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
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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
I have a problem and a question. I was recently terminated from my job in November of last year due to a mistake I made the month before and thanks to a really great friend and previous manager I got another job at the beginning of December. I’m glad to be working but it’s only part-time and I can only do it for so long before I’m going to either need more hours or a new job. I’ve been working for the second company for over 6 years but it was mostly seasonal and I had other full time jobs in between but would come back when I had a day off to help out. I’m filling out applications left and right to get my name back out there but when I come to the part about whether or not they can contact my previous employers I get stuck. I know I can get a great reference from my current employer and the one I had before the company I got let go from but I don’t know how to determine if I should have my future employer contact the company I got let go from. I don’t know what kind of reference I’ll get from that company if they are contacted. And I also don’t know what to say about why my previous employer can’t be contacted. I’m stuck because I know that if I get accepted for a face to face interview that they will ask what happened at my previous company seeing as how I was only there for 7 months. I learned from my mistakes, the hard way of course, and I am the better for it but will a future employer see that? I’m just afraid that this company is going to be the reason I’ll only be employed part time at my current job for a long time without the possibility of full time or even advancement. I have good references to use but is that enough to counteract my termination?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Ronnie Ann,
I made 2 moves within my company and this was right when I was due for a promotion , each time! The first time I moved, I was told about a wonderful profil in theo ther team, so I chucked the promotion and moved , however the role never came to me and I had to start from scratch to build my caree, which I did. Got pregnant which was used instantly to not to promote me. Had a baby and was asked to wait for 6 months for promotion. I couldnt wait that long as back then I felt i was growing old so I moved back to my previous team as I was told, they could give me a good role having known me /my skills eralier on. I was not given any work for close to 6 months as the “good role” was still on its way. then the folks who hired me started talking about the role for me, the manager who sat next to me knew the skills I had built in the earlier team were amazxing and she felt insecure and said, I had a small baby and she was not comfortable with me doing the “good role” and I was asked to start my career from “scratch”.
When my peers who joined with me 8 years back are now managers, I am 2 levels lower. I am looking out but I have such low confidence. I blanked out yesterday in the interview when I was asked about my key strengths, what are leadership competencies?
I have not really seen a true leader, how could I even asnwer that question though it was so simple.. rather seems simple today as I am no longer being interviewed.
Then I read your article about key strenghts and there was so much I could relate myself to, so thank you for that.
However, I dont really know what to say, when I am asked-why do you want to leave after 8 years at one organization? I obviously cannot say what I have been thru, and I feel so stupid when I say, looking for challenging roles etc.. when deep down I know thats not true. I want to leave as I feel so let down.I was to grow in my career, do well for myself with all the hard work I put in..but how do I say this?Please help.
Thanks,
Karen
Karen,
When you’re in a job for a long time and have not been promoted as you would like, it can feel demoralizing. The key here, I think is to do a couple of things:
1. Take stock of your strengths (sounds like this is already in process). Talk to people who like and support you outside of work if you need help. There are many tools on the web which link to quick strengths assessments that are free, you can also purchase a book that includes the Clifton Strengths Finder, a good quick assessment.
Identify strengths you’d like to use in your next position — and market those when you apply for new jobs.
2. When you look for a new job after 8 years there is no need to go into detail on why you are leaving. You certainly don’t want to go negative. Just say you are ready to explore working in a different type of role — using the _______ strengths that you have. You’ve certainly shown you have loyalty and can do your job.
Good luck and all the best,
Chandlee
Thank you, Chandlee. It was very helpful.
Thanks, Karen. You are very welcome.
Chandlee
Good day;
I recently was let go off a company after more than 14.5 years there. The reason I was given is that my performance was unsatisfactory. I was also told that I was placed into a dvelopment plan for a year and I did not pass. The issue is that I was hired intially for a totally diffrent position but that position was outsourced. So, I was placed into my last position which was completely out of my set of skills, very stressfull and on top on things I was put on the midnight shift. Now I have this job interview coming up in excatly the position which is my skills and specaility. The problem is I stated to this new company that I left last comapny on my own because the job was not within my field and on the midnight shift. And knowing that if called I will not get a good reference, I arrangend with one of my co-workers to act as my manager. This co-worker agreed to this since he truly belived that I was really good at even my last position and I was treated pretty unfairly. I am so concerend and scared that they will call my ex-company and find the truth. The problem is that my last company is so big and my salary was so high it is really difficult for someon (or anyone) to belive that anyone laeves it. Please help me ASAP. Many thanks
Hi there
I left my job four weeks ago and now I am going for job interview and the type of questions the interviewer ask me is that why I left mu other job, so I tell them that the role was not as challenging as I expected it to be and also the scope for growth is very limited. I would like to advance in my career and at Giant group (my previous company) it wasn’t a viable career so that’s why I left. The interviewer ask me without finding another job so I will tell them that I leave at home with my family so I have all the support I need. Please kindly advise how I can answer the interview question in a better way also if the interviewer was to ask me question what is your ideal role how can I answer please give example also if they were to ask me what will I remember you and what is your ideal sales role. How I can answer that too please advise