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I left my last job due to personal reasons and because they wouldn't promote me, even though they all agreed I deserved it. They also changed my supervisor to a very young, immature, and inexperienced person. Life got really bad, really fast. I quit without having another job lined up. Due to personal reasons, I decided to move out of state. So, I quit in April and moved in July.
When asked why I moved, I tell them the truth, that I've always wanted to and the chance came up and I took it. Easy. When asked why I left my job, I have told them there was no room for advancement. When asked why I left without a job lined up, this is when it gets choppy.
I have told the truth about it being personal and due to the new management. I have stated that after being there for 9 years, it was time to move on. I don't like to say that in fear that they'll think that I want to leave, but usually they tell me about future possibilities in the company. I have been asked to explain more about the situation. I was honest. The problem is, should I not have been? Should I lie?
Help! What should I say or not say? I don't bad mouth my previous boss, but if I'm honest, I do say we clashed and he was inexperienced and micromanaged me (as an admin, most bosses won't micromanage). I don't go into more details beyond that. Am I being too honest?
If you need more info, ask and I'll explain. Thanks for getting through all that.
Tell them you moved out of state to be closer to family (who cares if it's not true). Most companies won't ask a follow up question-because in this economy some people move without jobs because it is becoming difficult to obtain employment out of state.
Never speak negative about the past company. They have no personal experience with this manager or company. You set off a warning for the interviewer. This candidate might be difficult and have problems with management.
Tell them that you were preparing to move in May. You had to reschedule to July.
Never, ever say personal reasons. In an interview you need to keep it 100% professional.
Never say anything negative about a previous employer.
I would say:
I left for a variety of reasons. No one reason was enough to make me leave in itself, but taken as a group, the combination drove my decision.
While my company wag a great place to work and I liked my coworkers, I had been there for 9 years. I was interested in taking on additional responsibilities and moving up, but the opportunity was simply not there. The company had an interest in filling positions by hiring outside candidates rather than promoting from within, so I had advanced as far as I could reasonably expect to go.
Add to that the fact that I have always wanted to move back to xx, I had sufficient savings to make this happen, and I have personal/family ties to this area, it seemed like a perfect time in which to do this.
...
You want more information as to why I left the last place? There really isn't much more to be said. I had been there a long time, knew my job really well, had the office running like a well oiled machine, and after 9 full years, I needed some new challenges.
....
Conflict with new boss? No, not really. Sure, there is some adaptation with any change in staffing, but it was all trivial stuff. He wanted stuff on his desk lined up left to right, I usually did it right to left. Just the standard minor adjustments between any coworkers. I can adapt, and did. It is not a big deal and you would be bored if I went into the trivia, because that is all it was, trivia. He really was a great guy, and I was there long enough that he got established in his new position. Boy, I sure do love this new city.
I would just tell them it was for personal reasons, or for personal reasons you had to move out of the state, and just leave it that.
My only concern with that is, will they now think that I'll one day up and quit because my "personal life" got in the way? Hmm....I guess it's always a double edged sword.
Tell them you moved out of state to be closer to family (who cares if it's not true). Most companies won't ask a follow up question-because in this economy some people move without jobs because it is becoming difficult to obtain employment out of state.
Then always state "it was a difficult decision."
Good luck
I don't know if that would stop the follow-up questions. At the last two interviews, they asked a lot of follow-up type questions about why I am moving out of state and why I left my last job without having a job lined up. But I'm sure saying, "moving closer to family" versus the truth (moving away from family) is most likely not to get more follow up questions (not that I stated that either way).
Never speak negative about the past company. They have no personal experience with this manager or company. You set off a warning for the interviewer. This candidate might be difficult and have problems with management.
Tell them that you were preparing to move in May. You had to reschedule to July.
I did tell them that. It's amazing how many follow-up questions they had and dug for answers. I guess I never know at what point to just lie to keep it "positive" versus being truthful. So, you feel I should make up some lie all the way through so I don't ever speak negatively about a previous supervisor?
Never, ever say personal reasons. In an interview you need to keep it 100% professional.
Never say anything negative about a previous employer.
I would say:
I left for a variety of reasons. No one reason was enough to make me leave in itself, but taken as a group, the combination drove my decision.
While my company wag a great place to work and I liked my coworkers, I had been there for 9 years. I was interested in taking on additional responsibilities and moving up, but the opportunity was simply not there. The company had an interest in filling positions by hiring outside candidates rather than promoting from within, so I had advanced as far as I could reasonably expect to go.
Add to that the fact that I have always wanted to move back to xx, I had sufficient savings to make this happen, and I have personal/family ties to this area, it seemed like a perfect time in which to do this.
...
You want more information as to why I left the last place? There really isn't much more to be said. I had been there a long time, knew my job really well, had the office running like a well oiled machine, and after 9 full years, I needed some new challenges.
....
Conflict with new boss? No, not really. Sure, there is some adaptation with any change in staffing, but it was all trivial stuff. He wanted stuff on his desk lined up left to right, I usually did it right to left. Just the standard minor adjustments between any coworkers. I can adapt, and did. It is not a big deal and you would be bored if I went into the trivia, because that is all it was, trivia. He really was a great guy, and I was there long enough that he got established in his new position. Boy, I sure do love this new city.
Ooooo.....that's good. See, this is what I needed to hear. Thank you. That helps and says everything that I wish I had said. To me, it's honest, w/o speaking negatively about the past position, but it's also lying (omitting the whole truth) enough that I don't feel like I'm throwing my morals down the drain.
No, that isn't good. Don't say anything about not being able to move up. Say you were looking for new challenges and opportunity to move home and had an opportunity that fell through. Don't mention personal finances or anything of this nature. Most of this is none of their business and most professionals won't dwell on it unless they want to make the interviewee uncomfortable. You are here to sell yourself into a job, get back on topic.
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