Whether you’ve been laid off during a restructuring, caught in a reduction in force, or let go from a role that wasn’t the right fit, one question is probably going to come up in interviews: “Why did you leave your last job?”
Leaving a job can be extremely stressful, even if you are happy to move on to a greener pasture. Losing a job unexpectedly for business reasons like a reduction in force, plant closing, or the loss of a big client comes as a shock. Being fired for cause or job performance is devastating. Emotionally and physically, you feel real pain.
How do you best move forward and jump into a job search? How do you put on a positive face when you are angry and resentful? How do you explain this to your family, friends, neighbors, and in interviews?
Don’t play the victim.
Sometimes the company culture was terrible or your boss was a bona fide bully. Maybe your training was inadequate or you found yourself in the middle of office politics. Perhaps you were a scapegoat for some failure in the company. Sometimes it just wasn’t fair. It can be easy to feel like a victim.
The problem is that acting like a victim in a job interview doesn’t work. People want to work with people who don’t play the blame game, people who take ownership of their careers and present themselves as confident. You generally can’t adequately explain to an interviewer how unfair you feel this was without throwing up all kinds of red flags.
Try to understand the other point of view.
Mourn this loss for a few days and acknowledge the hurt. Then start to put together a plan. First, try to understand from the employer’s perspective why you were terminated. Were there performance issues? If so, were you in a job that didn’t leverage your strengths? Are you a people person doing spreadsheet analysis? Was this a pure business decision?
Reframe the story.
If you hated going to work and often felt stressed, perhaps the job wasn’t a good fit for you. Is this an opportunity to find a role where you can shine? The more you tell yourself why this made sense, the better you will be able to discuss it with others confidently. Practice how you will talk about your termination with a friend or test it out using a video platform to see how you can refine your story.
Write your script.
Plan in advance so you go into the interview knowing exactly what you want to say. Here’s a sample script:
Interviewer: Why did you leave your last company?
You: I’m a [sales] professional and I had a great run at [Company X]. Recently, they decided to change their strategy from [ABC] to [XYZ]. My specialty and interests are in [ABC], and we decided it was best to part ways. I understand their shift and am excited to find a role where I can leverage my strengths in [ABC]. I’m confident I can contribute to your company in this role in three key ways:
- I have…
- I am…
- I bring…
Keep your eye on the prize.
As difficult as job loss is, it’s imperative that you envision a silver lining. If you can see it, you can talk about it with authenticity. If you remain optimistic during the job search, you are more likely to get interviews and land that next great job at a company with a culture that you love. Reconcile with the past so you can move forward.
Your job loss does not define your career. What matters is how you communicate the experience, demonstrate what you’ve learned, and show employers the value you bring moving forward.
Need help developing your reason-for-leaving script? Learn more about our career coaching services here! Or send us a message here, and we’ll guide you to the right path.