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At an earlier point in my career I got fired because of my own mistake (moonlighting).

I want to apply for bigger corporate jobs, which often means passing a stringent background check. How can I prepare for interviews and background checks, given that I was fired for a mistake in the past?

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    You tell the truth.
    – Donald
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 1:56
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    What is your location? For example in most of Europe, there is nothing illegal about working on the side, as long as it is not for a direct competitor in the same field (non-compete clause). In fact, many work a second job to earn some extra money.
    – Juha Untinen
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 14:17
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    Why would you get fired for moonlighting? What you do in your time off is none of your employers business, unless you’re working for a competitor or sharing trade secrets.
    – AffableAmbler
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 15:59
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    @AffableAmbler My main employer requires me to disclose & get permission for any other employment. Some of that is about conflicts and reputation risks, but another big reason is that if I'm working long hours in a side job I'm going to be tired and unproductive in my day job. At that point it most definitely is their business.
    – G_B
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 23:48
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    Can you give a reason for moonlighting? Could help in explaining why it will not happen again?
    – Sascha
    Commented May 24, 2018 at 6:12

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When you've made a mistake and it was bad enough that you're worried it will impact your future chances at getting hired, there are several things you can do to help mitigate the damage:

  1. First, always be honest. This doesn't mean you have to tell everyone all the bad things you've ever done. It just means, don't lie. If you were fired for moonlighting, don't tell people you quit because you wanted to travel the world.
  2. When asked, focus on what you've learned. Inevitably, in an interview, people may ask why you left a specific position. Don't just tell them you were fired - be prepared to explain what you've learned, and how you've changed. Be ready to show this through results (ie if you were fired for a specific reason, hopefully you now have some other job experience after that point where you can show that you didn't keep repeating the same mistake).
  3. Be prepared to explain results in a potential background check. Background checks will vary from employer to employer and region to region, but generally they will check employment history - a recruiter who receives a questionable result may follow up with you - be ready to answer in line with my first two points - be honest, but show how you've changed. Don't get caught off guard by these questions.

If you're having trouble finding employment because of a serious offence in your past, consider looking for assistance. In many nations, there are "back to work" programs designed to help people with criminal histories become productive employees. It's hard to give specific feedback on this without knowing your location and/or what you did in the past to get you fired, though.

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    I am in the ASEAN countries and I was caught moonlighting for 2 weeks.
    – Low Kian Seong
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 14:24

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