Never
badmouth your previous industry, company, board, boss, staff, employees or
customers. This rule is inviolable: never
be negative. Any mud you hurl will
only soil your suit.
Especially
avoid words like “personality clash”, “didn’t get along”, or others which cast
a shadow on your competence, integrity, or temperament.
BEST ANSWER:
(If you have a job presently)
If
you’re not yet 100% committed to leaving your present post, don’t be afraid to
say so. Since you have a job, you are in
a stronger position than someone who does not.
But don’t be coy either. State
honestly what you’d be hoping to find in a new spot. Of course, as stated often before, you answer
will all the stronger if you have already uncovered what this position is all
about and you match your desires to it.
(If you do not presently have a job.)
Never
lie about having been fired. It’s
unethical – and too easily checked. But
do try to deflect the reason from you personally. If your firing was the result of a takeover,
merger, division wide layoff, etc., so much the better.
But
you should also do something totally unnatural that will demonstrate consummate
professionalism. Even if it hurts , describe your own firing –
candidly, succinctly and without a trace of bitterness – from the company’s point-of-view, indicating that
you could understand why it happened and you might have made the same decision
yourself.
Your
stature will rise immensely and, most important of all, you will show you are
healed from the wounds inflicted by the firing.
You will enhance your image as first-class management material and stand
head and shoulders above the legions of firing victims who, at the slightest
provocation, zip open their shirts to expose their battle scars and decry the
unfairness of it all.
For all prior positions:
Make
sure you’ve prepared a brief reason for leaving. Best
reasons: more money, opportunity,
responsibility or growth.