# OK, so I got fired for drinking on the job... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294 "2019-06-30T13:34:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/41 "2019-07-02T00:28:58Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > You know Facebook posts are timestamped, right? > > Depending on your line of work, it might be worth running a Linkedin profile by someone experienced, but not a newly-created Facebook. I would do both now that I know it’s part of the process. It’s easy to explain a newly minted facebook page. It’s something that you finally had the time to engage in. You took a little bit of free time to catch up on your friends and do some networking. Which would be true in my case. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/42 "2019-07-02T00:59:27Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > Regarding social media… it is good to have a profile and a banner page on LinkedIn and Facebook. This contributes to the basic question “does this person exist yes/no. Is this the person I interviewed”. But the posts don’t matter unless they are damaging. Many people have a LinkedIn/Facebook profile that shows a few photos but doesn’t reveal posts/timeline and this is considered perfectly normal. Put a profile out there, basic flattering bio and a couple of flattering photos. Borrow a dog. > > Now… after you get hired, that’s a different story and you will get friend requests and you may be judged on your content if you accept. But you don’t have to accept, and it’s a more manageable problem anyway. All of this has been my experience, too. I joined Facebook pretty early on, though I haven’t used it that much. Still, very early on I also i realized that I should have two accounts, (one with no profile picture), so that I could have a public, “professional” one just for networking, that basically just re-posts work-related topics. (It’s obvious to any HR manager that it’s not going to reveal anything personal about me.) I’ve never had anyone in hiring make a friend request, though, so either way they’re not gong to see much. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/43 "2019-07-02T01:33:02Z")
I have to occasionally post to Facebook for work, so I have a profile I created specifically for that purpose. I don’t use it for anything else. I have another personal page that I keep for IRL friends, people I volunteer for a specific cause with, and family. I remember one of my old high school friends making the mistake of adding some of his work colleagues to his one and only FB page, and apparently someone there didn’t like some of the stuff he posted and they tattled on him to the boss. He had to delete his profile, which is sad because that means the rest of us don’t get to interact with him anymore. It’s really important to keep those worlds separate. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/44 "2019-07-02T13:48:54Z")
OK, next (somewhat related) question: I’m applying for a restaurant position (cook, server, whatever at this point) and I DO have 5-6 years of relevant experience, but that was 5 jobs ago; I’m sure I could mention this in a cover letter, but many applications for these positions don’t ask or allow cover letters. How do I handle this? Do I just list normally, or do I list “relevant experience” somehow? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/45 "2019-07-02T14:21:26Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > OK, next (somewhat related) question: > I’m applying for a restaurant position (cook, server, whatever at this point) and I DO have 5-6 years of relevant experience, but that was 5 jobs ago; I’m sure I could mention this in a cover letter, but many applications for these positions don’t ask or allow cover letters. How do I handle this? Do I just list normally, or do I list “relevant experience” somehow? I would list whatever relevant experience you have and the dates on the application. Once you get to the interview, you can put your experience in context. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/46 "2019-07-02T14:42:51Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > OK, next (somewhat related) question: > I’m applying for a restaurant position (cook, server, whatever at this point) and I DO have 5-6 years of relevant experience, but that was 5 jobs ago; I’m sure I could mention this in a cover letter, but many applications for these positions don’t ask or allow cover letters. How do I handle this? Do I just list normally, or do I list “relevant experience” somehow? It is pretty common nowadays to substitute the traditional cover letter for one really long summary sentence at the top of your resume, right after your name. “Experienced, motivated culinary professional seeks exciting challenges for growth” or some bullshit like that. Another idea might be - if your past 5 jobs were shoveling coal, but some of them were only 2-3 months long… you could consider just leaving those off so there are fewer irrelevant jobs to read through. Rule of thumb is that gaps of less than 6 months are OK, though I wouldn’t push it. I also trim off the entire first 5 years of my job history because it’s not relevant to my field and it makes me look old. This is not foolproof… anybody with half a brain can do the math and ask questions - but most companies are too lazy to do a full colonoscopy, and these things are easier to explain in person. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/47 "2019-07-02T14:44:16Z")
There is life after being fired. I was fired for not doing my job (outside sales) . That was some uncomfortable discussions when interviewing. I basically told them I made a mistake, I learned my lesson, and would not let it happen again. I worked some crap jobs for awhile until I could build up my resume again. Because I kept getting laid off (last in, first out) I delivered pizza for several years to supplement my income and included that. When asked why I included that, I said to show that despite some rocky history I was able to keep a job for several years, that I was dependable, and did my job (hence had learned my lesson). I have been with my current job 11 years, and have been promoted twice. My previous job I was there for 8 years until they went out of business. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/48 "2019-07-02T14:48:46Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > no, it’s indicative that a lot of people are going to be ignored. Unlike you, I posted research supporting my position. > > No, I didn’t instruct him to lie. I said start a business and list it on a resume so there isn’t a job gap. It shows initiative. It doesn’t have to be what I listed as an example so there’s no point to your argument against it. I listed home renovation/landscaping. I carried pictures of my work to interviews and would talk their ear off if they asked. I also carried examples of my computer skills that were very specific to my line of work. I was prepared to discuss every line of my resume in detail. > > You don’t seem to grasp the fact that computers are sifting through resumes before a person ever sees one. You have to get an interview before you have the luxury of explaining time-off to take care of medical issues. This is a great idea. I remember a guy at work who previously had been a “consultant” on programs like DBase III and RBase. He claimed to have helped setup databases and spreadsheets for clients in the early 90’s. How much client work did he actually do? I have no idea and I don’t think my employer did either. It was impressive enough to get him hired in the Controllers office doing similar work. He was mostly a suit that had some tech skills. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/49 "2019-07-02T15:01:51Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > No, I didn’t instruct him to lie. > [@Magiver](#): > > Let me rephrase that so you get my drift, **start a new company on paper**. Uh-huh. Sure. Don’t bother responding as I’m not going to derail **Cuckoorex** ’s thread anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/50 "2019-07-02T15:41:39Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > This is a great idea. > > I remember a guy at work who previously had been a “consultant” on programs like DBase III and RBase. He claimed to have helped setup databases and spreadsheets for clients in the early 90’s. > > How much client work did he actually do? I have no idea and I don’t think my employer did either. > > It was impressive enough to get him hired in the Controllers office doing similar work. He was mostly a suit that had some tech skills. It is a completely normal thing in business. You have a small home business that you open and close between jobs. Web design, IT consulting, Freelance writing. Management consulting. Project Management. One of my former coworkers in IT has one doing general contracting - remodeling and such. You may or may not have many (or any) clients, but it fills out a gap in the resume and enables you to make a little extra cash as a side hustle. Incorporating is cheap. I’d think someone who DIDN’T have that - in my line of business (IT Developers) was short sighted and allowed gaps in their resume which doesn’t show great planning for contingencies. The technical interview screens out the posers. And with IT Developers, if you can do the job, I don’t really care if you learned it working a job or in your free time - you can code. My current business - which I work at part time and make a pretty good full time income - started as a between jobs sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2019, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294/51 "2019-07-02T21:18:10Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > The technical interview screens out the posers. And with IT Developers, if you can do the job, I don’t really care if you learned it working a job or in your free time - you can code. Right–a lot of the generalizations being made in this thread may apply to some career areas but not to others. Just as a case in point for the OP: Probably the majority of people who work in drug and alcohol counseling are in fact people in recovery, who have had exactly the kind of experiences as the OP describes. In that area, having been fired for drinking on the job in the past would not be an issue to deny employment, providing the candidate is clearly in stable recovery now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-so-i-got-fired-for-drinking-on-the-job/836294.md?page=2)