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I hate my job with a true passion and am looking to get out. For those of you with a career in an industry in which a lot of people know each other (potential new boss could know current boss) and you cross paths year after year, how would you answer this standard question? Here is the real reason why I am leaving:
Expected to work ridiculously long work hours, which I have refused to do, which has led to resentment
Company is so cash poor they can barely pay suppliers
The owners send nasty, abusive emails on the days they are out of the office (but are nice to our faces)
I am routinely blamed for the poor performance of people who don't report to me and in fact report to the owners themselves
They cheat people out of their money as a matter of course. For instance when a commissioned sales rep resigns, the owners screw them out of their final check (this one really pains me, I have someone due about $2k and I know that when I submit it to be paid, the owner won't sign the check and will come ask me how dare I even think about paying it.)
When I accomplish something big, they take the credit. (Example, I landed a six figure deal and the owner replied, "Well I talked to them 10 years ago. This just proves that they take 10 years to make up their mind.)
The pay sucks and isn't worth the drama
They are a55holes, the worst I have every worked for
I have worked there for about 10 months or so, so obviously the question why I am looking will be raised. I have a promising interview on Tuesday, want to get out so badly...
How would you spin this to make sure you don't sound like a gossip, especially since there is a possibility that they all travel in the same circles?
i think number two would be good to emphasize provided that it isnt proprietary information. you could indicate that you are concerned for your job stability
Why don't you simply just state that there is no room for advancement within your current organization. You're currently seeking an opportunity that will allow full growth and potential, with the ability to rise through the ranks.
Something like that? I've used it before to impress interviewers.
Obviously don't mention anything negative about your employers or the work or the people, that's a given. You could say the work isn't as challenging as you'd hoped or perhaps that you feel there is nowhere to progress to. Is there anything special about the new company you could bring up (kind of turn the question around) such as in-house training that isn't available in your current place?
i think number two would be good to emphasize provided that it isnt proprietary information. you could indicate that you are concerned for your job stability
Good thinking.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nj21
Why don't you simply just state that there is no room for advancement within your current organization. You're currently seeking an opportunity that will allow full growth and potential, with the ability to rise through the ranks.
Something like that? I've used it before to impress interviewers.
And I've been in your exact predicament.
That BS type answer isn't going to work here. Lord knows I have said such nonsense before, but it won't work now. I am way too senior to have accepted such a no-growth job in the first place.
I tell them that I'm looking for a company that I can learn from and have opportunity to move up in the organization. I say that I have personal goals to move up in to XXXX position, management, and grow my career at a single organization. I say the current company I'm at is a great company, but there isn't any growth opportunity and that is what I'm looking for. It also weeds them out because if they're planning on hiring you for a dead end job they'll rule you out knowing that you have goals to be promoted someday.
Do your homework about the prospective employer before the interview. Then when the question comes, use it as an opportunity to favorably contrast the two employers while explaining how you would be a better fit with the new employer. For example: "My current employer focuses more on individual competition among employees as a motivation method. I am looking for a more team oriented environment. The position you are offering will give me greater opportunities to take on individual responsibilities while sharing my success with others and benfitting when others succeed, too." Now you can give some specific examples. Talk about a big accomplishment you had and how others helped you with it. Explain that the system did not alow you to fully share that success with the team. (You don't have to say that the owner stole the credit for the accomplishment). Then talk about how you would handle the same situation with the new employer while taking and sharing the credit. (Maybe you talk about commission or bonus structures).
This approach would take some planning, but you could give a very impressive response to an otherwise difficult question.
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