Jane was asked, why did you leave your last job? Instead of saying “I was laid off with a group of people,” She said, I was let go and they won’t bring me back. Jane didn’t paint the “right” picture for the employer. She should have said, “I was laid off with 500+ employees. This gives me an opportunity to seek out a company like yours that is stable...
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE SAY THEY LEFT THEIR JOB
Company closed and company relocated – When a company closes or it has relocated it is perfectly accepted that you are no longer with them. What you should do is have on their letterhead a reference written by your last boss. I suggest having a second reference if at all possible also.
These are all legitimate reasons of why you are no longer with your job. You can say, “It is a perfect opportunity for me to have a new career although I loved the last job and I could see myself being there in a few years from now. Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that has... (List things that you know they are looking for in the job, ie:) Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that is a larger company where the position offers me several things I am looking for: like a strong team, a strong department. Somewhere where I can utilize my skills in sales...”
Layoff - is similar to a company being closed. You just say that I was part of a second layoff that the company had or I am part of a layoff that involves 500 people, etc. Then use the same verbiage above for this role.
Boss and I clashed – I have found that this is the most common reason someone has left. The simplest way to explain is that this isn’t the person that hired you and that your personalities are just different. You wanted to stay with the company but there were no other openings.
New boss came in and brought their own person – This happens all of the time. You can say how disappointed you are and again you can use the same verbiage as you did for company being closed. “It is a perfect opportunity for me to have a new career although I loved the last job and I could see myself being there a few years from now. Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that has... (List things that you know they are looking for in the job, ie:) Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that is a larger company where the position offers several things I am looking for: like a strong team, a strong department. Somewhere where I can utilize my skills in sales...”
For better opportunity – There are several ways of answering this question. One way would be, “after 10 years of working with this company I had an opportunity that was providing me more of a challenge than the last job. There wasn’t really anywhere for me to go. You can use this same answer for Recruited out with better opportunity.
These are just a few of the answers to the question, “Why did you leave your last job?” There are multiple answers that can be given to each one. From a previous blog, “What 5 questions does every company ask?, you want to be able to offer a short story explaining your answer that will paint a picture for the employer to see.
Practice your answers ahead of time and always tell the truth. Be prepared for your interview and you will be ahead of the game.
Any questions: To write comments please go to the contact us tab. We would like to hear from you!
Cindy Cannon, principal of Growth Management Group, provides career assessment and advancement advice and assistance derived from 25 years of recruitment experience in over 2,000 hires. She may be reached at cindy@gmgweb.com or (770) 945-5445 EXT 300 Do not miss the January 15th class on interviewing.
2010- Cindy Cannon – All rights reserved. ©
Reprint Permission Granted* - See details below
*Permission is granted to reprint this article provided that the bio on the side and contact information are included in the publication and a copy of the reprinted article or a link to it is emailed to cindy@gmgweb.com
SOME OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE SAY THEY LEFT THEIR JOB
- Company Closed
- Layoffs
- Boss and I Clashed
- New Boss Came In and Brought Their Own Person
- Company Relocated
- Better Opportunity
- Recruited Out Of Company With A Better Opportunity
- Change Of Career
Company closed and company relocated – When a company closes or it has relocated it is perfectly accepted that you are no longer with them. What you should do is have on their letterhead a reference written by your last boss. I suggest having a second reference if at all possible also.
These are all legitimate reasons of why you are no longer with your job. You can say, “It is a perfect opportunity for me to have a new career although I loved the last job and I could see myself being there in a few years from now. Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that has... (List things that you know they are looking for in the job, ie:) Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that is a larger company where the position offers me several things I am looking for: like a strong team, a strong department. Somewhere where I can utilize my skills in sales...”
Layoff - is similar to a company being closed. You just say that I was part of a second layoff that the company had or I am part of a layoff that involves 500 people, etc. Then use the same verbiage above for this role.
Boss and I clashed – I have found that this is the most common reason someone has left. The simplest way to explain is that this isn’t the person that hired you and that your personalities are just different. You wanted to stay with the company but there were no other openings.
New boss came in and brought their own person – This happens all of the time. You can say how disappointed you are and again you can use the same verbiage as you did for company being closed. “It is a perfect opportunity for me to have a new career although I loved the last job and I could see myself being there a few years from now. Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that has... (List things that you know they are looking for in the job, ie:) Now, what I am looking for is a company like yours that is a larger company where the position offers several things I am looking for: like a strong team, a strong department. Somewhere where I can utilize my skills in sales...”
For better opportunity – There are several ways of answering this question. One way would be, “after 10 years of working with this company I had an opportunity that was providing me more of a challenge than the last job. There wasn’t really anywhere for me to go. You can use this same answer for Recruited out with better opportunity.
These are just a few of the answers to the question, “Why did you leave your last job?” There are multiple answers that can be given to each one. From a previous blog, “What 5 questions does every company ask?, you want to be able to offer a short story explaining your answer that will paint a picture for the employer to see.
Practice your answers ahead of time and always tell the truth. Be prepared for your interview and you will be ahead of the game.
Any questions: To write comments please go to the contact us tab. We would like to hear from you!
Cindy Cannon, principal of Growth Management Group, provides career assessment and advancement advice and assistance derived from 25 years of recruitment experience in over 2,000 hires. She may be reached at cindy@gmgweb.com or (770) 945-5445 EXT 300 Do not miss the January 15th class on interviewing.
2010- Cindy Cannon – All rights reserved. ©
Reprint Permission Granted* - See details below
*Permission is granted to reprint this article provided that the bio on the side and contact information are included in the publication and a copy of the reprinted article or a link to it is emailed to cindy@gmgweb.com
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