Every day we are talking to candidates, and one of the top questions we receive when a candidate is looking for new employment is how to answer the question, "Why did you leave your last place of employment?". This can be a loaded question for many.
Some of the standard answers we have heard are:
"It just wasn't a good fit."
"My property was for sale."
"There was too much work."
"The commute was too far."
These can all be valid reasons, but before you step foot into the interview, it's a good idea to practice your response. It is human nature to want to give a short, professional answer, but if you give too little information, it leaves the interviewer a lot of room to come up with their own scenario.
Spend some time asking yourself, "Why did I really leave?". Was the decision to leave mutual? Did you leave with a two week notice? Were you asked to leave? This is information you need to give to your interviewer along with a brief explanation as to the reason. There are very few reasons that can be as good or bad as what someone will make up their own mind!
Keep following the peoplezest blog and we'll share more details about how you can answer tough interview questions.