How Are You Telling Your Story?
How are you answering employers when they ask why you left your last job during the job interview? What about the jobs you held before that? Have you taken the time to prepare your answers? Perhaps your reasons are generally acceptable for employers. Say, you were contacted by a recruiter about a better job opportunity that you could not pass up, or you relocated and your job would not allow you to work remotely. On the other hand, your reasons could be generally unacceptable to employers and raise concerns. You did not get along with your boss, or the company was unorganized. These are valid reasons, but you probably do not want to share this type of information. That's why it is so important to prepare. Preparing to answer these questions is highly recommended, even for the answers that will most likely be acceptable to the recruiter or manager interviewing you. It is also important to be honest throughout the entire interview process. My suggestion for preparation is not to give a false answer. so your answers will be presented professionally. So, how do you answer these questions? Focus on self-improvement! We all want to better ourselves so try to think about why you are seeking a new job that relates to the part of you who wants to improve. Even if you did not get along with your boss, that means you are probably looking for a better opportunity to work in an environment that more closely aligns with your work ethic and goals. Be specific and do not give vague answers. Try not to leave room for the employer to make negative assumptions because they think you are hiding something. Remember, honesty and integrity are very important in the interview process.
Preparation should also take place for discussing gaps in your resume. Employers want to know they can depend on you. If you have gaps in your resume, they are going to want to know why and how you spent that time. Discussing a gap in your resume is easy if there was a reduction in force at your company and your job was affected. Maybe you were a stay-at-home mom, or you left your job to take care of a sick family member. These are all valid reasons that employers will likely understand, but what about when you graduated from college and it took you two years to find a job? Or, maybe you had enough money saved and decided to quit your job because you wanted to take time for self-reflection to discover your purpose. Employers may struggle with these answers, so it is important to have answers for how you spent that time. Remember, you want employers to feel that they can depend on you if they hire you, and you want them to know you spent that time being productive. If you volunteered, talk about it! Maybe you started a side business. Discuss that as well!
How to Answer Leaving Your Previous Jobs/ Why You are Seeking a New Job
Seeking more of a challenge
Better financial opportunity (it is okay to say you left for more money)
Room for growth
Desire to work in that specific role or industry
Seeking a career change
The job you left for aligned more with your passion
Tip for Gaps in Resumes
Don’t just discuss the gaps in your resume during the interview. List how you spent that time on your resume! If you have gaps in your resume, you may be a good candidate for writing a cover letter to explain those gaps!