Apparent Termination

[Matt18]

Like so many others here I am trying to get hired on a department as a police officer. To make a long story short I had a job as a bus driver when I was in college about 3 years ago in Iowa City, IA. I worked there for 2 years and my last year in college I resigned because the bus company "cambus" kept scheduling me on shifts during my classes. I put in my two weeks, but was unable to work many of my final shift due to class conflicts. I recently called the personnel supervisor to find out the status of my employment there just to get an idea of what was in my file and he told me my final status was terminated.

Is this going to screw me? This company fired me after I quit (is this legal) and I only quit because I could not miss my classes. To make things worse, my file says I was disrespectful to the dispatcher. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a disrespectful person. I feel like the manager at the time (who is no longer there) took revenge on me .

I already turned in my background packet stating that I have NEVER been terminated.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Matt

[Landric]

When you hear from the BI, which should be before they start the background, tell them the story. So long as everything else in your background is OK, I doubt that how you left one job while in college is going to be much of an issue. Hopefully you have some other employment history to back that up.

[Matt18]

Thanks for your reply:

Problem is I already sent my BI my packet 2 weeks ago. So now I am in the call or do not call my BI dilemma. Do you think I should call the BI and give him the update or just leave it alone?

Thanks again

[PhilipCal]

Apparent Termination

I normally don't encourage or recommend an applicant contacting the BI, but in your case, I'm going to make an exception. I would suggest that you write the BI, a short letter explaining the situation. As long as you're truthful concerning the situation, I don't see it as being a problem.

[Smurfette_76]

Philip is right. Write a letter. Keep it short and to the point. I'd suggest the letter and not the phone call. For one, the BIs probably going to require you put something in writing to attach same to your package, so go ahead and take that step (it also shows you took the time). Good luck to you.

[Matt18]

Thanks for the replies. I drafted a letter and faxed it to him this morning.

[Blueribbon]

Looks like you're on the right track... Tell what you know and when you found out about it. Being honest is right answer everytime and don't withold information.

[L-1]

I know it may sound stupid, but you might ask your prior employer how they define the word, "Termination"

Years ago I used to work for an agency that filled out a "Termination Form" on every employee who left the department. To us, termination simply meant that their employment had ended and not that they were fired for cause. Nonetheless, the presence of a form marked, "Termination" in their file cause a lot of consternation for background investigators from other agencies and I had to write several letters explaining what the term meant in our department.

[DetectorAz]

Looking at your original post, the following are your statements without any of the puff. What would you think if your statement were written in this manner?



I am trying to get hired as a police officer
I had a job as a bus driver
I resigned because the bus company kept scheduling me on shifts during my classes
I put in my two weeks, but was unable to work many of my final shift due to class conflicts.
I recently called the personnel supervisor
he told me my final status was terminated
my file says I was disrespectful to the dispatcher
I already turned in my background packet stating that I have NEVER been terminated

[Matt18]

Detector AZ:

I have read many of your posts and have gotten great insight about the polygraph tests. Unfortunately I am having trouble understanding your point on this one. I try my best to wright in complete sentences so people can follow what i am saying. I really don’t think an outline format is appropriate for this situation.

-Matt

[FortDrumPolice]

Detector AZ:

I have read many of your posts and have gotten great insight about the polygraph tests. Unfortunately I am having trouble understanding your point on this one. I try my best to wright in complete sentences so people can follow what i am saying. I really don’t think an outline format is appropriate for this situation.

-Matt

Matt,

I think what Detector is getting at is your fragmented sentences, which might not be the case but that is what I got from reading the post also the spelling of what should be write. I hope you took the time and used spell check, I am not the greatest speller of all time but I don't know what I would do without it.

[DetectorAz]

Detector AZ:

I have read many of your posts and have gotten great insight about the polygraph tests. Unfortunately I am having trouble understanding your point on this one. I try my best to wright in complete sentences so people can follow what i am saying. I really don’t think an outline format is appropriate for this situation.

-Matt

I was not tryig to offend you, just suggesting you look at the manner you use to express ideas and thoughts. In LEO jobs it is very important that you are able to express yourself in a different manner. Sorry if I offended.

[Kycop28]

Wwhen I left my former job to take the position at my Department now, I emailed a lady in HR with a question, she had anwsered my question and wrote back that since I was a "Terminated" employee etc. I told her I wasn't terminated (I was still working as I wrote this email) and I put in a 3 week notice, she stated that all employess when they leave willingly or not are considered "terminated". Boy did I keep that email for future refrence! 3 yrs and they say you are "terminated".

[Matt18]

Detector AZ

No offense taken, now that I think about it your probably right. I wrote the post right after I found this information out. You know what they say... never write anything when your mad.

Anyway, I have been in contact with cambus and the company uses the word terminated interchangeably. The director is in the process of looking at my employment file.

On a side note, my BI just start contacting my references

Thanks for all th responses