How to Explain Why You Left a Job
- 1). Wait until the time is right. Don't allow your eagerness to get this explanation out of the way to lead you to give it before it is necessary. Unless a hiring committee specifically asks why you left your last job, you don't need to give the explanation at all. Wait until the committee poses a question about your departure from the position before broaching the subject.
- 2). Explain the situation concisely. If you ramble on about why you left your job, you increase the likelihood of sharing more information than you need to, perhaps not all of it complimentary. Keep it short and to the point.
- 3). Spin the story as positively as you can. While you don't want to lie about the reasons behind your departure from the position, you can place the business relationship's end in a positive light. For example, if you were having difficulties with your boss and left to seek a higher-level position, leave out the part about the conflict and focus instead upon your desire to grow.
- 4). Avoid name calling. Even if your relationship with your last employer was decidedly negative, don't say anything bad about this individual or company. If you do, you make yourself seem unprofessional. After all, if you are badmouthing your past employer, your potential new employers have reason to believe that you would do the same after you end your relationship with them.
- 5). Mention the current job. Explain how the job for which you are interviewing fits into your overall career plan, allowing the interview committee to see that this past job was just a steppingstone and that your departure was just part of growing, not necessarily the result of something negative.
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