I was laid off from my last job in February after only being there 6 months.

by Kathleen Jamison
(Los Gatos, CA, USA)

It was a small non profit organization and they told me it was because they didn't have enough funds to keep me and two other employees and promised me they would write a letter of reference for me.

But when no letter was sent, I emailed both my boss and the President asking for the promised letter. The President told me she would be happy to write a letter but never did. When I asked again she never responded.

With any communication with them I really feel a cold shoulder now because if they do respond it's very short - what am I supposed to think? If I did something wrong, no one seems to want to tell me the truth - even folks who I thought were my friends.

I get interviews for jobs but never offers. All my previous jobs were long term with good reviews.

Is it a bad thing to leave the 6 month job off my resume if I think they are giving me a bad name? I really feel this short term job hurt my career.

ANSWER: Kathleen... It's hard to know why they won't give you a letter of reference. Could be as simple as the fact that since you don't work there anymore, you're no longer a priority. But it does seem as though you're beating a dead horse.

I guess the decision whether to leave the job off your resume or not comes down mostly to its value in securing future positions. I don't think a 6-month employment gap looks that bad these days, with the job market making it so hard to get a job. But if you gained valuable skills or experience in the job, it does seem a shame to leave it off.

The fact that you're not getting job offers might not have anything to do with the previous job. It could just be that you're competing with dozens or even hundreds of other candidates. That's just the way it is these days.

Good luck,
Kathi