AfroBlue90's journey

I recently faced a tough decision at my last job at a tech company where I was working as a software engineer. The company offered me a choice: leave immediately with a severance payout or enter a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). Given the circumstances, the PIP seemed almost impossible to succeed in, and I wasn't enjoying my role anyway, so I opted for the payout. Since then, I've been on the job hunt and have had several interviews. When asked why I left my last position, I explain that it wasn't a good fit and that I'm looking to take my career in a different direction, which is true. If pressed about whether I quit or was let go, I admit that I was let go. So far, the interviewers haven't seemed to dwell on this, but I still haven't secured a new job yet. Now, I'm grappling with whether I should just lie about the circumstances of my departure. I worry about the risk of being caught if they were to contact my previous employer, but I also feel uneasy about being dishonest. It’s a tricky situation, and I’m looking for advice on how to navigate this without compromising my integrity.