The JobSync Blog
Addressing Why You Left Your Last Job
February 8, 2012
The business climate is complex. Companies are letting people go. Employees are leaving on their own accord.
Companies that are actively working to fill open positions are fully aware of how dynamic the current job market is. Yet few interview questions stir as much dread as “Why did you leave your last job?” Candidates facing this question often feel they have just been put on trial, even if they left their prior position for perfectly compelling reasons. While some hiring managers and recruiters may indeed be sniffing for smoke to a fire, interviewees should assume the best and use the question as an opportunity to shine and explain why they are a good fit for the position they’ve applied for.
Recently, Forbes.com Daily Muse blog laid out guidelines to effectively tackle this question. Before outlining the steps to addressing this issue, the piece translates one of the motivations companies have for posing this question: to determine why you are interested in the open position. Now it’s up to you to make your case, and the blog makes four important recommendations to keep you in the game:
1. Be honest. Even if you were fired or laid off from your last job, be up front. Interviewers can call references and past supervisors and get the truth anyway. If you left under less-than-ideal circumstances, admit any mistakes and highlight how this was a growth experience for you. Employers will appreciate this forthright approach.
2. Stay positive. Employers love positive, can-do attitudes. They disdain badmouthing former bosses and companies. It’s better to explain why something wasn’t a good fit and emphasize your desire to work in a place that is a better match for your skill set and personality.
3. Keep it short. Less is more. The more you feel compelled to talk, the more likely you are to fill your responses with irrelevant, negative material (see #2).
4. Focus on the new job. Ultimately, you want to turn your response back around to emphasize why you feel you are a good fit for the job you are applying for. So use this question to emphasize how your experience and personality will make you a great match for the company.
And hopefully, your next job will be such a good fit that you will never have to address this question ever again.
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