to explaining a long period of unemployment, posted by helpme on July 9, 2006, at 20:21:21
I would say I left due to a personal problem that is now resolved, and management at your last job listed you as fired because you couldn't (not wouldn't) give advance notice.
Posted by Poet on July 11, 2006, at 14:06:50
In reply to explaining a long period of unemployment, posted by helpme on July 9, 2006, at 20:21:21
Hi helpme,
I resigned a job because I was under stress and going into a major depression. Even though I gave two weeks notice, I came in the next day to find all my stuff packed in a box and I was escorted out.
I spent nine months dragging myself out of bed to send resumes. I finally registered with a temp agency. They accepted my explanation that I left my job because I needed to take time off for personal reasons. I said the situation should not occur again.
I'm trying hard to get out of my current job (it's the temp job- it became permanent) before I snap and just quit with nothing lined up. Two headhunters have accepted my reason for leaving the job before this. They also accept that I'm looking for more responsibility and advancement as to why I need to leave my current job. Which I need to go before I have another breakdown.
Good luck. Don't let them defeat you.
Poet
Posted by helpme on July 11, 2006, at 17:28:55
In reply to Re: explaining a long period of unemployment » helpme, posted by Poet on July 11, 2006, at 14:06:50
Thank you.
> Hi helpme,
>
> I resigned a job because I was under stress and going into a major depression. Even though I gave two weeks notice, I came in the next day to find all my stuff packed in a box and I was escorted out.
>
> I spent nine months dragging myself out of bed to send resumes. I finally registered with a temp agency. They accepted my explanation that I left my job because I needed to take time off for personal reasons. I said the situation should not occur again.
>
> I'm trying hard to get out of my current job (it's the temp job- it became permanent) before I snap and just quit with nothing lined up. Two headhunters have accepted my reason for leaving the job before this. They also accept that I'm looking for more responsibility and advancement as to why I need to leave my current job. Which I need to go before I have another breakdown.
>
> Good luck. Don't let them defeat you.
>
> Poet
>
Posted by naughtypuppy on July 13, 2006, at 8:34:19
In reply to Re: explaining a long period of unemployment, posted by helpme on July 11, 2006, at 17:28:55
I just say "self employed" for the last 4 years but the money is running out and I am royally screwed, but that's another story altogether.
Posted by helpme on July 13, 2006, at 9:16:55
In reply to Re: explaining a long period of unemployment, posted by naughtypuppy on July 13, 2006, at 8:34:19
I was thinking to say something like, "self employed, but while that has been rewarding I now I find I really miss working with people" (ha!-can I pull that off convincingly without going to actor school)I know one is advised by experts to NEVER say something negative about previous job while looking for new one- because it's like a game- and everyone knows it, but those who break form are sort of shunned as unprofessional complainy troublemakers. I hate games.
Posted by joslynn on July 18, 2006, at 16:11:46
In reply to explaining a long period of unemployment, posted by helpme on July 9, 2006, at 20:21:21
Hmm. Ok, technically, you quit, then they lied and said you were fired. Did you quit with a resignation letter? If so, do you have it on hand?
Can you have a friend call the HR department pretending to be a potential employer for you and have them ask if you worked there and why you left. If they are big enough to have HR, and they are over 100 people (and even if they aren't) they have to be very, very careful about what they say. Do the test run first with your friend as the caller. If they just say, you worked from X day to Y day and that's all they say, then that's that and you won't have to worry.
As for the reason...I would say that you quit because the job didn't give you a chance to use your full range of skills, which are (blah blah, list your skills here, being very positive) and you look forward to a job like the one at Acme Corp (or whatever) because it allows you to use your abilities in a team environment.
There are definitely dysfunctional workplaces out there. I worked at one once for two years. Then I got laid off and found something much better. You never know, you could find something really great, and this will all be a bad memory, or something you could write a book about, such as "The Devil Wears Prada".
(Not to minimize your pain. I used to come home, shut the door, slide down onto the floor and cry with exhaustion at the end of the day with my old job. And I was making a low salary too! I know what it's like to live with a terrible job.)
Posted by finelinebob on August 15, 2006, at 4:03:16
In reply to explaining a long period of unemployment, posted by helpme on July 9, 2006, at 20:21:21
http://www.net-temps.com/careerdev/crossroads/archive.htm
Net-Temps' Crossroads newsletter is a great resource, and the link above is for their archive of stories from the newsletter.
I was trying to find a specific reference about being out of work for a long period of time, but couldn't find it. I think the advice was basically "simple, short, honest". But there may be a number of articles in that archive that will help. Certainly worth a look for the other advice they have (resumes, interviews, search strategies, etc)
Posted by tizza on September 21, 2006, at 2:29:30
In reply to explaining a long period of unemployment, posted by helpme on July 9, 2006, at 20:21:21
Tell them that you went travelling, even if it was confined to your own country or overseas. Use previous travel experiences to fill in a few blanks, just be vague, *like yeah that was nice* or, *no I didn't see that!!* Just keep it really simple.
This is the end of the thread.
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