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Do you have to put every job experience on your resume? What about government jobs?

I got fired from one job when i was 18; not for job performance but attendance. I missed 3 allotted days within an 9 month period. Which is really crazy in my opinion because things happen (Illness and random events) and I was an excellent worker, my manager even cried when he fired me. I am thinking about applying for government jobs. Do i need to put that one bad experience.... I feel like its a big stain on my life; I pride myself in doing a great job in all areas of life.

Public Comments

1. That all depends on how old you are now and how long ago it is since you got fired. If that instance is more than 5 years ago and especially if it was your first job, then I would omit it from the resume. What most employers are looking for is a continuous work history, without lengthy gaps in it. On the other hand if you have NOT continuously worked for at least 5 years, go ahead and list it. Hopefully they don't ask for the reason why you left the job. But if they do, admit you were fired and you may attach an explanatory statement with a single paragraph not to exceed 6 lines in length. Then give the name and phone number of the manager who fired you, but can attest to your job performance as a good worker. You may also give that manager a call beforehand and tell him/her that you are listing his/her name as a job reference with their permission.