During an interview, when the interviewer asks, “Why do you want to leave your current job?”, most people vent out their frustrations. One thing to remember: no matter what, you should never badmouth your current or former employer. Here is why…
Whenever I asked people the same question, most started sharing negative experiences and claimed that they were being “honest”. I realize people do this for 4 reasons
- they want to justify their decision to leave
- they are eager to express their frustration
- they hope this would give them sympathy
- 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 which I have observed being brought up during debriefing
- showed a lack of maturity
- suggested inability to handle conflicts
- immature in handling difficult situations
- suggested inability to challenge constructively
- shows that you are almost always at risk of a flight
- worst of all- indicated that they might bring negativity to the organization
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
- you focus on positives, learnings, and growth
- mention challenges as learning experiences
- if you are discussing a conflict, just mention your role
- if someone is asking about negatives, just redirect the question
Yes, 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.