How Do I Say That I Was Let Go for a Trumped Up Reason?

by Anonymous
(Somewhere)

I worked for a non-profit organization that has a very high turnover rate. Their practices with employees were very unethical. I was let go

for emailing a co-worker who was a friend voicing
my opinion about the unethical behavior that went on.

The employer could not say I did not do my job and did it over and above what was expected of me. They just didn't like my opinion of how things were done.

The worst part is that I was one of many who did the same thing, but because I achieved the goal they hired me for my services were no longer needed.

They have not since my firing filled the position and from what I understand say they can't afford to. I feel I was singled out because I had recovered most of the half million dollars they had in outstanding AR and the books were workable now.

It feels like they searched for a reason to let me go and stumbled upon this one. How though do you explain that to a potential employer? You can't... so what do I do with that on my resume?

ANSWER: Hi there... I feel for you. With the high turnover and your experience, it definitely sounds like a breach of ethics is at work here. But proving it of course is impossible and telling a prospective employer about it could come off as sour grapes or excuses.

Additionally, you DID make an error by putting something in writing that was negative about the employer... in the employer records. People often don't think that emails are a permanent record... but they ARE. And with today's sophisticated software, even deleted emails can be retrieved. So I wouldn't advise writing anything you might not want to go public in an email.

Now as to whether to include this job on your resume, I don't think it would hurt too much to have a 6-month gap on your resume in today's job market. Actually, it often takes people that long or longer to find a job nowadays.

Alternatively, you could just say you were hired for a short-term project, and once you achieved your goal, your work was done, and you and the company parted ways. But you do face the risk that a new employer will check out your story with that employer and hear a different version.

To your success,
Kathi