Hi Ronnie Ann!
My friend needs your advice. Recently she quit her job. One of the difficulties she is facing is answering the interview question “Why did you leave your job?”
She happened to leave the job as she was not given a promotion, she believed she deserved. She did not gave her employer the same reason for quitting the job. Now when she is asked the reason for quitting her job in interviews, she is not sure whether to tell the truth or give some other excuse.
She asked for my advice and I thought you would be the best person to answer this.
It would be great if you could help out.
Regards,
Jay
***
Hi Jay!
Nice of you to want to help your friend.
I just posted something that may not at first seem related since it’s about someone who was essentially forced to resign after 15 years at the same company:
Job Interview: Reason for Leaving Your Job After 15 Years
But the advice is basically the same.
First…when dealing with the reason you left your last position, stay positive about the last job – never ever talk about how awful they were or how badly they treated you or how you didn’t get what you deserved. That’s all sour grapes to a potential new employer and would only brand her as high maintenance.
As in the example, (although her answer would be a little different of course) when she answers the question, she should lead and end with positive strength. In the middle, it’s usually good to talk about something like looking for new opportunity and challenges and in her situation, room for growth. And if she feels more comfortable with a shorter answer, then she can just talk about what she’s looking for which will cover most of it.
In your friend’s case, since she gave her other company a reason, and since there will be reference checks, it’s probably a good idea to make sure what she tells a potential new employer at least gels with what she told her last employer. Since I don’t know what it was, I can’t give you an example. I just hope she told them something that won’t trip her up – for instance that she wants to stop working altogether or leave the industry that she’s still interviewing in. But odds are, if she’s clever, she can make that work.
Now…although I said be clever, I want to emphasize I don’t mean slick. What she says has to ring true to both herself and the interviewer, or she’ll come across as two-dimensional and maybe even phony. Luckily, looking for new challenges and job growth are both excellent reasons for anyone to seek a new job or career.
I wish her much luck. She’s lucky to have a good friend like you, Jay. Please keep us posted!
~ Ronnie Ann
Hi Nelly,
Believe it or not, the best answer is the truth. Otherwise you risk getting caught in the lie…and you also lose authenticity when you give the phone interview; this shows. It’s ok to say that you knew pretty soon away it wasn’t a good fit (no need for details) and learned what it is that you do want. Then make sure you show why the new job is the right fit.
Just a note: You’ll have a much better chance if it’s the truth, so go seek out places that match your values and interests. Good luck!
I am really concerned about what to say.I left this certain job because I was learning new stuff that just basically was different from what I was used to.Different math,measuring stuff.I hate to admit I was plain old afraid of new surroundings.My most lengthy job was over 25 years.It was hard to rearrange my brain.Maybe you are too young to know what it feels like ….Heres the example!! Did you see Shawshank Redemption? Remember when Brooks was released from prison after all those years and was afraid of adjusting to a non prison life?That is an awful feeling. I had to throw this out there. I will sign out as “The truth shall set you free!”Go ahead and expound some more Ronnie Ann! thanks..
Thanks for your comment, Oh boy what to do! Nice moniker.
I have seen and thoroughly enjoyed Shawshank Redemption. Great analogy. As Lina suggests below, there are answers that don’t demand sharing every detail. Honesty is one thing…TMI (too much information) is another. Sometimes just saying it wasn’t the right job, but it helped me see what I really do want…or something like,. that. of course, the rest of that would be why THIS job is exactly what you want.
And btw…taking a class one day in what you were afraid of, just for your own sake and all on your own timing, can be very freeing. Best of luck!
It is my understanding (because my friend is an HR Manager) that at least in Florida, they only provide dates of employment, salary and position. They usually try to avoid giving more information per liability issues. Now, if I was your friend, I will provide the phone number of an HR representative instead of her former boss. Another thing is, everything depends on how she presents herself when being interviewed and asked that question. She can always say: ” I resigned my job because I am interested in a new challenge and an opportunity to use my skills and experience in a different capacity than I have in the past.” or “After several years in my last position, I’m looking for an company where I can contribute and grow in a team-oriented environment”. I hope everything works out good for her…
Thanks, Lina!
Good information. It’s true that in some states, and also written into some company policies, you can only say so much. Although when I did reference checking, I didn’t stop at just HR folks (if candidates didn’t give me employer or co-worker names, I asked); and I sometimes learned a lot from tone, even if they could not tell me anything that violated policy. But your advice to try to provide an HR name is a good idea. I also really like your suggestions for ways to handle the question.
MUCH appreciated. Good luck in your own career!
So, would the “why you left” & “why you are looking to leave fall under same umbrella” ??
I was just posed this question a few days ago. I am not sure I even remember my answer as I was prob mumbly and nervous, But it’s pretty much me feeling like I don’t matter at my current position and looking for a place to grow and know my contributions count and are appreciated. (Would that be a BAD thing to Say, I mean it’s the TRUTH yet im not sure if thats NEG talking employer)
Basically, the answer is yes. A similar approach is a good idea. Where possible, best to stay away from the blame and focus on what you want for the future and what you can do for them.
Part of what you said could open up a few questions. See Talking About Former Employers in Interviews But the rest sounds good and clearly shows you are being honest and moving forward with a positive attitude.
In the future, you can add a reason why this particular job is what you’re looking for; that helps a lot. But hopefully, you’ll get good news and won’t have to worry about how to interview for a long time!
Good luck, EES! Please let us know what happens.
Well, It’s been awhile & actually shortly after I first wrote my post I found out I didn’t get the job. I REALLY feel like its hard for me to explain why I am leaving or wanting to leave my current. The place I work is a HUGE CORP & on the outside looking in I just feel whenever I interview people are like “Oh!, so you wanna leave @#$%……. But I cant go to the interview and say its a weird feeling when you have a day or 2 off and come back to work people automatically think you were fired because its such a common occurrence
I’m so sorry you didn’t get the job. The best advice I have is to sit down in a quiet room and write every reason you can think of why you want to leave. Then write what you would want from an ideal job. Don’t think too much or censor any thoughts. This is only for you. Just write anything that pops into your head. Now look at both lists, and try to come up with the most positive version of why you want to leave that shows some way you aren’t being challenged now or some areas you don’t get to pursue in this job that EACH new job you apply for can offer you. The most important thing is for YOU to really believe it and feel excited by what the new job offers that you don’t have now. When you really feel and believe, it shows.
BTW…I’ve worked for huge companies that I wanted to leave. But also important to make sure you’ve explored all possibilities in other divisions or departments.
Good luck, EES!
Mave wrote to say she got the job! Congratulations!!
Here are her words:
“Thank you for your advice. After actively looking and praying, I managed to get
a new job. Hope this job will be a lot better than all my previous jobs
Thanks again and will keep reading your articles from time to time.”
I am so glad you let us know, Mave. I wish you much happiness and success in your new job. Each one is a fresh beginning. You are always welcome here.
I have a similar situation. I left my job after seven months due to work related stress. The main issue is the job was too high level for me. They were in the process of writing the new job description while recruiting me, so I did not realize just how high-level it was until I had been there a few months. Since I left, they posted the position (not posted at time I was interviewing) and it was apparent from the description that I was not qualified.
The OTHER issue, which I am not sure I should let potential employers know, is that there was a toxic work environment in my department. After I was hired, several other members of my department cam to me independently to warn me to “watch my back” and about the personality of the head of the department. I know this will sound like sour grapes but it was a very real issue.
How to address, at the interview of even before? I am concerned that it may look odd on my resume… should I say anything about the reason for leaving in my cover letter?
Thanks for your guidance!
Hi Heather!
I’m so sorry you got brought into an unsure, still unwritten job situation. Not your fault, but must have been very difficult. Sometimes these things are blessings in disguise, because they really do help you think about what you do and don’t want. And that’s a good thing for the rest of your career.
In interviews, I’d stay away from any mention of toxicity and turn to the truth about the job itself. “They were in the process of writing the new job description while recruiting me, so I did not realize just how high-level it was until I had been there a few months.” All you have to add is that you did your best anyway, but it just wasn’t the right fit; but it helped you better define the kind of job you do want for yourself. And then add some well-thought-out words about why this job is such a great fit for you and your skills. Or something like that.
Good luck!
Hi Ronnie,
I am now 26yr old and I have a situation now that I have left the previous employer where I worked for about 2.5 years and now I want to join a new company. In every Interview I face they used to ask me “why did u quit your previous job” and “why do u want to work for us ” It doesn’t get anything on to my mind why they ask so. I also feel nervous about the interview that whether I could aswer to their questions or not or what question they would ask me. Please help me with what i have to say when they ask me so. Also I want to know what should be the attitude of mine when I face interview and the tone of my voice when I aswer to their questions.
Hi Ashh,
It’s good that you were in your job for 2.5 years! That helps to show that you can be a reliable employee.
But, you need to have answers to these questions ready because probably almost every interviewer will ask them. Think about the answers to those questions – really think. Then, write down your answers – get help from friends if you need it. And then practice answering those questions until you can do it smoothly. You don’t have to memorize the answers, but you DO have to know what you are going to say and say it confidently.
For help on answering those questions, read these articles:
* Reason for Leaving Your Job After 15 Years – a good read, even if you were there for 2.5 rather than 15 years
* How Employers View You Being Fired – a good read, even if you weren’t fired.
* Answering the “Why do you want to work here” question.
* Explaining why you left the last job so soon.
Good luck!
Susan
Hi Susan,
I thank you for your advise. I will see that next time when i take an interview I would be prepared for these questions, hope it all goes well for me. I will intimate you about the results next time.
HI i need help, i was fired for taking some unique coins from work, when i got investigated i did admitted what i did and i brought back the items, the investigator said that he wouldnt put nothing wrong in my records like criminal record, if i returned the items. I also have checked my background its clear no criminal records and i also cheked my reference with human resource 1800 number the company gives you if i put them as reference for a new job. well when i cheked it tells me, my salary,dates of hire and dates of last day of work, it doesnt say what was the reason i was let go, but it said not that im not rehireable and i cant leave it off when im applying because it was my last job and worked there for 7 years…. i go for interviews and i always tell them i was lay off but my question, by saying lay off and the background saids not rehireable can affect my chances of getting hired with a new employer? what excuses i can say in an interview? thank you for your help.
Andrew – I would recommend being honest. State why you took the coins, the remorse you felt, and what you learned from the situation. Also state if true that that was the only incident of theft or dishonesty you have ever had. Also state that you know trust is an important part of working relationships, and will do your best to prove you are trustworthy. Also provide character references of you can.
I recently worked for a private hotel at the front desk for over 6years. Every year during/Jan-Feb my direct manager has us request our vacation time. I always ask others when they are going whether they have seniority over me or not. We are not union. I put in my vacation for July and assumed I would be approved and booked my flight tickets like many employees have done in the past. The ompany asks us to take vacation in the summer because it is so slow & last 2 summers my vacation overlaps others which is fine because we always have coverage. I received my request and was denied without a reason so I emailed her to ask if I can still take my vacation in July because I booked my tickets. She later called me to her office and told me the general manager told her to tell me he was livid & if I go in July dont bother coming back! I was so upset after all i have done for the club including working night audit to cover night shift & was named employee of the year once and employee of the month twice. I told her I had no choice because I can not change my flights so she said dont come back. So I left but my question is I am applying to other companies, should I tell them what happened or just say I am looking to work at a larger hotel with more opportunites for advancement? My previous job had only 40 rooms and very small hotel. Thank you.
-Susan
Hi Susan,
Since you will hopefully have more opportunities for advancement at a larger hotel, that is a logical reason to leave. Working somewhere for 6 years is a sign of maturity and that you were a good employee.
You may be asked why you left before you found another job, so it’s a good idea to be prepared to answer that question. Resist the instinct to tell the all the details about how unreasonable your former boss was. Be positive, and move on. Harry Urschel in his Job-Hunt.org article “How to Handle Being Fired” offers very good advice for handling that kind of question, even appropriate for people who left rather than being fired.
Good luck!
Susan
After a year and a half being out of work, I find myself in the interview stage again.And the question that makes me nervous is, ” Why did you leave your last job?” I left due to medical reason ( I had a breakdown) after I recovered I decided not to return but to further my education and do some upgrading. I don’t know what to say, because I know you shouldn’t state you left for medical reasons.. is this correct?
Hi Cellie,
It’s a very good idea for you to be prepared in advance with an answer to this question, knowing that your former employer will probably be contacted about you and your work. They may provide nothing more than the dates you worked for them, or they may say more.
I do think it pays to be honest about why you left, but not to make a big deal about it.
If your employer thinks you just quit because you hated the job, you might be able to successfully avoid disclosing the issue, without being dishonest. But if you received medical benefits through them, they might share that information (even if they shouldn’t), so you could look untrustworthy by not mentioning it.
So be prepared!
* Be brief when you talk about this former job. You left “for medical reasons, which were successfully resolved.” You don’t need to say anything more about it. If they ask for details, say that the situation was “painful, and I have put it behind me. I am focused on moving forward in my career” and “since it is not relevant to my new job, I prefer not to dwell on it.”
* THEN, move briskly to your next sentence. “After I recovered,” or “Then,” you “decided to upgrade my skills, so I furthered my education to move on to…” your new field or career.
Good luck!
Susan
HI Susan,
Thank you for your advice. The interviewer didn’t want any details nor did I offer them to him when he asked. I think the interview went well. He seemed interested alot of eye contact. When he asked me if I had any questions , I asked him around three questions about he company and postion. But the only thing that concerns me is,
1. Interview was maybe 25 mins long
2. When I asked if someone will be contacting me, he stated he will be either calling or emailing me probably by the end of the next week as he will be on the road on business.
In closing I stated that I was very interested in the position, that it sounded very interesting and I would be a great asset to him. Than we both got up and he shook my hand and smiled and thanked me for coming.
I have mixed emotions now.. I dont know, the timing was to short? Right ?
Hi Cellie,
Congratulations for handling the question well. If you hadn’t, he would have asked more questions.
It’s a good question about the time it took for the interview. It was short, but that’s not necessarily a bad sign – perhaps he had enough information in that amount of time, or that’s all the time he had available to him then.
I hope you followed up with a quick thank you note, thanking him for his time and reiterating your interest in the job.
Wait past the end of the next week to reach out to him again (after the thank you note). The process almost always takes more time than anyone on the employer’s side think it will – and it always takes more time than the job seeker wants.
Read the other posts on this blog about preparing for interviews, sending thank you notes, etc. And see if the school where you got your additional training has a career center that can help you more directly, too. A job hunt can be a long, lonely, discouraging process, and professional advice can help shorten it.
Stay in touch. And, keep looking for a job. Don’t stop now, waiting for this to turn out (or not), because it might not.
Good luck!
Susan
I was forced to leave my job ( I quit) after 7 years last September because of my manager. As i was informed by others, she wanted to hire her friend for my position. I was hired by another manager who had left the company. I loved my job so I did not want to leave. However, it came to the point where I couldn’t handle it anymore, so I quit.
Ever since then, I have been sending resumes to companies and I had a few interviews. I have also sent resumes to employment agencies and they are all asking me why I left without finding a job first.
My response is that I wanted to concentrate on finding the right company for me with better job opportunities (as I cannot tell them the real truth as you can’t say bad things about your previous employer).
My question is:
I am just wondering if it is true that companies and employment agencies prefer not to hire people who have quit their jobs and are still unemployed after 6 months? If this is the case, what is a person to do to find a job? I have also removed the months of employment (only) on my resume so they won’t know which months I started and left the previous company so they won’t know how long I have been unemployed. Is that a good decision on my resume?
Hi Lisa,
Since you’ve been employed up until last September, I would keep the months on your resume because some people will assume that you have been unemployed for more than a year if they don’t see September, 2011, on it. Leaving the month off could be hurting you now.
You are right not to bad mouth your former employer, and your response to the why-did-you-leave question sounds good. You might add that you are looking for an opportunity for long-term growth because you like to work in the same organization for a long time. Seven years at your previous employer is a sign that you are a good employee, not a job hopper or someone with a lot of problems. You have a right to be proud of that.
It is true that some employers are not interested in hiring someone who is unemployed, particularly if the person has been unemployed for more than a year. It’s dumb, but it happens. Often, employers worry that an unemployed job seeker is so desperate for a new job that they will take anything, just to have a job (and then not be good at it or leave too soon). So, be sure the employer knows that you have carefully considered them and the job they have before you applied. Show your interest by asking good questions in the interview about what they do – products, services, etc. Don’t act or look desperate – even if you are.
For more help on how to deal with job hunting while you are unemployed, read this excellent article on Job-Hunt.org by recruiter Harry Urschel – Why It’s Easier to Get a Job When You Are Employed.
Good luck!
Susan
Hi Susan,
After almost 3 years of working for my sister, we had a disagreement at work. She asked me if I wanted to go home for the rest of the day. I asked her if she wanted me to and she said yes. While I was putting my purse on my shoulder, she held out her hand and said, “Keys.” So I handed her the office keys that I had. She then said, “Phone.” So I handed her the business cell phone. I left, assuming that I was fired, since if I was going home for the rest of the day, I shouldn’t have been asked for the keys and business cell phone. She’s now telling people I quit. I feel I was fired. I do answer the question: Why did you leave your last position? with: “Working with family is never easy and in this instance, it didn’t work out.”
What’s your thought process on this situation and do you think I have a good answer for why I left my last position?
I do get angry, because it seems employers are ALWAYS right, no matter how they treat you. In this circumstance, I was subjected to much more from my boss since she’s my sister than any other employers I’ve had. It was so hard to work for her. But you can never tell anyone. And since she’s the boss, they always believe her side over mine. It’s very frustrating. I am ready to call LIFE quits because I can’t find another job and rent is coming up and I’m so fed up with everything. I feel like I’ve been blacklisted, not only by her, but by life.
Sorry for the ‘sob’ story….I’m just very emotional right now and have been crying all day.
Thanks,
Marsha
Hi Marsha,
Please DO CALL the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255 – RIGHT NOW! As horrible and hopeless as you may feel right now, this is NOT worth ending your life!
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has an online chat from 5 PM to 1 AM, Eastern Time, where you can interact directly with counselors online rather than over the phone. You might want to try that, too. Find the online chat here: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/GetHelp/LifelineChat.aspx
I hope that you are feeling better today! Yes, I think your answer, “Working with family is never easy and in this instance, it didn’t work out” is excellent. And true, unfortunately.
If your sister is telling employers who contact her that you have quit, I think that may actually be better for you. You worked for her for 3 years – that shows that you aren’t a job-hopper. So you have a good message to share with employers, and you will find the right employer soon.
This is a tough economy for everyone to find a job, but over 4,000,000 people land jobs every month in the USA, so it is possible. You just have to work hard at it and get lucky, too.
You haven’t been blacklisted by the business world or by life, though! Being fired is always tough, and I think being fired by your sister, having it happen inside your family, must make it feel so much worse. My heart goes out to you. I’ve seen this happen in other families, too. But IT IS RECOVERABLE!
People manage this situation and recover from it all the time, and we have help for your job search here in WorkCoachCafe, in Job-Hunt.org, and in your local city, too! Take a look at these articles:
Recruiter Harry Urschel wrote an excellent article for Job-Hunt.org on this very topic –
How to Handle Being Fired
And WorkCoachCafe’s Ronnie Ann wrote several good articles on this topic, including this one, too – Job Interview: Reason for Leaving Your Job After 15 Years
A solitary job search is very tough, dealing with all the rejection that feels very personal, even though it often isn’t. Find a local job search support group and go to the meetings. You will see that you are not the only one dealing with these issues and that there are strategies to deal with them successfully. You can connect with them through your local places of worship (even thought they are often not religious), local public libraries, your local city or town hall, and your local OneStop Career Centers.
Just take some time to deal with this pain, so you can heal and get your life back. Now, go call the 1-800-273-8255
Keep in touch!
Good luck!
Susan
I am loving this blog and the camaraderie and professionalism that is shared here. I am looking for guidance in how to explain why I was fired. I worked for the company for 4.5 years and assisted in growing the company over 1300% during that time. The owners were a husband/wife team and they hired his sister, whom I supervised. We had a conversation after hours, in a social setting, and discussed our wages. (protected topic in CO) I have no idea what she told them I said but I did not disclose any personal information about anyone else other than myself (I know that is against the law). I was told I was being fired for “unethical behavior” and for being “untrustworthy”. I asked them to tell me what she had said but they wouldn’t. I’m thinking of saying something like “I had a conflict of interest with someone I supervised who happened to be related to the owners.” or something like that…..help please!
Hi Carrie,
Tough spot! And, how unfortunate (but not surprising) that they won’t tell you what “unethical behavior” and “untrustworthy” things you are alleged to have done. They need to be careful who they do tell about your alleged behavior or be sued for defamation by you, particularly if their action stops you from getting another job. Hopefully, it won’t come to that!
When speaking with a potential new employer, you could say it was simply an unfortunate misunderstanding with one of the members of the family which owns the company. You worked there happily and successfuly for 4.5 years, and that situation was an abberation.
Be sure to speak well of your former employer and your work. Don’t dump on them.
You will probably need people to provide references, and they need to vouch for the quality of your work. Find someone else in the company, if possible, who can be a good reference for you. And, also, line up support from customers, clients, and/or suppliers who are familiar with your work, liked working with you, and will give you a good reference.
Recruiter Harry Urschel wrote an excellent article about handling this situation in an interview on our sister site, Job-Hunt.org, that is well worth reading for insight into how to handle this kind of situation – How Employers View You Being Fired.
Good luck!
Susan
hi ijust finished my 2nd interview and this is was my dream job. when they asked me why dont i look for job in accounting firms since im accounting graduate? this job is more on finance. i was sayin that accounting firms doesnt really encourage fresh graduate and i said i dont like my currentjobbecause its a small firm and i cant learn alot i dont want to be a stupid person. i just realised that i made a biggest mistake. please helpme
Hi Nisha,
If you haven’t sent your thank you message yet, send it and try to recover from the “biggest mistake” in your message. The good news is that you now have more experience with interviewing. The bad news is you may (or may NOT!) have blown this opportunity.
Meanwhile, do 4 things:
1.) Don’t beat yourself up about this. Learn from it!
2.) Write down how you think you should have answered that question, and then read your answer out loud. Say it a few times, too, so you feel comfortable with the words.
3.) Practice answering common job interview questions so you can improve your responses (greatest weakness, greatest strength, why you want to work here, etc.). Thinking about your answers ahead of time and practice saying them will help you be less nervous, and you’ll do much better next time.
4.) Keep looking for a job.
You’ll find a lot of help answering interview questions here on WorkCoachCafe.com. Check out the other posts.
Good luck!
Susan
HI I RESIGNED FROM MY LAST JOB DUE TO HEALTH REASON SEEKING MEDICAL TREATMENT ON MY SEVERE NECK PAIN NOW IM OK. WHATS THE BEST ANSWER IN THE JOB INTERVIEW ON WHY I LEFT MY LAST JOB THAT I CAN SAY BECAUSE IM NOW READY TO LOOK AGAIN FOR A JOB/ KINDLY HELP ME ON MY QUERIES? THANKS.
REPLY
Hi Arthur,
It’s a very good idea for you to be prepared in advance with an answer to this question and to practice saying it a few times so you are comfortable with it. I think it is also a very good idea to be honest about why you left, but not to make a big deal about it. Remember, your former employer may be contacted by a prospective employer to confirm that you worked there.
When you answer
* Be brief when you talk about this former job. You left “for medical reasons, which were successfully resolved.” You don’t need to say anything more about it. If they ask for details, you could explain it generally and then possibly say, “since it is not relevant to my new job, I prefer not to dwell on it.”
* THEN, move briskly to your next sentence. “Now, I am back in the job market, eagerly looking forward to working as (job title) for your company.”
Good luck!
Susan
hi susan
r u tryin to say that i will not get this job??
Hi nisha,
I have no idea whether or not you will get the job. Your comment indicated a “big mistake” you made in your interview. I have no idea what that mistake was, and I don’t think you should write it out here for the world to read.
But – assuming you are correct (and I do NOT know that you are because I don’t know what happened) – I was trying to help you: (1) recover, if possible, through the thank you note and (2) move on with your job search.
Do consider that what YOU think was a big mistake may not be viewed that way by the people who interviewed you. Hard to say.
I do know that if you need a job, waiting and worrying about this job won’t help you land a different job. It will just waste your time, and it won’t help.
So, if you haven’t sent that thank you note, do send it now. And, then move on to the next opportunity in case this one doesn’t work out for you.
Good luck!
Susan
I just quit my job due to no teamwork. After watching my coworker pull up a chair at the cash register while we were swamp with customers watching me do all the work I was fed up. However, I waited till my other coworker came back from lunch and did the same thing except put food away wile rearrangeing it while we had customers lined out the door. Again I was doing all the work again. So I waited til I got the chance to go on a little 10 min break and clock out and handed my boss my time card and said I quit without giving a reason. Because I felt that all they were going to do is move me again or write me up again for something I did do. Anyways, had another job interview and the guy ask me why I quit so I said so and he told me to call him Monday is that a good or bad sign of landing the job.
Meant to say I didn’t do
Letanya,
If you were asked to call on Monday to follow-up, that is generally a good sign.
That said, I’d encourage you to think about how you present the story of why you quit your job — in the future, it’s always better for the employer if you address the problem before quitting. If you feel others aren’t pulling their weight, ask why they are doing what they are doing: the co-worker who needs a chair to sit at the cash register might be trying to avoid repetitive stress syndrome or a problem with their back. If you don’t take five minutes to rearrange supplies, you could run out later…
If you simply need team members to pitch in and help, sometimes you just need to tell people — and you could ask a manager how they’d prefer for you to handle these situations when you see them. Simply quitting hurts the employer — because they aren’t able to see the bottleneck caused by others not doing the work.
I’d recommend you go back to the boss you left and tell them why you left — and ask for what they would have preferred you do instead of quitting. It may not be the easiest thing to do, but if they are called and asked why you left and they just said, “she quit without giving a reason and left immediately” they may worry that you would do the same to them.
Keep your tone positive during the interview, and good luck with your search.
Best,
Chandlee
Thank you.
Wanted to say thank you again because I did go back and give them a reason and they said ok but wish I would’ve came to them first instead of walking out. However, I did find another job and my previous job gave me perfect reference.
Latanya,
What wonderful news! Good luck to you — and in the future, you know what to do.
I hope you like your new job.
All the Best,
Chandlee
Hi,
I joined a company In July 2011 after being on the job hunt for 4months. I soon realised after joining the company that I made a huge mistake. I was emotionally abused, told to do other employees work to meet deadlines, and blamed for things that sometimes weren’t in my control. I didnt mind helping out and I kept thinking that things would get better. I was also put on a 3 month probation period when I joined the company, however they kept extending the probationary period which meant me not actually getting paid the cost to company that I was due. The environment at the company was very hostile and. I was becoming very depressed. I handed in ,y resignation in JanuAry 2012mand february 29 was my last day. When asked why I resigned, would it be ok to state thAt I wasn’t actually a permanent employee because of the probationary period? I don’t want to say anything negative about my previous employer. Please help me.
I think you can simply say, “I was never offered a permanent, full-time position at the company — and, due to my uncertain status — I decided to leave to pursue other opportunities.”
Good luck with your search.
Best,
Chandlee
Hello! I started my last job while I was in high school and provided 6.5 years of outstanding service to the company. Throughout the years I advanced into several leadership roles and was most currently an exempt manager responsible for 13 departments, 5 hourly superviser’s, and over 40 hourly employees.
I put in roughly 80 hours in 6 days during my last week of employment. After completing a 21 hour shift I made my hour commute to my house, showered and dressed, and headed back to work for my next shift. While driving I had a revelation that I COULD NOT continue to due this. I was mentally and physically exhausted. I turned the car around, went home and called my boss letting her know that it was time for me to move on and that I wasn’t comming back.
I have an awesome work ethic and it is reflected on my resume. Employer’s are impressed with it however they immediately lose interest when they discover that I abandoned my last job.
In your opinion, what would be the best response for me when the “why did you leave your last job” question comes up?
John,
I think the issue here is a common one: when starting out, often new professionals are so eager to work, that they forget to take care of themselves.
What employers want to see is not that you are perfect but rather that you’ve learned how to take a weakness and turn it into a strength. In your case, you can reframe it as “I left because I realized I was exhausted to the point where I could make a positive contribution to the work place. I worked 80 hours in six days and — at the end of the last 21 hour shift, I realized I was teetering on the edge of physical exhaustion.” What was my greatest strength — my work ethic — had essentially led me to the brink because I did not allow myself to rest. (You could add here if your boss was supportive and had told you to get the rest.)
I learned how to take better care of myself during my time out. And as I return to work, it will be with an increased sense of how to take better care of myself outside of work — from getting more sleep, to eating better, etc…
Obviously, this may not be the appropriate version for you, but some variation on it may work…
Good luck.
Best,
Chandlee
hi! i resigned from my job last october 2010 due to health concern or medical reason. i was having a severe neck spondylosis or neck spasm which i was advise to undergo physical therapy and rehabilitation for several months. now im ok and i wanted to try applying for a job, wat is the best answer that i could give when being asked in an interview why i left my last job? pls. help me on this. thanks.
Hi Arthur,
That’s a tricky one. In the U.S., there are very strict guidelines on how and when employers can ask about your physical health in the job application process — but there’s no hard and fast rule on when you (as an applicant) should disclose this. If your condition is 100% cured without a chance of relapse, you could get a doctor’s note on this — and share that as part of the interview process.
If not, check out this post from Job-Hunt.org on how to answer the tough question, can you do this job with your chronic illness?
(The post provides you with a strategy you can use to answer the question in a direct, concise manner.)
Good luck with your search.
Best,
Chandlee