Let me beg for forgiveness up front. I am going to write about what you should not do if you have been fired for cause. In other words, you did it, you know you did it and they fired you because you did it. What you did doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. The bottom line is you are guilty as charged and now you are unemployed. Feeling bad and you are trying to figure out what to do. There are a lot excellent post written about what you need to do. Check this one out: So, you’ve been fired. Lots of great comments from some of my readers. But this post is for those of you willing to admit you really did it. Here are a few things you should not do when sitting in your next interview.

When they ask you, so why were you fired at your last job -

1. Don’t make up a story and hope they won’t find out.
2. Don’t give the impression that you are hiding something.
3. Don’t lie.
4. Don’t say naughty things about your previous employer or boss.
5. Don’t play the blame/shame game.
6. Don’t tell the interview there were personality conflicts.
7. Don’t tell share all the gory details.
8. Don’t give negative commentary about yourself. “I was so stupid” Don’t say it.
9. Don’t give create additional questions by using “hot words”.
10. Don’t make up excuses for poor performance, dishonesty or any other reason you were let go.
11. Don’t threaten to take your previous employer to court.

Over the last year or so, I have spoken to many people who have found themselves unemployed due to poor decisions on their part. I am not talking about poor performance. I am talking about dishonesty. Things like: lying on time sheets, taking extended lunches, stealing, etc. These kinds of things are completely inappropriate and in my humble opinion, should be the last thing people are losing their jobs for. But it is rampant. Dishonesty is probably the number one thing I hear from those honest enough to tell me why they were let go. My bottom line tonight - If you did it, and you got fired for doing it, than you need to do some serious soul searching before you attempt to find another job. If you don’t identify the root issue of why you did what you did, you will do it again.

What do I do if I’ve been fired has become the most frequently asked question I get asked weekly here at Interview Chatter. The question is usually written in a comment on my most popular post, So You’ve Been Fired. I thought I would take a moment a restate some of my recommendations to people who have been fired.

My Recommendations:

1. BE Honest, Don’t Lie - I can not stress this first point. If you have been terminated from your employer for cause or without cause, you are facing a rather large hurdle. Dishonesty on your resume or application, will only make scaling the hurdle more difficult.

2. If they ask you directly, “Have you ever been fired?”, the answer is “YES” in a word. My point here is, don’t try to skirt the issue. If they ask you directly, answer directly and then follow-up.

3. If you have been fired, and you admit you have been fired, you may be screened out. Be prepared. There is nothing you can do about it. What you can do is continue to move forward in your job search. Every hiring manager gets to decide who they will interview and offer a position. You can not control them. Don’t let it frustrate you. Move on to the next potential opportunity.

4. Choose out of “Shame and Blame”. No matter whose fault it is. Choose your ATTITUDE. How you respond to a termination, just or unjust will be one factor that will determine how long you spend in your job search. Savvy hiring managers can smell a bad attitude. They can sense when you are carrying baggage into the interview. Get your emotions in check. Choose out of frustration and choose to see your great potential.

More to come on this topic. In the meantime, please feel free to scroll down and leave a comment. How can I help you navigate the turbulent waters around terminations?

Ethics means a set of principles of right conduct. The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession. Ethics in the workplace in its simplest terms means doing the right thing. Everyone of us was raised knowing the difference between right and wrong. Someone said to me once, “do what you know to do.” I live by this principle. I am tempted to lie, in fact have lied, but I know not to do it. I have been tempted to steal, in fact, I have stolen, but I know not to do it.

Ethics in the workplace is critical. Ethics that begins within the person. Not a code of conduct policy manual you signed. Not rules and regulations imposed on you by your employer, or your boss. I am talking about that little voice inside you that tells you not to steal, not to lie, not invade personal privacy issues. That little voice that tells you that you have used more sick time than is alloted, and the list goes on.

I have a post So You’ve Been Fired! This post has drawn a lot of comments from people who have been fired from their jobs. The struggle I have is that many of the people who have been fired for cause - know that they were doing wrong and did it any. That is what led to this post tonight.

Here are some things to think about, to grow, to strengthen yourself in this area. No one can make you ethical. No one can make you behave ethically. It must be a desire within you. You must be fully persuaded to live your life with integrity, with excellence, and with pride in your work.

Why do people choose to misbehave, rather than to do what they know to do? Any thoughts? Take a look at this Youtube video I found. It took me a while to find something that ties into what I am trying to say with this post. Carly Fiorina came the closest in this short video about her book, Tough Choices.