Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? 10 Tips to Answer This Question
As is revealed in discussions on the same over at runrex.com, the question, “Why did you leave your last job?” is one of the most common interview questions and one you should expect when preparing for an interview. This question is one most people dread as it puts you on the spot and it can be difficult balancing the truth while still painting yourself in the best possible light to your potential employer according to guttulus.com. The good news is that this question doesn’t have to be as painful as you might think. This article will look to outline 10 tips that should help you formulate your response to this common interview question.
Be honest
The most important tip when it comes to answering this question is making sure that you answer honestly and truthfully. According to runrex.com, it is crucial that you are upfront about your reason for leaving, and particularly if you were terminated. As discussed over at guttulus.com, a prospective employer will usually call you references or your last supervisor which is why it is important to be honest, as if you are not, it will come to light one way or the other and your chances of landing the job will go up in smoke.
What if you were let go?
One of the reasons why this question can be so daunting is because those who were terminated or let go from the previous job feel like answering truthfully will jeopardize their chances of landing the job. However, lying about the reasons why you were terminated is actually what will damage your chances. This is why shouldn’t panic if you were let go, as telling the truth won’t put you off the running. According to the gurus over at runrex.com, the best way to approach such a situation is to paint your being let go as a learning experience and to show what you have gained and learned from the experience. The interviewer is likely to overlook your mistakes if you are upfront about them and if you show you have grown in the process.
Remain positive
Naturally, most job seekers are looking for a new job because something went awry in their previous position. However, as tempting as it might be to bash your old boss, you should resist this temptation at all costs. According to guttulus.com, you should never speak negatively about your boss or supervisor as if you do, the only thing that will look negative is you. When answering this question, remain positive and discuss something valuable and beneficial that you were able to take away from that position.
Keep it short
Remember, when answering this question, the longer you continue talking, the more likely you are to start opening up about things that are not necessary, and things that may damage your chances. Therefore, according to the subject matter experts over at runrex.com, once you have answered the question, there is no need to keep elaborating. Keep your answer short and sweet and if the interviewer wants more information, they will ask you to expand.
Focus on the new job
Also, as outlined over at guttulus.com, when answering this question, make sure you conclude your response by spinning it back to why you are interested in the job you are interviewing for. This means highlighting job duties for the new position that sparks your interest. For example, you can say something like, “In my last role, I didn’t have too many opportunities to collaborate with other departments, so I’m excited about working on the cross-functional teams here”.
Be confident
Remember, as the gurus over at runrex.com are quick to point out, if you left your previous job for the right reason, you don’t need to dread answering this question or feel any guilt. People quit and begin new jobs all the time, and chances are everyone has done it at least once during their career life. Whatever your answer, say it with confidence and conviction, and be ready to move onto the next question.
Don’t say that you didn’t get along with a colleague on a personal level
Also, as discussed over at guttulus.com, don’t say that you had a fight with a coworker or try to blame them for any disagreements. While it is okay if were fired or had a professional disagreement, if you say that you couldn’t get along with somebody on a personal level, you will leave the hiring manager wondering if that isn’t going to happen again if they hire you for their team. Keep it professional and avoid any personal attacks.
Don’t make it seem like money is your only motivator
We all go to work for money, and hiring managers get it too. However, while answering this question, you mustn’t make it sound like you are too focused on money. This is why the experts over at runrex.com recommend that you combine this reason with another one. For example, you could say something like, “I was offered a significant pay increase, and was also excited about a couple of product launches that this new company was working on, so it seemed a great opportunity to take”.
Avoid sounding impulsive
Also, you don’t want to sound impulsive or like you have a scatter-gun approach in terms of what you want in your career. According to guttulus.com, you need to show the interviewer that you are focused and ready to come in and help them if they hire you, regardless of what happened in the past. Even if you pivoted your career recently, the last thing you want is to seem unsure of what you want or undecided in any way.
Don’t rush to bring it up if they don’t ask
You should also not feel the pressure to explain why you left previous jobs unless you are asked. As explained over at runrex.com, if it fits naturally into the conversation, then that is fine, just make sure you don’t walk into the interview and feel like you need to explain everything immediately as this will set off red flags as to why you are so eager to broach this particular topic. Remember, if the interviewer cares about it, they will ask.
These are some of the tips to consider when it comes to answering this question, with more on this and other related topics to be found over at runrex.com and guttulus.com.