There are several different ways you can be fired from a job. You may be laid off due to the company’s economic prospects, you may have committed one or more errors that resulted in your termination, or you might have lost your job due to unfair or retaliatory practices. How you were fired, why you were fired from a job, and the simple fact that you lost a job has to be addressed when applying for new jobs.

If you are filling out applications that request you to state if you’ve been fired in the past, it’s important to answer truthfully. Before filling out such an application it’s a good idea to reflect on what occurred to cause you to lose your job, and determine how the experience has helped you to become a better worker. For instance if you were fired from a job because of constant tardiness, you could consider what you’ve done to remedy this situation, or develop a plan to prevent this situation in the future. If you made a huge mistake that cost you your job, you might think about what this mistake taught you.

When asked about your experience, what you should strive for is a quick, simple explanation of the situation. Don’t give a lot of details, simply be open about the reason and briefly explain in one or two sentences how the experience makes you a more valuable worker now. At the very least, state that you’ve learned from being fired from a job, and leave it at that.

In the US, technically, a former employer cannot state reasons for your termination, or comment on your work, even in a nice way. These restrictions may be ignored under some circumstances, so don’t depend upon your previous employer, especially one who may have fired you for good cause not to say so. Often there’s no way to prove the employer told another company to which you’re now applying. But do consider that you’re likely to be caught in a lie if you’re not honest about being fired in the past.

It can take guesswork to decide whether you should discuss wrongful termination. If you sued the company and resolved the matter, you can state this in a few words. “I was illegally terminated, reported the matter and resolved it.” There’s no need to talk about the specifics of the circumstances. People may worry about saying this much, since no potential employee wants to be viewed as a potential hazard to the company’s well being. Are you a “sue-happy” employee who will end up filing discrimination suits every time you’re fired? It’s best to be very brief when explaining this, and perhaps express that it was an unfortunate situation, best forgotten.

When you’ve been fired from a job through no fault of your own, as with company or department wide layoffs, merely state that the company reorganized, shut down, or cut its working force. If you are fired from a job in this manner, ask an employee of the company, like a co-worker to write you a letter of recommendation. This can eliminate any doubts that the company may have chosen you for termination because your work did not meet the company’s standards.

The general rule when discussing having lost a job is to be honest but brief. Note that there’s no need to list how you left a job on a resume, but be prepared for the question to occur in an interview. It really helps to have a standard answer available so you can comfortably answer the question, and then move on to other more positive topics.