What reason for dismissal should be included in your resume (5 examples)

A resume is the most important document for a job seeker. Many spend a long time coming up with beautiful wording to describe their skills, abilities and achievements. At the same time, the point about what was the reason for dismissal from the previous job is often ignored and the person applying for the vacant position does not write anything at all about this. However, the question about your previous job still comes up during the interview, so it is highly advisable to indicate the reason for parting with your previous employer.

Rules for filling out a resume

There are several important rules when filling out the section in a resume about dismissal from a previous job:

• Maintaining the principle of brevity . There is no need to tell a whole story about why this decision was made. The employer is not interested in going into details; he only needs to find out the main reason. It can be summed up in one or two sentences. If you need to find out some points, the recruiter himself will ask questions during the interview;
• It is advisable to indicate the actual reason . If the work book contains a neutral phrase, such as “at one’s own request”, “expiration of the employment contract”, “refusal to transfer to another position”, then this is what should be written in the resume;
• If there is no entry in the work book, for example, when a person worked unofficially , it is better to indicate this point in the resume. For example, “the management did not want to draw up an employment contract.” Many recruiters treat this with understanding, especially if the person worked in a small city where this is most common.

List of eligible reasons

When thinking about what reason for dismissal to indicate in the resume and how to present it as successfully as possible, link the wording with the content of the entry in the work book (if it is left). If there is no work record, in this case you can act freely and choose a reason without harming your reputation. So, you decided to leave your previous position because:

1. Do you want to grow, develop, reach new heights, achieve great results, including in material terms.
2. There was a closure, liquidation of an enterprise, department, site, and a reduction in staff due to the reorganization of the organization.
3. Transferring your spouse to another location, you followed him and quit your previous job.
4. I stopped arranging my work schedule. Two general days off per week are required, not rotating ones.
5. The employer violated the terms of the employment contract.

When choosing reasons for dismissal, remember that they should explain the departure and help form a positive impression of you as a future employee.

Unpleasant entry in the work book

The hardest thing will be for those who were fired under the article and this is reflected in the work book. In this case, you will have to indicate in your resume that the employer fired you due to violations of labor discipline.

The recruiter will still open the work book and see the reason for the dismissal, so there is no point in lying. If a candidate for a position immediately indicates the real reason, then this will at least speak of him as an honest person.

Arriving at the interview, the applicant will need to prepare in advance an answer to the question of why he was fired under the article. Attempts to smear management or former colleagues who are alleged to have been unfair or have repeatedly been let down should be avoided.

It is much better to admit to being late or absenteeism. Then you need to assure the recruiter that you have learned your lesson and will not make such mistakes again.

Illegal moves

There are a number of reasons that it is better not to include in your resume. Of course, you will have to remember this when talking at the interview. But in a conversation you will always have the opportunity to say that you realized your mistakes and drew conclusions.

The following should not be cited as reasons for dismissal:

• did not get along well with colleagues;
• did not meet management requirements;
• couldn't work with unpleasant people;
• the company requires regular training courses;
• uncomfortable working conditions, long working hours;
• lack of opportunity for salary growth;
• I have not worked in the same company for more than 3 years;
• the company hides from taxes and pays wages “in envelopes”;
• dismissal due to the end of the probationary period;
• I was laid off, although I am a good specialist;
• The crisis in the country was the reason for my dismissal.

Good to know: What are key skills for a resume?

Of course, these will most likely be the real reasons for your leaving. But the employer will see a conflicted person who cannot fit into the team, does not deserve a salary increase, is too picky and may give away trade secrets.

Reasons for leaving a job for a resume

If you don’t want to write the hackneyed phrase “at your own request” in your resume, then you can indicate the following options:

1. Due to relocation;
2. There were no prospects for career growth;
3. Abolition of a position at the enterprise;
4. Family circumstances. In this case, you will only have to give a more detailed explanation at the interview. For example, there was a divorce from my wife, and I had to move to my previous place of residence, which is far from work;
5. High attractiveness of the new place of work;
6. Desire to develop as a professional. The recruiter may ask what exactly prevented the development of professional skills at the previous job. You can answer that there were few clients there, so I couldn’t realize my desire to work with people.

Dismissal due to circumstances beyond the control of the parties

Here, dismissal is regulated by Art. 83 Labor Code of the Russian Federation. This article is rarely used.

The grounds for such dismissal may be:

• conscription for military or alternative service;
• reinstatement of an employee who previously occupied this position based on a court decision or labor inspectorate;
• failure to be elected to office;
• conviction to punishment in accordance with a court decision;
• a person’s inability to work according to a medical report;
• death of an employer (IP) or employee, recognition of one of them as missing;
• emergency circumstances recognized by the decision of the Government of the Russian Federation, a state authority, a subject of the Russian Federation (war, natural disaster, accident, etc.);
• disqualification or administrative punishment that excludes the possibility of performing duties in accordance with the employment contract;
• expiration, suspension for two or more months, deprivation of an employee’s license, the right to drive a vehicle and other special rights;
• termination of access to state secrets, if necessary;
• excess share of foreign workers;
• changes in labor legislation.

Such dismissal sometimes requires a special procedure to be followed when another position must be offered in the same enterprise in the same area.

When dismissing an employee under this article, there is no preliminary deadline, that is, dismissal can occur on the same day.

But the employee must receive written notice of dismissal, which can be given even two hours before the event.

What should you not write?

It is better not to write on your resume :

1. "Staff reduction" . The fact is that during downsizing, management tries to retain valuable employees and fires not the best personnel. Of course, this does not always happen and good employees are laid off simply because of the need to save the organization’s budget. But many recruiters often assume the first option;
2. " Incompetent management ." Some people make the mistake of indicating something like “there have been repeated violations of employee rights at the enterprise.” And even more so, you should not write outright negativity about your superiors. The recruiter will think that the applicant is too talkative and may spread negative rumors about him in the future. This option is acceptable in principle. But it is still better not to indicate it if the employee has little experience in his specialty;
3. “ The need to regularly attend courses or training .” Indeed, the management of some companies constantly sends their employees to various trainings. But the recruiter may suspect that the applicant is simply lazy to develop as a professional;
4. “ I wanted a change in my life .” In one form or another, this reason is indeed rarely indicated in the resume. It is unlikely that a new employer will be happy if, during a crucial period, when all employees will need to be actively involved in an important project, one of the employees again “wants change.”

When filling out a resume, an important role is played by the paragraph on the motivation for leaving the previous position. In most cases, it is better to refer to family circumstances, the closer location of the new place of work and the desire to grow up the career ladder.

I often change jobs: how to explain this at an interview

Some practical recommendations for those who often change employers:

Do not try to distort information and deceive HR

In the modern world of information accessibility and transparency, your cunning will be easily revealed and you will be rejected not because of frequent dismissals, but because of dishonesty.

Of course, the field in which you work plays a big role, but often the employer does not look at the terms of work, but at practical experience. Present yourself in a favorable light, tell us how you can influence business results. Remember that this approach to an interview requires preparation: study the market, the company - the potential employer, formulate your skills and achievements.

By the way, we recently wrote about salary negotiation tactics. It will be useful to read not only for those who go for interviews, but also for those who simply want to get a raise from their superiors.

Name the real reason for frequent changes of employers

Money:

• “I rented an apartment, I needed money, as soon as there were delays in the payment of wages at work, I was forced to look for a new place.”
• “I always strived to work where they paid more. This is important for me: a family, two children, we need to provide for it.”
• “I went to work in sales because I want to have a high income. I strive to work in those organizations and with the product that gives me the opportunity to earn maximum money.”

Family circumstances:

• “There were family difficulties, my father was ill, and I needed to be looked after. It was not always possible to combine work and family issues; not all employers were loyal. I wanted to take a vacation at my own expense, but they offered me to resign.”
• “I had health difficulties (injury, surgery), in order to recover, I had to devote time to it, periodically stay in the hospital, attend procedures on a strict schedule. It wasn’t always possible to combine this with a full-time job.”

Studies:

• “I received higher education at the same time as working. They didn’t allow me to attend the sessions, I had to quit so as not to leave the institute.”
• “I worked and studied at the same time. While studying, I applied for an internship abroad; it was very important for me. The application was approved and an invitation was sent for an internship for 3 months. They didn’t let me go from work, and I wrote a statement because I thought that getting work experience abroad was more important for me. When I returned, I went looking for work again, but in a different direction.”

Career growth:

• “Ambitious. I strive for career growth. I change jobs often, but every time I move from a company to... I grow either in position, or in the level of the company, or in money.”
• “They called me to a new project, the idea was very interesting, I got carried away and agreed. We started actively and achieved certain results. But investors had problems with financing and the project was suspended. I'm looking for work again."

Choose startups or young companies

As a rule, the heads of such companies are young, usually young people, their resume may be somewhat similar to yours. Therefore, they are more loyal to frequent job changes. Older executives are from a different generation and tend to be more conservative.

Take responsibility

Don't blame others for your problems. Stories about a stupid boss, an evil director and a treacherous colleague will not impress the employer, but will only create a negative mood. Better show sincerity and take responsibility for your life. If you think that you were wrong to leave one of the companies, it is better to say so directly: “I was wrong. Got excited. I made a decision based on emotions.”

Don't be afraid to talk about market volatility in general

It's no secret that the market is now very dynamic: many companies open, close, reformat, and this affects the dynamics of the personnel market.

More information about personal effectiveness and life and career planning can be found in the courses of the Russian School of Management.
Find out more. Join us on Telegram! Channel of the Russian School of Management about issues of continuous development, advanced training and trends in business education @rusuprav Author: Natalya Storozheva Business consultant, teacher at the Russian School of Management

Documents that the employer must issue

If an employee plans to change jobs or has been fired, it is necessary to collect certificates that will help in the future to avoid paperwork and save him enough time when applying for a new job. Based on them, the new employer will calculate various benefits:

• pregnancy and childbirth;
• disability;
• for child care;
• pension calculation.

Upon dismissal on the basis of Art. 62 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, upon a written application from an employee, the employer must provide him with work-related documents no later than three days from the date of filing the application. Documents must be drawn up and certified properly.

An employee, regardless of the reason for dismissal, has the right to request the provision of necessary documents an unlimited number of times. The only condition is that such documents must concern this citizen personally.

The application can be drawn up by the employee in any form, since the labor legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide for a general form for submitting an application. It can be presented in either written or printed form. It is important that there is a mark on it indicating that the manager is aware of the employee’s desire to receive the necessary documents.

If the organization reports in electronic form, then all certificates and other documentation must be certified in the prescribed manner, with seals and stamps. Otherwise they will be considered copies.

To such documents, according to Art. 84.1 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, include:

• certified extracts from orders on admission/dismissal from a position;
• certificates of contributions made to the Social Insurance Fund, Pension Fund;
• a properly executed work book (the reason for the employee’s dismissal is stated);
• certificate of form 182n, where the average salary should be calculated and the employee’s salary income for the two previous years should be indicated;
• certificate of average salary for the purpose of unemployment benefits;
• certificate in form 2-NDFL;
• information about work experience;
• documents for calculating insurance premiums.

Certificate 182n reflects the number of days during the specified period when the employee was on sick leave, on maternity leave, or released from work with or without salary. According to this data, various benefits and payments will be accrued at the new place of work.

Sample document: certificate form 182n can be downloaded from the link.

If you have a power of attorney, a third party can submit an application for the issuance of work documents. When all documents are issued, the employee must prepare a receipt for the employer regarding their receipt.

Sample document: application form for issuing documents can be downloaded here.

If the employer fails to provide the necessary documents, the employee may file a complaint with the labor inspectorate. For violation of the deadline for the provision of documents or refusal to issue them, the manager may be held liable, in accordance with clause 1 of Art. 527 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

How to Prepare for Questions

The answer to such a question about dismissal may be associated with some unpleasant facts. Sometimes it’s even difficult to formulate it correctly so as not to spoil a pleasant impression of yourself. What to do in such cases?

Rarely do employers include such a clause in their resume form. If the form does not ask about the reason for dismissal, the problem goes away by itself.

More often, the question is asked during an interview; those who are already interested in something by the HR manager or employer are invited to attend.

What to do if jobs change frequently for one reason or another in life? Is it possible to somehow correct the situation? Given this state of affairs, it is worth pointing out that several companies were closed, liquidated, reorganized, and there was a complete reduction in staff.

If the place of work changed due to a change in the name of the company, then you should simply indicate the general period of work, without separating by dates.