Never bad-mouth your ex-employer

Most people tend to vent about a frustrating work experience during a job interview. No matter what, you should never bad-mouth your ex-employers, here’s why …

Whenever I asked people about their work experience, most of them shared negative experiences claiming to be brutally honest. I realize people do this for 4 reasons

1. they want to justify their decision to leave
2. they are eager to express their frustration
3. they hope this would make the interviewer more sympathetic
4. they want to showcase how much they value a better environment

No matter how valid these feelings might be, expressing them in a professional context can have severe consequences, some of them that I have observed being brought up during debriefing

1. showed a lack of maturity
2. suggested inability to handle conflicts and difficult situations
3. suggested inability to challenge constructively
4. indicated that they might bring negativity to the organization
5. shows that you are almost always on a flight risk

One of the biggest consequences of this is how this behavior can damage your reputation. Remember, our industry is very small and after a decade of experience, almost everyone is your 1st or 2nd degree connection. So, be mindful of how you conduct and operate. Whenever you are talking about your ex-employers, make sure

1. you focus on positives, learnings, and growth
2. mention challenges as learning experiences
3. if you are discussing a conflict, just mention your role
4. if someone is asking about negatives, just redirect the question

Although, your technical skills are crucial, but your ability to work well with others and handle challenging situations professionally is equally important. Like I always say, remember, nobody wants to work with a genius jerk.