3 Acceptable “Reasons” for Quitting Your Last Job

You quit. You probably quit for a good reason. That reason may or may not have to do with a tremendously annoying coworker, a boss whose suit always smells like your grandfather’s feet, or work that was considerably more difficult than it was supposed to be.

It should come as no surprise that if you are asked why you left your last job, you cannot share these reasons in your job interview. Your interview must be focused only on the positive. You massively harm your chances of getting the job if you complain about your last workplace in any way.

However, you do need to give a reason for quitting, and lying is never acceptable. So your best bet is to choose a harmless reason that is true in essence, even if it was not on the forefront of your mind when you left your job.

Reasons for Leaving

• “I realized the job no longer fit my long term goals.”

This answer is always true. Always. Did you have a job where you hated your boss? Chances are you didn’t want to work for them forever, so yes, the job did not suit your long term goals. If you are asked to explain this answer, though, you should say something like “The structure of the department made it unlikely that I would be able to continue doing the work I love long term.”

• “I wanted to work for a company that is more stable.”

If the company has had layoffs, but you were not one of the people that ways laid off, you have ammo for leaving. You can claim that you left because you wanted to work for a company where layoffs were less common, so that you could focus on the work instead of the organizational situation.

• “I have doubts about the company’s viability in the long term.”

If you work for a start-up, or a company that has been experiencing significant losses, or a company with a lot of quality competition, this is also a good reason for leaving. Companies will respect your decision to work for a company that looks like it will succeed.

Additional Reasons

There are other good reasons to leave your last job as well, including:

• You moved.
• Your department got cut and you had to take on a new role.
• You were looking for additional challenges and it would be a long while before a growth position became available.

Yet those three may not be applicable to your situation. Usually at least one of the 3 answers provided in the list above is applicable to every job, so if you quit and you don’t have a good reason like “I changed state,” you can use one of those and give an adequate answer that won’t harm your chances of getting the job.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Don’t give the real reasons.
• Give reasons that don’t speak negatively about your previous company.

Interview Question: How Well Do You Handle Pressure?

There is no such thing as an easy job. Every job contains varying levels of stress, and all jobs require you to worry about something. Pressure is inherent in any job, because any job that doesn’t have pressure is a job that will probably be cut from the business.

Employers will sometimes ask you directly how well you handle pressure. Your job will probably have deadlines, people to report to, etc. Your job will have pressure. Guess how you should answer this question?

The Obvious Answer and How to Present It

Employers will ask you how well you handle pressure. Your answer is “Extremely Well.” That much should be obvious. You should answer the question confidently. You. Handle. Pressure. Well. Drive the point home. Don’t leave any doubt by thinking about your answer.

However, if you want to get bonus points with the employer, you should consider ways to expand on this answer. Anyone can say they handle pressure well, but you want to guarantee that you do with verbal proof.

How Do You Do That?

There are two ways to show the employer you can handle pressure well. The first is to give an example from your past job. You can answer the question thusly:

“Yes, I absolutely handle pressure well. At my previous employer, I was counted on every day to handle short deadlines and the management of funds and staff. A job is not a job if there is no pressure…”

Another way to answer the question is to simply expand your answer to something that makes you sound ready for the pressures of the job. A good example would be to say:

“Yes, I handle pressure well. In fact, in many ways I prefer it. Pressure keeps you focused, and ensures that you are motivated to be active and accomplish your tasks, and I enjoy that motivation…”

You will have to tailor an answer based on your experiences, but as you can see, both of these answers not only tell the employer that you can handle pressure, but that you are also ready for it. These types of answers are how you set yourself ahead of the pack. Most other applicants are going to say they handle pressure, but few applicants are going to expand on that answer and truly impress the employer with their response.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Always tell the interviewer that you handle pressure well.
• Expand on your answer to get bonus points with the employer.

Casual, Harmless Words to Avoid During the Interview

Most job interview advice focuses on interview questions and answers, as well as behaviors and dress code. Yet there is a tricky aspect of job interviews that is difficult to avoid but useful to keep in mind. That is the use of the English language.

Part of how you answer job interview questions – and how you relate to your interviewer – has to do with how you use the English language. Word choice is important, and there are some words that, while they may not kill your interview, may cause you to appear either less professional or less intelligent.

Casual Words

There are a lot of words that we use every day that in many ways are completely harmless. You say these words without a second thought, and most of the time your interviewer will not notice. Yet many of these casual words are just that – casual. They do not help you represent the intelligent, professional employee that you hope to be. There are some casual words that you should obviously avoid:

• “Dude”
• “Hella”
• “Gonna”

These words are used as slang, and slang should be avoided. No surprise there. However, there are words that are not remotely slang that should also be avoided, if possible:

• “Best Friend”
• “Mom”
• “School”

These words may seem harmless, and ultimately may not affect your interview, but they are still words that do not have that professional sound that you want to maintain at interviews. There are hundreds of words just like these that are completely harmless but still risk causing you to lose that professionalism that you worked so hard to achieve. Try to replace them with more professional sounding words:

• “Close personal acquaintance.”
• “One of my family members” or “Mother.”
• “Classes” or “University.”

Young high school students say they were “going to school.” University graduates say they “Attended classes.”

Choosing Your Words

It may seem minor, and ultimately may not affect your interview, but you should still try to ensure that all of the words you use maintain the same professional appearance you have worked to maintain. You never know when one little word can cause you to appear less professional.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Choose your words carefully.
• Refrain from words that sound too casual/young.

Interview with University of Washington Graduate Student

Every month, we at Everyday Interview Tips will sit down with a student, recent graduate, recruiter or hiring manager and ask them questions about their interviewing experience.

Today we sit down with Sundara, a student at the University of Washington and future leader of the world. Sundara is an East Indian American that attends law school and works as a paralegal in a corporate law firm.

What kind of jobs have you held in the past?

I have only had two other jobs in the past, the first of which was a receptionist at a nursing home and the second being a receptionist at a tanning salon.

What was your worst job and what made it so bad?

My worst job would have been being a receptionist at a tanning salon. I hated cleaning the tanning beds after people had used them and the attitude I got from customers when situations were beyond my control.

What was your best job and what did you enjoy about it?

I loved my job as a receptionist at a nursing home. I loved helping the elderly because in my opinion I would want someone to treat my own grandparents as I treated the residents. I learned a lot of interesting things about life and patience from working there. I enjoy my current job as a paralegal as well but that’s mainly because I love the hours I work and being my own boss when it comes to completing projects.

What is your opinion of the corporate world? How comfortable are you with it?

I personally don’t like the pressure and work hours of the corporate world. I feel that my opinions of corporations are based on the experiences I’ve had with the few people that represent them whether that be someone on the phone or managing the chain. I can’t say all of them have been pleasant and based on the attitudes shown by certain employees I don’t think it would be a job I would be comfortable at or even feel content holding.

How many job interviews have you experienced in the past?

I’ve only been to three interviews all of which have led to employment. I try not to stress over them and just put my best foot forward. I work best under pressure and I portray an employee that I would one day want to hire.

How would you describe your experience at your last job interview?

I loved my last interview. My employers took me out to dinner which made it a bit more casual and comfortable. They asked about my hobbies and passions which in return allowed them to judge my compatibility with their company and capabilities as an employee.

What is your biggest job interview strength?

My honesty and quick responses to questions asked. If I don’t feel comfortable with certain aspects of a job I ask for clarification. I can’t be a good employee if I don’t understand or agree with what I am expected to do.

What is your biggest job interview weakness?

The fear of upsetting a perspective employer with my honesty. There are certain work ethics I hold strict to and I refuse to perform anything less than what I am expected and I can’t have someone micro manage me.

How did you prepare for your job interview(s)?

Sleep and a good work out beforehand. You don’t want to be excited or lethargic. But rather you should appear well rested and motivated.

If you could know one thing before a job interview, what would it be?

I can’t really say. I guess I go in expecting difficult questions. I believe those abrupt questions allow an employer to determine how well you work under pressure and your quick thinking skills.

What are your current career goals?

To finish schooling and eventually open up my own law firm. As for now I just hope to perform my given tasks to the best of my ability and to help more people than I disappoint.

If you could give job, career, or interview advice to recent college graduates, what would it be?

Most people out there are going for the same jobs you are. Thus you should try to throw in something that sets you apart on your resume. If you like running marathons, hiking or any other hobby or passion you might have you should list it. It makes you stand out and shows that you’re personable.