NEVER BAD MOUTH FORMER BOSSES

There’s one dreaded question that always comes up in every job interview. It can happen right in the middle of everything when you feel that the interview is going very well and you’re already hearing the words “You’re hired” in your head.

Suddenly, you’re asked “Why did you leave your last job?” This is when you freeze. All you can see at that moment is your past boss on a tirade, face red, screaming, and degrading you in front of your co-workers. You really want to tell this nice person interviewing you what a horrible creature your last boss was and that you couldn’t take his abuse any longer. But that’s NOT the best answer to the question.

When you complain about a former boss, it makes you look like a complete whiner. Since the interviewer doesn’t actually know you, it’s possible that you may also come off as a potential trouble maker in the work place. This is just not the time to bad mouth your past employer. You can count on the interviewer not believing your side of things no matter what the truth is. Therefore, instead of saying what a moron your boss was, there are better responses.

These include:

“My boss and I agreed that my chances for advancement were limited where I was and that it was a better option for me to achieve my career goals elsewhere.” Be ready to answer the question of “What ARE your career goals?”
“I wasn’t being challenged enough.” This is a polite way of saying the job bored you. Be ready to add that you’re excited about taking on any challenges associated with the job you’re interviewing for.
“I want to work for a company that supports its employees.” You may be asked to add to that so be prepared with an appropriate response.
“I have different career goals now.” This response is great when you’re changing careers. Companies tend to want their employees to be able to jump right in, though, so you’ll need to explain how your experience makes you perfect for the job.
Any or all of these responses may be part of the real story, so you’re not lying about the reason for leaving your last job. You just don’t need to give the WHOLE truth about how horrible your boss was.