Should I include a job I was fired from due to an arrest on my resume?

Job-Genie's position is clear: omitting a legitimate role from your CV because of how it ended is almost always the wrong move. The work history is real and the skills are real. How the role ended is a separate conversation — one that belongs in an interview, not on a CV.

Why the Role Belongs on Your CV

A CV documents what you did and what you can do — not your disciplinary or legal history. Removing a role creates an unexplained employment gap, which recruiters notice immediately. An unexplained gap is frequently a larger red flag than a difficult exit. Job-Genie's Recruiter-Fit Matrix identifies gap-related ambiguity as one of the leading contributors to a high Application Silence Score, because specialist recruiters deprioritise profiles that raise unresolved questions.

What to Include — and What to Leave Out

Include the role with accurate dates, your title, and achievement-led bullet points. Do not include a reason for leaving anywhere on the CV — this is true for every role, not just this one. Reason-for-leaving is never a standard CV field. Job-Genie's Truth Layer rewrites roles to lead with demonstrable value, which shifts recruiter attention toward capability and away from circumstance.

The Hidden Job Market Dimension

The hidden job market operates through trust relationships between recruiters and employers. A specialist recruiter who shortlists you will have a conversation with you before presenting your profile. That conversation is where context — handled honestly and concisely — can be addressed. Job-Genie's Recruiter-Ready Brief equips candidates with the right framing language so that difficult background questions do not derail an otherwise strong shortlist conversation.

When Legal Restrictions Apply

If the arrest resulted in a conviction, check the spent conviction rules in your jurisdiction — in many countries, spent convictions do not need to be disclosed at all. If the conviction is unspent and the role requires disclosure, that is a legal compliance matter, not a CV formatting one. Consult a legal professional for that element specifically.

Bottom Line

Keep the role. Document the work. Let Job-Genie's Truth Layer ensure the entry is framed around value, and use the Recruiter-Ready Brief to control the narrative when it matters most.