Finding a job after losing one to a positive test

[Iguana]

Anybody have any input on this? I'm not there yet, but I want to be prepared for the worst. If I have to, I can quit before discipline and being fired. There's no doubt I would be fired if I have a positive result. What do you tell prospective employers about why you quit a job you had for 20 years?

Thanks.

[Zwitter]

If I were you, I'd quit before discipline, but right now, get searching! Get a backup plan! What do you do for a living?

[thcbongman]

You have to keep it short and sweet, state the reason without incriminating yourself further.

Employment verifications only state a short reason of why you been fired, they don't get too specific, they're quite generic.

Each company has a different policy on how they view a failed drug test, some fire, others give you a chance if are valued to them. If they consider you, input from your supervisor is more important. Keep on good terms with him/her.

[thcbongman]

If I were you, I'd quit before discipline, but right now, get searching! Get a backup plan! What do you do for a living?

Quoted for emphasis.

[Iguana]

Government job. Can't really go into more detail. Plain arrogance and stupidity on my part to partake.

[thcbongman]

.....

[slipknotpsycho]

rofl... are you kidding dude?

i don't care how you phrase it tho.... that's not gonna look good... i mean if i was your prospective employer, saw you got fired from a govt. job for failing a drug test... well in all honesty i'd be like "what a dumbass..."

[jaGerbom]

damn...have you taken the drug test yet? i would def. give an effort at bringing someone elses urine in to the test with you so you dont even have to think about getting a new job. man im sorry to hear about your situation, it sounds like a bad one.

[thcbongman]

It doesn't look good either way, but how you phrase it lightens the load and doesn't make you look like as much of a dumbass, which is the point. People make mistakes, that's life, every HR department has seen it all. If he's able to go up to his new employers and prove he's clean, and he can prove it with previous performance reviews, why wouldn't they hire him? If every company looked at "what a dumbass" felons wouldn't get hired, every person with a charge, or been fired even for little reasons couldn't get hired again.

Dumbasses are the ones that try to lie about their past. Honesty is a great concept, but you can't let it hurt you at the same time. You are honest about it, but keep it simple and sweet, and if they ask you to elaborate, just say I smoked marijuana once, I made a mistake." Shows you are responsible for your actions, which in turn, makes you a valued employee. Never bring up information they don't ask for. If they don't ask, don't tell.

This isn't a guy who worked there for 3 months and got fired. He had 20 years of good service before 1 incident.

So laugh, but let me ask, have you ever been in this incident?

[Iguana]

I hope this isn't amusing you too much. I don't get off on others pain or misfortune. Not kidding. That's why I would most likely quit before I got fired. So that I could at least say that I had quit, not gotten fired.

[Iguana]

Already happened. Random test, no opportunity to get clean piss. Managed to dilute. Thanks for the sympathies.

[thcbongman]

Government isn't private industry. They're not going to outright fire you, there are channels you can take to keep your job secure. Are you an actual govt employee or a contractor?

[Iguana]

thcbongman, thanks for the words in post #9. My brain is going about 1,000 mph right now.

[thcbongman]

Iguana, click on your User CP and enable rep. I left you a message.

[Iguana]

Actual employee. There have been 3 other people terminated or quit in the past few years over this. That's why I have to say that I was both arrogant and stupid.

[slipknotpsycho]

sorry if you took it that way, i'm not 'getting off on it' or anything.... it's just a really bad situation to be in, but i guess thc is looking into a little bit more, i mean you did have 20 years of service, so that is a good point... and will probably help you exponentially

i suppose it'd also depend on the job market too... i know around here we have a high rate of unemployment and hundreds if not thousands that need jobs and can't get one (small town, lots of people live here, but the buisness we have around here are very limited)

how is the job market where you live? is it tight, or is unemployment rates low?

[Iguana]

thcbongman,
I'm IM impaired. Give me some direction. Running short on time, too, as I have to start getting ready for work. Have to keep going in for right now.

[thcbongman]

Web IM - AIM Express (http://www.aim.com/aimexpress.adp)

[Iguana]

thc, I'm seeing about installing AIM right now, but I have a slow dial-up, so I likely won't get it installed in time tonight. I will try to contact you tomorrow. I really appreciate your willingness to help.

slipknot, no real offense taken. Job market around here pretty much sucks. More evidence of my stupidity and arrogance about my job. Rather not ID my location on a public forum right now.

[Blindman0v0]

If you can come up with a job before you get fired I'd do that.If not sit down and have a talk with your superior.Tell them it was a stupid mistake and you would make up for it. I know a lot of people in government jobs here in the Seattle area and they NEVER random drug test.I've been kind of surprised because a lot of these are security sensitive jobs and they never get tested.

Anyway good luck.Who knows maybe you'll get lucky and test negative

[_tyrant]

I'm in your same situation man cept not as bad cept i smoked and if life wants to fuck me right now it will then i quit forever. cause thats the way it suppose to be that i cannot take a hit and work a job.

i will get a random drug test sometime in the next week. just got the job last week took a test didn't smoked for 1 week to get the job.

now man if you get the powered drug test made for random drug tests you might be able to get away with it next time.

i plan to buy one but if life fucks me in the next week of work like it did you then thats pretty sad for me.

even more sad is that i smoked a week after getting a job that random drug tests. where is my will power Discipline.

btw i'm high as fuck off one hit my eyes are red as fuk!!

[Iguana]

thc,

Gotta go. Please hold your thoughts until tomorrow. Thanks again.

[jaGerbom]

good luck iguana. hope everything works out.

[Iguana]

Web IM - AIM Express (http://www.aim.com/aimexpress.adp)

I've been trying to use AIM Express, but it keeps telling me that my Popup blocker is blocking it, even though I have all the Popup Blocker features turned off. As my mood indicates I am really tired right now and I need sleep. Have to work tonight too. Best Wishes to all. Please say a quick prayer for me.

[thcbongman]

I wish you the best of luck.

Get some sleep and try not to worry too much. Update your resume and post on monster.com, start exploring and line-up another job. That experience should be worth while. Make sure you fill it with keywords commonly used in your industry.

Btw, how much did you smoke before getting tested? From my impressions, it doesn't sound like you smoked too much, you could possibly be clean.

[Weedhound]

20 years. Is this a job you like? I don't ask that as a joke either.....do you like this job?

If you're simply marking time then you need to go.....20 years in a gov position will have benefits that you will lose if you are fired. Those are important. Don't lose them.

It would be scary to find a new job but much MUCH easier on you if you resign. You need to decide what the odds are here....that's really all you have to go by.

As someone else said....companies are very limited in what they can ask previous employers in regards to perspective employees. That puts the odd in your favor if you resign. Take it from someone who has been fired from more than a few jobs in my old days.....literally for being drunk on the job or some such wonderful action on my part.
There's ALWAYS another job.

Good luck.

[Iguana]

Weedhound said:

"20 years. Is this a job you like? I don't ask that as a joke either.....do you like this job?

If you're simply marking time then you need to go.....20 years in a gov position will have benefits that you will lose if you are fired. Those are important. Don't lose them.

It would be scary to find a new job but much MUCH easier on you if you resign. You need to decide what the odds are here....that's really all you have to go by."

Do I really like the job? No, but I'd love to keep it! If I lose this job it will literally cost me hundreds of thousands of $ in the form of 7 years of pension payments and medical benefits (I wouldn't lose all of the benefits, but it would delay when they would start), not to mention possibly my wife and home if I can't keep a cash flow going. I haven't been a sterling employee, but I would say that I'm in the 90th percentile when I look around at others and what they do or don't do.

The way the system works I would have the opportunity to resign as long as I did it before the disciplinary hearing takes place.

[Weedhound]

You ever notice though that the bosses don't seem to really reward the hard workers in gov jobs? That's been my impression anyway.

I don't know anything about discliplinary hearings or anything......can only wish you luck there. But it is a small ( really small) comfort that you don't have to quit without knowing at least what the test results are.

I know this sounds really stupid atm but you know the old saying about closing one door....don't despair yet.

There's a HELL of alot out there in this world. Believe me, you've only scratched the surface. Look around. Learn something new.....you may find a job you really love after all. Less money.....but more happy? Think about it.

[Iguana]

You ever notice though that the bosses don't seem to really reward the hard workers in gov jobs? That's been my impression anyway.

I don't know anything about discliplinary hearings or anything......can only wish you luck there. But it is a small ( really small) comfort that you don't have to quit without knowing at least what the test results are.

I know this sounds really stupid atm but you know the old saying about closing one door....don't despair yet.

There's a HELL of alot out there in this world. Believe me, you've only scratched the surface. Look around. Learn something new.....you may find a job you really love after all. Less money.....but more happy? Think about it.


Thanks for the words of encouragement. That's how I'm trying to deal with it. Otherwise, I may as well curl up and die. Got to go to work now.

[thcbongman]

Yo, I gotten all your IMs, I'll be around, just don't log off, so at least I can leave you a response :P

[jaGerbom]

keep us updated on what happens.

[Iguana]

keep us updated on what happens.


So far, nothing. I'm pretty much expecting a retest, probably observed. I did pass a UTest home test 2 days ago (faint line that took a couple of minutes to show up) and another one yesterday (strong pink line that showed up almost immediately). Does anyone know about the reliability of the Utest? I bought it from a local head shop that has been around for at least 30 years.

[Weedhound]

No news is good news hopefully.....

[jaGerbom]

yeah who knows maybe you tested negative on your test. if you didnt smoke much then it'd be likely that you did pass.

[Iguana]

It appears that I am in the clear. If I hear otherwise I will repost. Thanks and best wishes to all.:thumbsup:

[silkyblue]

Hey Ig,

I hope it went clean for you Ive been tested with just a few puffs behind me. I put vinegar in my travel coffee mug the morning I knew Id be called in. Vinegar I heard gives a clean result it worked for me I only had 6 tokes in 6 days though. I passed the test, my whole family smokes :pimp: in laws too, my BIL says he can exercise like a mad dog, with plain water, flush, and run thing, pee alot every 10 minutes "dont let the urine sit too long in the bladder", he passed his test.:thumbsup:

My sis passed hers with borrowed "non thc urine", placed in a condome, inserted in her " wooby", to "keep it warm" ,goes in to piss, breaks the condome "with her nails", always let the first flow go in the bowl, then catch some in the cup flush the condome, she passed her test.:thumbsup:

The fact of the matter is they are losing good working men:(

as far as jobs theres always Mc Donald's.:wtf:

Bottom line why dont they stay out of our underwear!!:smokin:

[Weedhound]

It appears that I am in the clear. If I hear otherwise I will repost. Thanks and best wishes to all.:thumbsup:

EXCELLENT!! Congratulations. :thumbsup:

[dejayou30]

If you have been there fore 20 years and they fire you over one random test, that is bullshit. I would just say you mistakenly smoked a marijuana cigar at a party and that you can test again in a week or two to prove you are clean. You should at least ask for a second chance, the worst they can say is no. And if they say no after you ask, at least you asked. Don't just give up, it makes you look like you did something wrong, and smoking marijuana is not wrong!