So what's life at square one like?

do you do any games?

 

Dixie, you might have a case against the employer who fired you. Some states don't allow a former employer to speak negatively about employees. They can just confirm that the person worked there, would they rehire, but if they say anything else negatively, they can be sued.

Maybe you could call the company that rejected you and ask what your reference said.


And in future interviews, bring up your most recent job and why you're not there (that she wanted you to lie and you couldn't do that). Some employer will like the fact that you don't want to lie and give you a job.

 

hank - it's public relations. i believe most PR firms require employees to at least "work the truth."

 

My point was that some states don't allow a former employer to speak negatively about you to future references.

 

my point was, if someone's going to give him a job in PR, he'll probably be asked to massage the truth at least a little bit.

 

Nope. I'm a regional news reporter. I miss reporting on sports sometimes, but it's been fulfilling to report on some things that are a lot more important, in the long run, than sports. I'm also really enjoying being a fanboy again. Since I no longer have to keep up with my old college/high school beat, I actually have the time and inclination to keep up with what I like, which is pro sports. Before, I didn't really pay all that much attention to the pros since it wasn't my beat...and I was usually ready to think about something besides sports by the time I was done with work. So that's nice. And having civilized hours is easily the best part of what I do now. That said, I may well be back in sports some time down the line, but at the moment I have my hands full with learning more about radio. My only radio experience before my present job was a weekly classic country music show at a community station that was more of a hobby than a job.

Anyway, best of luck to dixiehack...it's a bad situation, but hopefully it'll be one of those things where an apparent curse turns out to be a blessing in the long run...life has a way of giving one those situations.

 

wish i could help - but it's hard without knowing specifics - generalities don't cut it
all i know is that reporters have communications skills far superior to most workers - researching, writing, talking, collating, etc - and almost every business needs good communicators - you could open the phone book and run your finger down the list of businesses and there isn't one you couldn't help - reporters get so beaten down by abusive newsroom situations they lose sight of how valuable their skills are - and how well they transfer to a broader marketplace - you just have to convince somebody you can "add value" to their enterprise - when you apply you pretty much have to submerge your own ego - and present yourself as a tool to further the goals of the company - that's all the owners and managers care about - they don't give a shit about you personally - all they want to know is how you can help them - as a reporter you should be able to figure out what they need and what their agenda is before you interview - good luck

 

Listen to Hank. I've been used as a reference by many, sometimes by people who didn't even bother to ask. Some of those, I was okay with - they were usually people how had interned for a brief time and were padding their "references" - but others I could not honestly give a good reference.
However, the law does not allow for a former employer to shit all over a former employee. You can provide the employment equivalent of name, rank, serial number and leave it to the inquirer to read between the lines.

I, too, have also been recently terminated, and from a pretty good job too. The company for which I worked was over-run with those folks Dye refers to as fucktards and I believe they tired of me refusing to join them in the fucktard club.
Its been three weeks, they dumped the biggest cheque I've ever seen in my bank account, I've joined a gym and am in better shape - physically and mentally - than I have been in three years.
I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I'm more excited about the unknown than I ever was about the crap I was forced to endure.
I'm going to look outside the business first. 20 years of seeing how the hotdog is made has left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
But being fired is not the end of the world.
Bloody liberating, actually.

 

Dude,

Don't worry about being fired.
I was fired from a middie newspaper, and have since worked for two goliaths (leaving the first on my own choosing for a better and higher paying gig at the second).
And for the record, I landed both jobs because of my honesty about the past.

Good luck.

 

DixieHack keep your head up. I know a guy who quit the biz and moved half way across the country because his girlfriend got a job out there. The relationship didn't work out, so he decides to get back in the biz, but he's out of work for almost a year until last month when he gets a job one state away from the original one he was from. You will find something, stay positive and hang in there. Crazy things happen and sometimes jobs come out of nowhere. Keep your head up.