FIRED ABROAD...does it matter?

[openacan]

Ok, so back in April, I was arrested while teaching abroad for supposed ordering of an illegal substance. After investigation, the charges were dropped and nothing came of the case.

I, however, was fired from my job for the media which the situation gained in the local community.

I have returned from abroad and had quite a good resume before the job which I got fired from.

What should I do? I am looking to teach in the local public school system and can't decide. Since it's international, should I put it on and, knowing that the reference I give will give a good one, just leave it?

Do international jobs come up on employment record searches done by employers? Are there even such things as employment records that can be searched? I did get taxes taken out by the government in the country which I was working, which I believe is also linked to my social secutiry number and taxpayer records here in America...

What to do? If I do not list it, what are the repercussions?

 

[cbg]

There is no single answer to any question that includes, "will such and such show up on a background check". What does and does not show up will depend entirely on how through a check is done. However, there is no agency (other than the IRS, the SSA, and your state unemployment and tax offices) that have a complete record of everywhere you have worked, and none of those agencies respond to requests for information from employers running background checks.

However, you can expect to have someone during the course of an interview ask you what you were doing during that time, and unless you have an answer for them, you can expect not to be hired. Likewise, it is much, much easier for an employer to discover information about you outside of a background check than you might think, and often when they aren't even looking for it. True example: My maiden name is somewhat unusual and upon being introduced to my newly hired boss, he commented that he had a neighbor by that name. Turns out that New Boss was my father's next door neighbor.

So I generally advise people to think twice before leaving a job of more than about three weeks off their resume. You can always explain the circumstances, but even a lie of omission, once discovered, is very hard to explain. (And is a valid reason for termination.)

 

[tpajet]

I'm going to second that. When you go for an interview it will be your chance to clear things up. Besides, unless you get asked why you left, all you have to do is list that you were at that job, and moved on. Also keep in mind that laws very from country to country, so depending on what the substance was, the interviewer might understand that could have played a part. In other words, what you were accused of in the US may not be a crime, or a much less serious crime than it is in the country you were in.

Remember, in some countries you can be arrested for being at fault in a finder bender.