It is inevitable that the question will arise during interviews, “Why did you leave your last job?”  If you were fired for any reason it will be one of the most difficult questions during the interview.  So how does a job candidate gracefully tell an employer that they were fired from their last job?

1. Keep it brief.  Before you arrive at the interview make sure you’re prepared to provide a brief explanation as to why you were fired from your job.  Even if you were fired because of a mistake you made, fight the urge to launch into long explanations about what happened.
2. Be honest.  Whatever you do, do not fudge the truth.  Being honest about why you were fired will make a difference in how the employer perceives you.  Plus, any dishonesty can and most likely will be discovered by the employer once they call your former employer.
3. If you were fired because of a mistake you made, make sure to own up to that fact but do not linger on the mistakes you made, instead focus on how the firing was a good thing after all and what you learned from your experience.  Maybe you were ill-matched with the culture of that company which made it difficult for you to function at your optimum level.  If so, explain how you learned the importance of having a good cultural fit with any company you work for.
4. Do not bad mouth your former employer. Even if you were wrongfully terminated from your last job.  Make sure you are dispassionate about it and avoid saying negative things about what happened.