What do you say when a prospective employer asks if you were fired from your last job?

No, I wasn’t.

I guess it depends what you were fired for. If it was for theft or a violent act, I can’t think of a good or clever answer that would get you out of it.

If you were fired for a minor infringement (i.e. getting caught having sex in the toilets or something similar) you could always play it down yet show serious remorse.

It is unlikely they will ask “Were you fired?” If they do you have to tell the truth. If you lie and they discover that you did you’ll be fired from this job too.

It is more likely they will ask “Why did you leave your previous job?” With this question you have much more freedom to answer without saying “I was fired” while at the same time not actually lying. For example, you could say “I felt it was time to move on and look for a new challenge”. This has the benefit of being true while not actually telling the interviewer anything.

just say that there were mutual disagreements and the workplace became a hostile work environment. I said Irreconcilable differences between the boss and i at my last job…

It wasn’t my fault. If I hadn’t run out of coke in midafternoon, I wouldn’t never started with the mojitos. Besides, the gun wasn’t supposed to be loaded.

Be honest without going into all the gory details. “yes, I was let go. My boss and I didn’t see eye to eye. (S)He probably did me a favor as I am much better suited for sales. (or whatever kind of job you are applying for).

I have never had a perspective employer ask that question. Ususally what they say is, “Why did you leave your last position.” Then you can say something like, “I wanted a position that allowed more opportunity for advancement.”

If someone flat out asks if you were fired, you should not lie. Say, “Yes.” Don’t supply detail unless asked.

“We agreed that this was not the best place/situation/position for me.”

They decided it wasn’t right for you, you decided not to fight it and move on. In essence, the truth!

I don’t think it’s LEGAL for them to ask if you were fired.

@Quagmire They have it on job applications. I filled out one the other day which asked “Have you ever been fired from a job?” and then asked for an explanation. It might not be legal, but its there.