Archives - How Can I Handle A Hostile Boss?

Q:    The minute my new boss was transferred to my department, I knew we'd never get along. After six months constant tension, I totally lost control, and told my boss to "take the job and shove it." No surprise that she fired me. That was nearly two months ago. I am getting interviews, but haven't landed a new job. What worries me most is that the interviewers keep asking me why I left my last job, and if they can contact the company for a reference. I don't know what to say. I am afraid that my ex-boss is saying bad things about me and that's why I'm not doing well in my job hunt. Still, if I refuse to let prospective employers contact my old job won't they immediately know that there is a problem?"

A:  What were you thinking?  Taunting your boss to fire you is never a good way to handle a conflict at work. If you let your emotions take hold, you'll burn bridges on the job as well as in other areas of your life. 

Now it's time to do damage control.  The first thing you should do now is learn the company's policy regarding the dissemination of information on former employees. Many companies will only provide the most basic information, such as your job title and the dates that you were employed at the company. If they want more details from a specific person, they have to ask you for the name of a personal reference. Don't assume this has to be your last immediate supervisor. You can also select any of your previous supervisors, or even a peer whom you worked closely. If the interviewer asks why you aren't choosing your last supervisor you can always say something like: "I didn't work very long with "hostile boss" but "friendly colleague" and I worked very closely together for the past five years. S/he is the best person to judge the quality of my work, and how I was regarded at the company."

Don't lie about why you left the company, but don't go into all of the gory details, either. You can chalk up your departure to differences of opinion. If things ended as badly as you say they did, the chances are that your ex-boss would also like to put this incident behind her. She may not provide the most enthusiastic personal reference, but she will look unreliable and unprofessional if she badmouths you in a reference check. Additionally, any employer who thinks enough of you to check your references is likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if one reference isn't so great.

I'd suggest you reinforce your good reputation by networking, and by offering some glowing written letters of reference, along with the names and phone numbers of the people that you want the interviewer to speak to personally.

If you are really worried that your ex-boss is trying to sabotage your job prospects, enlist a trusted friend to pose as a prospective employer. Haven him or her call your ex-boss for a personal reference. If you find out that the boss is hurting your chances for a new job, you will then know that you're going to have to take more serious steps to protect yourself.

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