Moving from job to job, or even having significant time gaps in between employment on a resume, is an immediate red flag for recruiters. It’s also the one thing that strikes fear in the hearts of those heading into a final job interview, eager to work and establish stable careers. It’s important to answer this crucial question with a winning attitude, however. If explained poorly, it can mean the end of the road for that candidate. When a candidate expects the anxiety inducing question: “Why did you leave your last job?”, they tend to feel defeated before the interview has even been scheduled! Talk about a psych out. Badly described histories in interviews indicate weak and unfavorable qualities that employers are in the market for. And given the circumstance of job hunting though it can be very competitive because everyone wants to emerge as the winner.
Yet, despite it all, it doesn’t matter how qualified a person is or how impressive someone’s accomplishments are because all candidates are treated equally. It’s the interviewers job to thoroughly investigate every possible candidate for any vacancy. The process can feel like a rat race for some, we know. So, in this article we will explore how to prepare for this dreaded question and explain professional history, regardless of the circumstance, with the best kind of answer.
How to prepare for the question: “Why did you leave your last job?”
Face the facts: In job interviews, especially those instances when someone may have quit their last job – or in more unfortunate circumstances, was fired from their last job – transparency is most important. What this means, exactly, is that interviewees need to speak clearly and truthfully to the timelines presented in their CV. Stay in your lane and you will be alright!
Before every session, interviewers research and perform background checks on every individual and candidates should never doubt this for a second. A resume is seen as a map of an individual’s career record, and since it is designed by someone seeking out a new job, it is presented with a certain level of bias. Recruiters need to sift through and move beyond this bias to better understand the facts about the prospect. Their job in the interviewing process is to keep the time and measure the story against the record. So, first off, if an interviewee is transparent and speaks to the facts, the first hurdle in the interview process will be surpassed.
Secondly, after presenting the facts, there is a need for each candidate to be confident or self-assured – these two go hand in hand. If candidate’s have nothing to hide in an interview, confidence should flow naturally, gracefully like a runner’s stride with focused foot-fall and pacing. But confidence, to be clear, is not about being defensive or offensive. There is no space for that in this kind of race. Active listening is critical in the interview process and crucial to being confident. Interviewees should pay close attention to the interviewer’s questions, and answer clearly, aligning with the information presented in the CV (don’t forget that interviewers would have already conducted their background research). The interview will instantly be less intimidating once this skill’s in the bag.
How a person should focus their answers in an interview, if they were laid off or fired from their last job
By many circunstancies a person can go throught that experience of being let go, however that person needs to be aware that the situation they’re facing can help them to comeback stronger. During a hiring process sometimes the candidate needs to face the ringer. If someone either quit the job they hate or had more serious reasons for a sudden job departure (aka being fired), the best “Why did you leave your job answer” should always be constructed around a short, honest, and goal-oriented response.
Since many people believe that the wrong response automatically places their resume in the rejected pile of candidates, it can be a tough process to practice through. How can anyone craft the right answer without knowing the right answer in the first place? The best answers to difficult questions often illustrate a candidate’s best qualities and habits. How should a prospect interviewee manoeuvre through this if, let’s say, a candidate was fired for being lazy with projects and missing deadlines, or they were consistently late despite several warnings from senior management, or they were immediately dismissed for publicly disrespecting someone in a senior position?
The steps to practice are as follows:
- Keep it short and to the point. Avoid excessive detail and prolonged story.
- Be honest. Present facts and highlight the most relevant points stated in the CV.
- Focus on goals and future.
It’s that easy. But it does require preparation. As any other common inteview question, any candidate heading into an interview should take the extra time before-hand to tackle this question to appear more confident despite the difficult situation. Think of it as a mental warm up.
Examples for reasons of leaving a job.
-
“My former employer and I had diferent perspectives about measuring the success in the job position. I realize there are some things I could have done differently. and now I’ve committed to holding a this position. I have made very specific considerations when applying This opportunity is in line with my skills and previous experience, and the direction I’d like my career to take. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring that maturity to my next job.“
-
“I was laid off by the company because of the business making huge cuts to the business in the face of technological improvements. My role could be performed by a machine and I was no longer needed. However, learning from it, I’ve been looking into studies as a software and maintenance technician and am looking to bring this strength to your team.”
It’s not just what you say and what you share in these moments of transition, it is how you say it and share it that is crucial to securing new roles successfully. Often, answering honestly tells more about an individual’s strength rather than assumed weakness. Honesty and future-focused objectives are the key. For example:
-
“While working at Company X, I pursued part time studies in Research and Development. This is the career path that I am most dedicated to and I wish to focus my energy along these lines moving forward. I saw that your company is active in this area and I knew that I needed to be a part of the action with my renewed sense of focus.”
-
“I learned a lot in my last job, but the strategic direction made my role less interesting and there was no room for me to grow. Professional growth is very important to me and it was the deciding factor in my departure.”
It’s important to know that the dreaded question and its associated conversations are worth embracing with the right kind of approach. Here, interviewees can expect to be better understood and judged for their character rather than the tricky situations often associated with being fired, resigning, or being let go from a previous post.
What recruiters want to know when they ask why someone has left their job
So, what does a recruiter want to know when they ask about the last job a candidate has left? Before we tackle this, it may be better to note and understand why this question comes up in the first place.
Vacancies are more than just a race towards bigger and better salary opportunities. Jobs represent a very specific role in an organization where the chosen candidate must fulfill important tasks and responsibilities. These points are attached to a set of organizational goals that integral to long term success for a company. So, when a person leaves one job post for another, or quits, that person is moving out of one role of responsibility in hope of finding another, leaving a new vacancy behind in the previous place of employment. Therefore, recruiters ask the “dreaded question” when they see incongruent timelines and gaps in between positions on a resume – they want to ensure that the person they are hiring is a committed and a trusted resource that the company can rely on in work. They want someone who can be entrusted with the responsibility to see the race through. They don’t want to hire anyone flaky.
Truthfully, the recruiter wants to understand, on a deeper level, how accountable candidates are when under pressure. Often when someone leaves a job or quits, it’s usually due to a desire to grow into a new career. And when someone is let go, the answers frequently point to a bigger corporate/ industry narrative that is outside of the employees control. Recruiters know this all too well. All does not fall south in these circumstances. Recruiters understand that in the complex arena of job experience and employment history, there are larger issues at play than the actions of honest people who simply want to get the job done. So, the question does not always connote negative meaning but rather signals to interviewers a candidate’s broader awareness of industry and professional ambition. If candidates understand this truth, they should never feel guilty to apply for jobs despite their professional history.
CONSIDER THESE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AS A STARTING POINT
The fact is that recruiters are looking, firstly, to fill the company’s immediate needs (within the advertised role) by filtering out weaker submissions well before names for the post are shortlisted. No need to give into any pre-race jitters! Usually they are looking for someone with experience, and consistent employment history is a very strong indicator of that belief. However, it doesn’t always hold true. Often interviewers want to understand the character of the candidate best and will use the “the dreaded question” to suss out which of the many possesses the values required for the position. They want someone with stamina, someone who is in for the long haul, a long-distance runner perhaps. And fortunately, given this circumstance, candidates can rest easy the night before the big day knowing that everyone begins at the same starting point regardless of their professional track record.
