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How to Explain a Job Loss

Maybe you got laid off, or fired, or decided to quit. No matter how you might’ve lost your last job, it can be intimidating when the question comes up as to why you lost it. The problem is not what actually happened to make you seek new employment, rather, it’s how it sounds to a potential employer. This is why you have to be prepared with the right answers to this very common and intimidating interview question. Below, we offer the best protocol for answering it.

1.  Be Honest- More than anything, you must always be honest in an interview. Of course, this doesn’t mean      that you have to tell them how much you hated your last employer’s guts or why, but you should always      keep the basic facts true. Why? Because if you were let go for a particular issue between you and your      boss, chances are, your potential will find this out through a simple background check. Be direct, honest,      and offer the answer to their question in the most positive of lights.

2.  Growth- A good reason to leave any job to talk about how they could not offer you the growth or new      challenges that you needed for your career. Make sure to say that though you were happy at your job,      that you just needed a company that you could grow and learn with-and this is why you have come to      them.

                                                                  3.  Different Strokes- An acceptable reason for leaving a company                                                                        when interviewing for a new one is that the company took on a                                                                        new game plan or direction, and it wasn’t one that you agreed                                                                        with. Certainly,don’t take this opportunity to talk badly about                                                                        your previous company and how great you are in contrast; but                                                                        offer a brief overview of the type of programs and initiatives that                                                                        the company began with, what they moved to, and moreover,                                                                        why you could not feel that this path was i the best interest of                                                                        your career.

                                                                  4.  Conflict of Interest- Ok, so you might have thought your bosswas                                                                        a loser, and fought him/her on every issue. You couldprobably                                                                        find fault with everything they did. Unfortunately, youmust know                                                                        how to phrase this iffy reason for leaving yourprevious job, or                                                                        you will inevitably look like someone who cannotget along with                                                                        authority. Instead, you should say something tothe effect of                                                                        having different work styles or ethics and/orpersonalities. Make                                                                        sure after using this as a reason, it is alwaysimportant to list                                                                        proof of your being able to work well with otherpersonalities.                                                                        Without doing so, you run the risk of losing the jobdue to looking like an insubordinate or trouble- makingemployee.

5.  Skills- If you lost your precious job due to insufficient work skills, it would be in your best interest toacquire      these skills before moving onto the next job. It really is the fault of your previous employer ifthey did not      want to maximize your performance by training you with the skills they want; however,you should never      address this in front of your potential employer. Instead, acquire the skills oraccreditations that you were      lacking in your last job and report this effort to your potential employer.This shows your desire to succeed      and your willingness to take constructive criticism to betteryourself and marketability.

6.  Poor Performance Review- Lastly, perhaps the reason for your recent termination was just a matterof not      doing well on your regular performance reviews. Depending on your industry and position, itcould be that      you didn’t make enough sales or meet enough deadlines. Whatever it is, make sure toget feedback from      your previous employer as to how you could better those sales figures or improveyour ability to meet      deadlines. This will show that even though you received a poor review that youlooked at it as an      opportunity to better yourself-which makes you very attractive as a candidate.