Mryntu

I'm filling out a job application that asks the question "Have you ever been terminated or asked to resign from a position in the past?"

I did get fired from a job back in 1998. It was my first high-profile tech job after I graduated high school, and I was still very much a smug kid with a crappy work ethic. I antagonized my boss whom I despised, and I naively believed that finding work was pitifully easy since this was the height of the dot-com bubble at the time.

I won't even try to spin this as "not my fault" because it totally was. I'm perfectly comfortable owning up to the mistakes I made because that was over 20 years ago and I was a literal teenager at the time. I've done a lot of growing up since then I'm a different person now than I was back then.

On the one hand, I want to be honest and forthright on a job application. On the other hand, HR departments often use this question to immediately reject potential applicants without consideration of the reasons.

I've had a long and successful career since then and I don't feel that being fired an entire lifetime ago is relevant to the position I'm applying for now. I'd be fine with engaging the discussion in an interview if asked, but there is no room in a 400 character text box for that kind of nuance. The job I got fired from isn't on my resume because it was so long ago, and the company doesn't even exist anymore.

I'm looking for work because I've recently been laid off from a job I've had for 10 years due to an acquisition and workforce reduction. It was made clear to me by my former boss and my termination paperwork that the layoff is in no way related to performance or disciplinary reasons. In fact, my most recent performance review was positively stellar. But a layoff is already a small hill I have to climb and I don't want to further taint an application to a potential employer with something that shouldn't even matter anymore.

Is there an acceptable expiration date on such questions? Will I be branded a liar if I answer no?

If I answer yes, how could I explain it succinctly, and do HR departments typically consider those explanations when screening applicants?

It would be understandable to say no, because there's probably no way anyone would be able to find out or verify you were fired over 20 years ago from a non-existent company.

The problem with saying "no" is that it is not the truth. And not telling the truth seems to bother you, which is not an uncommon response.

There's no way to say for sure what any particular company's policy is with a question like that. In my experience companies usually take context into consideration.

I would say yes, and also briefly explain that it was 20 years ago, and served as a wake-up call and important learning lesson. You can turn this into a positive.

A company who would reject you based on that answer is probably not one you'd want to work for.

It's very likely that, in your resume or application you surely don't even list your entire work history (like 25 years worth) but only the last, say, 10 years. Is that right?

I would say with such a minor piece of ancient history - which is well outside your resume - it would be irrelevant.

To put in to light just how long ago this was, do you truly even remember anything about the job?

One person's name, anything? Your desk? The product? Where you had lunch? Anything?

Is it even the case that you were literally, exactly, and legally "terminated"? Do you have any paperwork or evidence to prove that you were terminated? Were you perhaps asked to leave (was the word "terminated" even used then? People used to just get "fired" or "sacked"!) Can you even remember the full circumstances, paperwork, procedue and anything about the events?

After long periods of time, five or more years, we generally don't have memories, we just "remember remembering" something. It just becomes "a story".

Say (for some reason) someone challenged you if you were actually "terminated". (
"You just claimed you were terminated to appear cool!")

Could you present the slightest evidence that you were literally terminated?

Is there an acceptable expiration date on such questions?

The length of the content of your resume; 15 years anyway.

Will I be branded a liar if I answer no?

Simply, No you will not.

You had a part-time job as a teenager and it didn't work out after a couple weeks. It would be .. grandiose .. to describe it as "terminated!"

If I answer yes, how could I explain it succinctly, and do HR departments typically consider those explanations when screening applicants?

It's utterly impossible to "explain" it in either way.

It's a yes/no question. There's no "explaining" such things.

It’s ethical to be concerned about how to answer it and honestly my first thought was no one will fault you on principle even if it were provable. But as I thought about it, it occurred to me that 400 characters may be the perfect space. Nuance is not for the application process. If you had eight paragraphs to explain, they’d skip you before you reached your conclusion. Application is about not getting weeded out and making an impression. You might even do yourself a favor by answering affirmatively.

By analogy, say you go out for pizza. The order is taken, completed in reasonable time and a good pizza overall. Does that experience stand out over the last dozen times you’ve had pizza? If they burned your pizza, apologized, got your drinks and an appetizer while they did it right and didn’t charge you, are they a bad restaurant or a great one?

Have you ever been terminated or asked to resign from a position in the past?

Yes, once as a teen--and it was one of the single most valuable
lessons of my (early?) career. I’ve since learned my confidence was
not misplaced, but how I interacted with others was forever shaped for
the better on that day.

Ultimately, anything is a gamble. A simple “no” is safe, but leaves you no more intriguing than the other dozen applicants who answered the same. Turning that one, long ago shortcoming into a strength usually doesn’t get to happen until the interview.

To expand on mcknz's answer. It seems like there's mainly 2 options

• 
  Yes, with an attempted brief explanation. As you mentioned, this may immediately disqualify you. And also as you mentioned, it's not
  like an interview where you can be personable.


• 
  Lie. As bad as it sounds, I'd consider this the best choice. Not only because you won't get caught but simply because something
  like this from 20 years ago is just not relevant.

The choice is now up to you. Can you morally lie on a job application? Different people have different morals. I would have no problem with it.

If it makes you uncomfortable:

1. Tell the truth


2. Explain the best that you can


3. Hope for the best.

Good luck to you :)