Resume

• You do not have to put that you were fired on your resume. However, if you are asked during an interview why you last your left job, you should be honest. Keep your explanation brief and concise while emphasizing experience and accomplishments gained while working for your former employer.
  
  

References

• If you choose not to tell an employer you were fired, he may find out the information on his own. Your termination may come out when he checks references or notices gaps in your employment history that you have not explained. Although you may not choose to use your last employer as a reference, your potential new boss may require the information before hiring you.
  
  

Considerations

• If the job was only for a short period of time and you were fired, you may be able to keep the information off your resume. However, if you worked at the job for more than three months, you should include the position on your resume. Jobs you were fired from years ago or that have no relevance to your current job search do not have to be presented to potential new employers.
  
  

Warning

• Avoid badmouthing your former employer as an explanation for your termination. It makes you look petty and hurts your professional image. You also do not know if the potential employer knows personnel at your former workplace. If you work in a small industry, it is also essential you fess up about your termination since your new employer may hear about your firing through colleagues.