Grief makes new employee stumble
Dear Joan:
I had worked as a customer service representative for a company for five years and had excellent performance reviews. Our department closed and I was laid off for several months and I was allowed to go to school, cost free.
I then was hired by a high profile company with an excellent standing in the business world. I had been told that there had been approximately 1,000 applicants for this position, which was for a customer service call center.
Well, about a week before I began my new job, my father passed away. I flew down to Arizona and sat with him for two days and was at his bedside when he died. I then helped to plan the funeral and participated in the services as a reader. Two days after I flew back home I began an intensive, fast paced training program with my new job. We were expected to be ready to take calls in a fast- paced environment, and within 30 days, do complex billing transactions.
I had never lost a parent before, and didn't realize how deeply I would be affected by the grieving process. I was not able to absorb the training for the first two weeks. I was given a little time to catch up but fell behind the other trainees. As a result, I felt that I had little choice but to resign as it was not the right time for me to do this job.
Now, I have received grief counseling and more time has passed. I am ready to start looking for work. I have no unemployment and my savings are dwindling so I will need to find something very soon. I would be able to do a less stressful job than the one I had at the company; they did tell me that I could reapply for other positions there. But I am wondering if I should put this past company on my resume and I am wondering what I should tell the interviewer.
I would appreciate any insight that you could give me.
Answer:
Why not give your former employer a call? If they offered to rehire you for a different job why look a gift horse in the mouth? If they selected you out of 1,000 applicants, they obviously think highly of you.
The circumstances surrounding your resignation are understandable and now that time has passed you are in a better mental state. In fact, why not reconsider a position at the call center, if one is available?
But if you would rather apply elsewhere, there should be no problem including this employer on your application. If you omitted it, you would have a large gap of time on your resume that would be unaccounted for.
When you speak with potential employers simply tell them the truth. There is nothing to hide; your reasons for resigning are understandable and shouldn’t be a big barrier.
Here are some words that might work for you: “The emotional toll of my father’s illness and death caused me to resign from my employment at X. It was a hard decision, since I had been selected out of a thousand applicants and I was excited about the opportunity I had been given. But at the time, the stress and grief affected me more than I thought it would. I am now ready to move on and I’m eager to apply my skills and challenge myself.”
I think it’s important to include the part about the thousand applicants because it’s a testimonial to how good you are. Any employer hearing that will be interested in you.
If you don’t know where to start, consider contacting several staffing companies to discuss their openings. Many employers “try before they buy” and will bring a temporary worker onboard and then pay an extra fee to hire them permanently.
Joan Lloyd has a solid track record of excellent results. Her firm, Joan Lloyd & Associates, specializes in leadership development, organizational change and teambuilding. This includes executive coaching, 360-degree feedback processes, customized leadership & presentation skills training, team assessment and teambuilding and retreat facilitation. Joan also provides consulting skills training for HR professionals. Clients report results such as: behavior change in leaders, improved team performance and a more committed workforce.
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