I left my last permanent job due to harassment from a co-worker, and now I am interviewing again (got an interview tomorrow morning - woot!), but I’m not exactly sure how to answer the question of, “Why did you leave your last job?”
I left because my co-worker hated her job and the company and took her anger out on me, it was an ongoing problem almost from day one (I stayed about 20 months), and management knew about it and did nothing. I finally had enough of her yelling at me and me being afraid to approach her for anything when we had to work together fairly closely, and her blaming me for all her mistakes (and she made a lot), and just the general hostile attitude she gave me daily.
So, how do I present that in an interview so I don’t come off looking like the psycho or a cry-baby or trouble-maker?
“I didn’t feel I was in a very positive work environment, and I didn’t feel that the people in management were interested in helping me make it a better environment.”
I think I would steer away from criticizing your former workplace at all, especially management. It would come off better to focus on what you are looking for in the new job that the old job itself couldn’t offer (e.g., more responsibility, a chance to move ahead, etc.)
Agreed. With there being no chance for your previous company to defend yourself, badmouthing them - even tactfully and honestly - isn’t likely to come across well.
As QuickSilver points out, there should be opportunities to use your experiences to your advantage in the interview. I would just avoid using that as the reason for leaving.
I generally agree with this, but I do have one question. Will your potential new employer be contacting the former employer/boss? And what will your former employer/boss say about why you left?
I’d be surprised if they can say much about it at all, especially since it was voluntary. They’d be putting themselves at pretty high risk to be critical of an employee they weren’t even planning to get rid of and they’re hardly likely to say “she left because she was being harassed and we wouldn’t do anything about it.”
I don’t know what size the company is, but it is rare for references to be more than verification of emplyment dates and job title. Even confirming/denying eligibilty to rehire entails a risk. Frustrating for prospective employers, I know but it is hard to be consistent in references.
I echo the advice to be as positive as possible when refering to past employers, this is how they believe you will refer to them in the future. Even if you worked in the 7th level of hades, comment on the warmth of your surroundings.
Ah, very interesting. I wondered if just glossing over it might be the right way to go - the company was also purchased by a large conglomerate at the time, and it would be perfectly legit to say so, and that the new company and I didn’t agree on the direction my employment should take with them (they thought we should work like dogs for no money, and I didn’t. )
QuickSilver, those are exactly the kinds of questions they like to toss at you - my answer to:
How did you deal with a difficult co-worker/manager?
is tricky, because I dealt with them by quitting - probably not the answer they’re looking for. I could spin it to say, “I had a difficult co-worker at my last job, and I made every attempt to resolve our conflict through proper channels, but it was not effective.”
What did you learn? How would you handle it differently next time?
I learned that you have to stand up to bullies, and that’s exactly what I would do next time. I didn’t want to start a fight on the job, because that seems very unprofessional, but next time I would firmly assert my boundaries.
“I deal with difficult coworkers the same way I deal with all problems in the workplace, by communicating about the issues and working together to resolve them.”
If they come back with something like “What if that doesn’t work?” say something like:
“Communication always works if everyone puts in a good faith effort.”
The interviewers aren’t fools who will believe everything you say, but they want to see if you have the political skills not to make their lives miserable. Part of the interview is simply to show that you understand the that.
Do not say anything negative about your previous job. Say that you’re looking to expand your horizons, or learn new skills, or assume more responsibility, or whatever. Whatever you do, don’t criticize your previous job & coworkers.
Some good advice for you, featherlou, in this thread. Some more advice - I’ve coached Ms. D_Odds for interviews, and I’m always tripping her up into offering too much information. That is what you want to avoid. Answer questions, then STOP! I’ve met very few trained interviewers, and many are as uncomfortable about silent space as you are.
Don’t talk about how you went through channels to resolve the problem. That’s a “troublemaker”. Do show you tackled the issue head-on, as a “problem-solver”.
I personally wouldn’t use jsgoddess’ follow-up reply. To me, it would sound like you weren’t answering the question (I’m a tough interviewer, usually). I might follow-up with something like: “If opening the lines of communication and setting expectations on both sides fail, I would look for a neutral mediator.” STOP. Don’t be tempted to explain. Let the interviewer ask the next question.
I’ve been on many interviews where I did very little talking. It works especially well if the interviewer isn’t prepared. On the other hand, as an interviewer, I have a list of questions and talking points before I start (didn’t work that time my boss grabbed me while getting a cup of coffee to interview a junior candidate).
One last thing…if you really want to knock an interview out of the park, PRACTICE. Practice out loud and tape yourself. Even better if you can roleplay the interview with another. Certain questions always get asked (Tell me about yourself. Why do you want to work here? etc.), so practice those answers. A good answer or 3 at the start will raise your confidence levels. And be prepared to ask questions. Questions are good - you (the interviewee) are not talking. Questions should be innocent. Current events portraying the company in a good light are always good (charity work, good earnings reports, being named to the list of “50 Best Places for a Woman to Work”, etc.). Questions about benefit plans in an opening interview are iffy.
I think you might have a problem if you had stayed at the job a short time, but 20 months is plenty long not to look odd. Mentioning the takeover is fine also.
I doubt they will ask you about troublesome people (since that implies they have such things) but if they do, just give your ideal answer. If they ask you how you handled a troublesome person, that’s different - your answer didn’t sound all that bad.
And Aitara is exactly right about the references. Don’t worry about that.
Well, I went to the interview, and it was just fine - he didn’t ask very many questions about my past employment history, but I had studied up and prepared for it if he had.
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