Need Interview Help? Interview answers tipsInterview Help One of the most difficult interview answers is “why are you leaving your current job?” Of course, if you are not working at the time of the interview then explaining the reason why you are not employed is another difficult question. Let’s start with the first question since this is designed to trap you into revealing the possible frustration at the root of your decision to leave…and must be handled firmly yet delicately.In life, people frequently don’t listen to precisely what we say…they, instead, listen to the tone in which we say it. I can say something as simple and as benign as “good morning” and on any given day it will take on a completely different meaning as I originally intended. It could come out as edgy and terse which isn’t much of a greeting or it could be full of good energy meant to infuse the listener with well wishes. My tone in answering the question is one of nostalgia… I say in the same tone I would use when talking about…high school or college… ”I enjoy (never use past tense if it is your current job) many things about my work life however, unless people start to resign retire it will be difficult to find an opportunity for advancement” Notice I didn’t say “difficult to advance”…I said “opportunity to advance” Word choice is important because if you let it slip it will be difficult to advance they immediately wonder about your suitability and skill set. This also provides you with an opportunity to present yourself as forward thinking…a fine line however… I will explain… When one interviews and tries to elaborate on their ability to do many things well they lose focus and become a generalist…so promoting oneself as an opportunist willing to do any and all duties/jobs if given the chance is suspect…this is not an asset..it makes you look like you are getting a foot in the door and eventually abandoning the position as soon as something better (within the company or otherwise) comes along. Explaining gaps in employment can actually be a great opportunity to shine! The key is to have a solid answer for what you are doing with your time and be prepared to back up your statements with specific examples. Here is a fictional example to give you a better illustration:“Well, after leaving ABC Enterprises I took stock of my skills and passion and realized I needed to channel it into something productive and worthwhile but it was a little bit of a delicate balance in the sense that I wanted to be very careful about aligning myself with the right company…because, though I have 15 years of experience with baby food, not every relevant company is the right fit. I took some time to assess the market and in the interim I consulted with my alumni association at school andmentored recent graduates on how to leverage their internships and what traits are essential to employers in the industry”The specifics are not the point in the aforementioned example…it merely emphasizes the need to have the ability to explain yourself and turn a perceived asset into a liability. Interview Help written by Ken Bownes Interview Help BlogHow was your last interview?Share it! Interview Help - Most read articles |
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