I worked in a place where I saw OSHA violations, basic safety violations, and personally knew a guy who was fired AFTER he did what a manager told him to do. He was told to break the law, by the way. I'm not the guy for your company if you want me to pretend I'm happy in my box and scared to peek out. If I see something wrong, and I can't fix it, I let someone know about it. This place was beyond. Okay, so I'm not an OSHA expert, but the Navy follows and falls under OSHA just like any company. We had audits, we did our own safety checks, etc.. so if I see an extension cord through a doorway, or overhead sprinklers without 18 inches of clearance, I know it's wrong and I say so. What finally cracked it for me was telling my supervisor they were violating a federal law by having our department enter a fenced off and posted construction site without providing hard hats. His response was "Well, management wants us to do it, so guess what we're going to do?" 3 days later he comes out of the Director's office with hard hats which he places in the vehicles, and I had to hear about how sharp he was for catching this omission and looking out for us peons. So what do I say if I can't say "the place was intolerable."?
Answers
A few ways to handle this question diplomatically...
1) "There was a misalignment between my personal values and the values of the organization."
2) "I want to work for an organization that exhibits a high degree of integrity, and my former place of employment didn't live up to that standard."
3) "The working environment - at times - placed me in unsafe working conditions. The proper safety precautions were sometimes taken for granted."
You never bad mouth a previous employer. If they were truly horrible, you should say something like, "It wasn't a good fit" and move on.
It's one of the immutable truths of interviewing.
Hi Jason,
You are not alone with respect to dealing with less than stellar situations. I appreciate your willingness to share your experience. Your question of how not to bad mouth a prior employer calls on all of our leadership training we had when we were active duty. My experiences were definitely challenging the entire 21 years I spent in the Navy. I had to take a short break from being around or thinking about my service for a little while. Now, I can pull from the challenges.
Here's my two cents: Talk about the challenges you dealt with and how you managed your work life to ensure mental well-being. That's one way to keep yourself from leaning on the negative side of the situation.
Scena
Again, I find myself stunned by how many people respond to a question and how excellent the responses are. I think I might actually memorize Ms. Loretta's answer and use it from now on. Sometimes I see things in black and white, and keep my thinking inside the box without meaning to. I should have thought of something similar already. It implies that maybe that expectation wasn't met at my last job, but I don't have to be negative to do so.
As I said on another question, I have learned more solid, straight-forward lessons here in 2 weeks than in the previous 2 years. I wish I had known about this resource before I separated. Thank you all so very much.
Regards,
Jason
NEVER say bad things about an employer. Say you left because it wasn't a good fit or that you wanted a greater challenge and more growth opportunities. Always make positive comments during an interview.
Hi Jason,
Deirdre provided the perfect answers. It might feel good to air out the current job frustration but that is not the “mission” why you went for the interview. Your mission is - in a limited period of time to convince the employer to offer you a job.
The top hiring managers will be looking for and focus on these two topics (assuming you already study the company well):
1. What value proposition or competitive advantage you bring to the company? Increase revenue; launch innovation products; how you can LEAN out a complex non-value added process to a simple one; how you manage your suppliers and how many $ you have saved; what recommendation you propose to improve their Cyber Security; ability to upgrade and manage a facility to best- in- class sustainability standard…another word, the hard measurable value….
2. Why are you the best candidate than the others (the soft value- character)? Integrity, leadership, intellectual curiosity (Fancy term for interest to listen and learn), competiveness, able to manage virtual global team, the community service you participate…..
Hope this help and thanks for your service!
Jason,
Po's last posting was right on the money. So many people try to cram in every last thing they did to get a position. The key is to look at every part of the job description for the position you want. Tailor your resume to fit each area they are looking for. If they don't mention the candidate needing a qualification you have all over your resume, it is not needed. You can bring it up when you get the interview but you have to get the interview first. The best way to get their attention is with a resume that focuses upon the job description for your future job. You may also want to look at other companies job descriptions for this position as well.
If you are bashing your prior company, they will believe you will bash theirs when you leave too. For instance, when they ask you why you left: "My time in the military taught me how to meticulously get a job accomplished quickly, accurately and 100% safely. That is very important to me. I am looking for an organization that will appreciate that type of work ethic." You said nothing wrong with that statement at all. Good luck and let me know if I can help with anything else. Thank you, Loretta Carter
I completely agree with Deidre and her comments. Also, I agree with Frank, there's a huge difference between an honest answer and an answer that is bitter. Your answer can be honest, but not come across as blaming or attacking a prior employer.
If that specific question or a question like it comes up remember that you want the interviewer to think of you as a positive person and not a negative one...so think your answer through before you give it. You can always say things like "I felt like my opportunities for advancement were limited and I'd like to work at a place where I can contribute and advance" or "I consider myself to be a highly ethical and moral person; and the workplace that I was in did not align with my personal values"...then if the interviewer wants you to be more specific you can go into some detail or provide specific examples...but don't over emphasize the details or get too passionate about your discomfort there.
Also, when providing negative info about a former employer, never/never/never use specific names...this is especially true if you are applying for a position in a similar industry...personal networks in many industries are very tight and you just might happen to be interviewed by a person who knows your former colleagues or bosses.
Good luck with the job search and thanks for your service to our country!
Jason... the questions you should get into detail on are the ones they ask you about your skills and abilities, and how they will translate to success for them.
If they throw you a curve like "why did you leave your last job", those are the ones you want to answer as though you were talking to a lawyer. (No offense, lawyers!)
Often interviewers will try to get a rise out of you, and if you give them the slightest opening, they'll keep poking and try to get you to go "off to the races". If you do, you will lose the opportunity to be positive. Just tell them "they were a great company, but I needed a different opportunity that was better suited to what I really want to do, which is why I'm sitting here with you fine folks, right now."
Good luck and I hope you find your dream job!
Dan
Mr. Austin-
Excellent point, I guess there isn't a reason to get too in depth with an answer. Again, a perspective I hadn't taken before. Thanks very much for your advice!
Jason
I would have to agree that you should refrain from speaking ill of former employers. Typically, an interviewer will ask surface level questions about why you left, or are leaving, your last, or current, employer, but they aren't necessarily expecting you to write an essay about it. Just keep it simple and honest without going into a log of detail. Deirdre provided some great example responses.
You might also want to be careful about saying that it wasn't a good fit. If you are applying for a similar position at a similar company, the interviewer could turn that around and ask you why you feel that this position would be a good fit, when the other position wasn't.
Excellent advice Mr. Po. The only issue I'm having now is tweaking a resume, but I asked and received so much good advice I actually printed each reply. My experience in the Navy was 10 years in aviation maintenance, and 11 in Law Enforcement/ATFP/Physical Security and Threat assessment. However, the ENTIRE time, OSHA, safety programs, Operational Risk Management, and so many other programs were a part of what I did. Now, as a civilian I'm having so much trouble relating that to hiring managers. HR in the place we shall not mention couldn't even grasp the notion that I could be responsible for safety on a ship with a crew of 168 in addition to the Security Officer, Force Protection Training team leader and the stuff that went with being a Navy MP. I've come to realize that so many positions in the civ community are in fact, specialties. Having trouble relaying that via resume without making them too long. It's killing me when I apply for supervisory or management positions. Above all, as a Chief in the Navy, we're expected to "keep the Navy running". We are managers of people, processes, projects, production and funds, no matter what our specialty. The bad place apparently thought I just marched around, couldn't think for myself, and dealt with everyone by hitting them with a stick. :)
Jason,
Suggest after you use couple of Deirdre’s good diplomatic lines. You should feel comfortable to move on to the value topics suggested.
Some studies show pre-screen interview (if one lucky to get one, by phone or Face- to- face for entry and mid professional level) last average only 1.2 hour. That means candidates should focus and utilize the time to sell their values to the potential employer. Besides, you want to demonstrate to your interviewer that you are such a professional that you can overcome any adversity. Don't live in the past, focus on the future....
So Smile and let it flow!!!
Thanks for the advice. I feel like NOT telling them it was a bad place to work is a lie, and I don't want it to show on my face, and of course I'd be happy to avoid the subject entirely. I just don't want to be caught without an "acceptable" response to "Why did you leave this position?". I appreciate your help.
Jason
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