One of the most common interview questions — and one that easily trips up many candidates — is a simple one: “Why did you leave your previous employer?”
People leave jobs or look for another position while still employed for myriad reasons. Some are admirable, such as having a desire to take on new challenges and grow professionally. Some are innocuously unavoidable, such as moving due to a spouse’s relocation or to care for aging relatives.
But many times we look for a new job for the same reasons that some couples seek a divorce: irreconcilable differences. So, when it comes to that question during the interview, the candidate will have an urge to speak the truth: “My old boss was a jerk.”
Never a good idea, even if your previous supervisor was, in fact, Attila the Hun.
For one thing, such a response puts an immediate negative pall on the interview. And it makes you look like a negative person. No one wants to hire a negative person. It’s always preferable to keep things as upbeat and positive as possible.
But telling someone you’re interviewing with for a new job how much you disliked your old job will cause a new question to arise in the interviewer’s mind: “What’s this guy going to be saying about me if I hire him?” And that’s a question the interviewer probably won’t ask out loud. She’ll just quietly thank you for your time and move on to the next candidate.
So what’s the appropriate response to “why did you leave” without having to mention Mr. Attila? There’s no need to lie, but you can respond with more positive truths. A boss who was a jerk may have been keeping you from advancing. So you can reply that you are seeking a position that can make better use of your skills and allow you to grow as a professional.
And remember, it’s likely that the interviewer will look into references and past work experience. You don’t want your previous employer telling the interviewer, “That guy was a real jerk.”
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