Feeling Stuck After Quitting Due to Health Issues: Can Honesty Help in Job Interviews?

I'm a Diploma Engineer fortunate enough to have landed a good job in an MNC with a competitive package. However, this happiness was short-lived. I started to dislike my job and eventually quit after 3.5 years without giving any notice to management or my boss. The root cause of my job dissatisfaction was my health issues, which left me feeling depressed and prevented me from obtaining my relieving and experience letters for a year. The period of unemployment that followed was challenging.

After a year, I began actively seeking new job opportunities and striving to leave my previous job on better terms. I am now fully committed to my career and future. I can confidently say that I am more prepared for a job than ever before. I am considering being honest in future job interviews about leaving my previous job due to mental health concerns. I wonder if potential employers would understand and accept this reason. Additionally, obtaining a job recommendation letter from my former manager could be beneficial. Any advice or recommendations from experienced professionals would greatly aid in advancing my career. Don't I deserve a second chance?

Evaluating the Good and the Bad

The bad news here is the same reason that you have found, which every hiring manager would easily identify. Emotional instability is human, yet a red flag in hiring.

The good news is that you are aware of your reason for rejection.

Reasons to Hire You

The expertise that you have built over the last 3.5 years makes you employable. The gap you took to regroup yourself requires an explanation. Be it a personal or a health requirement, you will need to clearly explain that. The focus remains, as you shared, that you are job-ready.

However, this doesn't make you the best candidate to be hired. Consider applying for roles within your grade to stand a better chance. You can consider upskilling and then applying for a better role to remain competent.

Recommendations and Referrals

Finally, the feedback from your ex-manager may or may not be negative. Please focus on getting a letter of recommendation from leaders of repute in your field or last organization, if possible. This will vouch for your capabilities. Consider applying for jobs through referrals to stand a better chance.

Wish you all the best!

Finally, the feedback from your ex-manager may or may not be negative. Please focus on getting a letter of recommendation from leaders of repute in your field or last organization, if possible. This will vouch for your capabilities. Consider applying for jobs through referrals to stand a better chance.

Wish you all the best!

Thanks for your comment. I wish I could get another chance. I worry much about the background checks because nowadays HR professionals have proper policies and rules framed for employers' benefit. Even if I get to a job interview and prove my core competencies to the hiring manager, then comes the HR interview and background checks. So now, I have no idea about what kind of information will be provided by my former employer other than my employment period and salary details. If they 'bad mouth' about my character, then I'm not going to have another chance to explain myself to the prospective employer.

Acknowledging Self-Awareness and Moving Forward

(Cite Contribution) has touched upon all the salient aspects/points of your situation. One aspect I too would like to appreciate in you is the fact that you are aware of your reason for rejection. Believe me, you are in a far better position to make the mid-course correction than many others who post similar issues/situations in CiteHR—most often the tendency is to put the blame on others rather than make any attempt to self-introspect.

Considering Referrals for Job Applications

Coming to your next step, I suggest you give very serious thought to the last line of (Cite Contribution)'s response, rather than looking at ways to handle this on your own at this point in your life: "Consider applying for jobs through referral to stand a better chance." Think and look for those whom you know and who can refer you to suitable jobs.

The main reason why I think this would stand a better chance for you is this: given the credibility deficit in your case at this point in time, you are basically restarting your career all over again—with the addition of a negative factor (from the recruiter's perspective) going against you. Human nature being what it is, prospective employers tend to believe someone whom they know, in the absence of any verifiable background check (sometimes the weightage given to a referral could be higher than for a BC).

Once you join a new job and build up sufficient credibility in the next 2-3 years, then you would be rejoining the mainstream, so to say.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS

Thank you all for your advice. I never shared with anyone (family, friends, or relatives) that I'm depressed for quite a long time, and that's why I quit without prior intimation. But after quitting, I hesitate to tell others that I'm depressed because I fear they will treat me like an abnormal person or a mentally ill person.

Initially, I told my employer that I'm not feeling well, but they refused to accept it. They informed me that there are many people of all age groups working regularly who also suffer from some medical problems or family issues. So, I convinced them that I have some other personal problem that I can't disclose. Finally, I didn't even contact them for 5 months after I was informed through colleagues that I was terminated.

I can't get back to my good old life, but now I understand that I can restart my career and navigate through my life to regain my reputation. My question here is, "Is there any redress mechanism to support employees who are depressed?"

I empathize with your situation. What you say is true—that many times such conditions are misunderstood or misinterpreted rather than a helping hand being extended.

Overcoming Depression

First and foremost, STOP—repeat STOP—thinking that you are depressed now. Maybe you were earlier, but not anymore, since the mark or symptom of a depressed person is the inability to analyze the issue or problem and to think forward. So you have crossed that phase.

Handling Career Gaps in Interviews

Coming to how to handle queries regarding the gap in your career in future interviews, you don't need to publicize what you went through. At the same time, NEVER EVER LIE. Maybe you can use wordings like—you were stuck in some personal problems and hence had to leave the earlier job, and now that things are in better control, you want to get into a job again.

This way, you are neither lying nor giving away your personal reasons to whoever asks. Once your comfort level is okay with the person(s) concerned, you tell him or her the details.

Preparing for Job Search

Before you begin the job search, first get the relevant documents from your earlier company (Experience Letter, Relieving Letter, etc).

And as (Cite Contribution) mentioned, focus on the Referral route for the next job.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS

Documents Required During Exit Interview

Actually, what sort of documents are required to be provided by my former employer during the Exit Interview in my case, other than the Experience Letter and Relieving Order? Am I eligible to claim the entire Provident Fund (P.F.) amount, including the employer's contribution, directly from the P.F. regional office with the employer's consent?

I apologize for not being familiar with these details. I simply want to understand some basic information before the Exit Interview with my ex-employer.

Regards,

As per the HR policy in general, am I eligible to get a relieving order and experience certificates as I was terminated by my former employer? Please reply...

The Impact of Employer Mentality on Employee Resignation

It is totally dependent upon the mentality of your previous employer. This is a very practical experience that I am going to share with you.

In my previous company, not even a single employee left the organization on a friendly note because the employer did not have the mentality to relieve the employee. Employees who wished to leave due to any reason would suddenly disappear because if an employee said that they wanted to resign, then management would start creating unnecessary pressure on that employee.

In that organization, I submitted my resignation with the excuse that I had a certain urgency at my home. I served a notice period of almost 10 days and gave a handover to the best of my ability; even then, they declared me absconded. I am not the only victim of such a mentality; there are many employees who have been absconded because of such bad practices.

As an employee, you are entitled to an exit procedure, irrespective of the reasons for termination. The PF, exit formalities, and the respective documents are your right. However, whether your employer wants to mention the reason for separation is entirely their prerogative. Ideally, no such reason is mentioned in a relieving letter or even an experience certificate, acknowledging the employee's tenure.

Initiate your procedures with a written request to the HR Department. Mention your intent and offer them any support they may require. This should work fine for you.

Wish you all the best!

Thank you all for your valuable advice. I have already initiated the exit process by sending a scanned copy of my formal resignation letter addressed to my ex-boss and Head of HR. Therefore, I will have to go through an embarrassing exit interview in not less than a week as per their communication.

I must appreciate that HR forums are really useful. It has been a great relief for me, especially when I hear from senior people. I will stay updated with the forum in the future and will require advice and suggestions to get back to corporate life.

Please do take Cite Contribution's good advice and always remember that "Where There's A Will, There's A Way." If you have a genuine hunger for a good job, I assure you that opportunities will arise, and you will receive a good offer. The only requisite is to maintain a positive attitude, which will help you out of the situation. Also, contact your last employers and talk to them humbly, explaining the whole situation; they will surely help you out. "Do Give Your Best & Let GOD Handle The Rest!" I wish you all the best in this ordeal, and do let us know when the dark clouds have withered, okay? 

Regards & Best Wishes to All!

Mody Harish M.
BPP Coordinator,
KGK Diamond Group, Surat.
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Addressing Raja's Situation

In Raja's case, could it be possible for him to speak with the current HR, plead his point, and then proceed with the process based on their recommendations? Please revert.

Advice for Raja

Ideally, for an HR professional, this is a tricky issue requiring taking stock and control of the situation. Reading through the way you have presented your case and the seniors' view on this, I feel you deserve a second chance.

You may re-establish a cordial relationship with your HR, stating your 3.5-year-long experience, and then present the problem that led to you acting in a way that was not supposed to be. The official records would show that the company has completed the formality and they are right in their decisions. You may agree with their version, yet state your natural inability to work under those medical conditions, which you were not able to properly convince the Ops people about. This could work because you would have by then proved harmless for the firm and excuse yourself from the paper vendetta.

Secondly, focus on your merits, skills, and positives that helped you perform in the MNC for 3.5 years. An MNC, being professional and not sympathetic, would have had strong reasons (positive) to have chosen you in the first place.

Everyone has priorities, reasons (positive/negative): I read that Indra Nooyi, Chairperson & CEO of PepsiCo Worldwide, used to attend personal calls (if it was from her home) excusing herself momentarily during a meeting. As such, that is not generally accepted, but she was able to inspire this culture, making arrangements for her young child to come to her office and complete the homework. One would have to imagine how she would have achieved this in a male-dominated corporate world and successfully reached the top.

So the story is, 'the glass is half full, instead of half empty.' Cheers and God bless.

Regarding your query—"Could it be possible that he speaks to the current HR, plead his point, and then proceed with the process on their recommendations?"—I think he already seems to have done it and is waiting for their call. Coming to acting as per "their recommendations," it's up to Raja—there are both pros and cons for such a response, the primary one being associated with the self-respect of the individual concerned. Would there be any guarantee that his treatment in the future by the Company/HR wouldn't be influenced by this incident if he were to continue in the Company?

Viewing the remarks of his HR (as he mentioned)—"Exit Interview in not less than a week as per their communication"—from another angle, I think Shrawan Raja needs to follow up even during the week, since the wording "not less than" is dicey. It could mean "anytime after a week," which is open-ended. If the reasons for this HR wording are non-availability of the concerned person, etc., it's fine—but how would he know whether the reason is genuine or just their way of testing him and/or dragging the issue to teach him a lesson (there are people who derive sadistic pleasure from such behavior)?

I would suggest he call regularly or, better, go and meet them to explain the situation from his perspective, even if he didn't get a formal call from them. This way, he is also conveying that he is seriously repenting about what he did—irrespective of the reasons. But at the same time, I am not very sure if he should clearly inform them about his mental condition in writing (verbally is okay)—what if they make it a part of the HR records and worse, a part of the documents (Relieving Letter, etc.) they would be giving to him? That could mar his future chances for other openings—given that behavioral conduct is today a formal part of hiring.

At least, this is my take on the issue.

Regards,
TS

It seems like they want to make sure I don't get all the papers that easily because they don't want to hear from me. They believe some groundless gossip about me among my colleagues (for leaving without notice). So, they are expecting me to accept the gossip. Also, they want me to divert all P.F. amount (around 1 lakh) as the calculated notice period pay I owe them is almost close to 1 lakh. Even if I lose all the P.F. amount, I don't care, but my doubt is: can I claim the whole P.F. amount directly from the P.F. Office without employer consent?

Thank you, Sree and Sateesh, for all your suggestions and guidance. I'm happy that I got an offer from an MNC, but with the condition that I should be properly relieved within a month's time. Even if I don't take the job, I have the self-confidence that I am still technically qualified to work in my core industry. I realized that after the face-to-face interview, there are many other factors that helped me move forward. The major one being my high score in my Diploma course, but they still want me to improve my poor English. I will try to focus on my soft skills from the employer's point of view.

Anyway, I thank each and everyone for your valuable suggestions, both good and bad.

Hi Mam, I initiated the exit procedure by requesting a relieving order. Actually, I have a contract period of 3 years, but I served just 1.6 years. They are requesting me to settle the dues, but my situation is not favorable to pay the dues now as I don't have a job yet. Is there any way I can request my employer to waive off the dues? Kindly advise further.

Regards,
Raja