My boyfriend is in the process of filling out an application for a job he wants dearly. The only problem he’s having is in finding a way to state why he left a former job.
He was training as a 911 emergency dispatcher, and he realized that he wasn’t cut out for the job. Reasons included the stress, the constant supervision, and the responsibility. It just wasn’t the job for him.
Of course, he made it longer than half his class. If there are two graduates of that class still working in that field, it’s amazing. The job is one of the highest-stress in the country, right after air traffic controller and personal assistant to Richard Simmons. There was no shame in resigning.
But how do you sum that up on the single line of a job application?
The security firm does stuff that the 911 job doesn’t do, I’m sure. Whatever it is that the security job does that 911 doesn’t do is his reason for leaving. He was still able to enjoy the benefits of dispatching (a la 911), but was also able to do all kinds of other things that 911 didn’t offer by moving to this security firm.
I would put something like, “sought employment more closely matching personal interests”. This shows that he is eager to achieve his goals and move forward, a positive thing.
I would stay away from “sought better work environment.” This is negative and reeks of “I couldn’t hack it” or “my last employer sucked.” Stay away from the negative.
As an HR director, hiring manager, and someone who reviews at least a dozen applications each week and interviews several job candidates each week, I would counsel a choice for transparent, honest answers over “resume speak” every time.
If I receive an application which states that the reason for leaving a job was “Wished to work in a less stressful environment” I’m given something that warrants further inquiry. I’m going to ask about the nature of the stress that the applicant was overwhelmed by, to know if this is the kind of stress they might face in my position, therefore eliminating them from consideration.
tlw: “What kinds of stress did you face on that job that ultimately led you to look elsewhere for employment?”
applicant: “Well, I was a 911 dispatcher, so I was dealing with all kinds of emergent situations, and I never knew when someone’s life was going to depend on my performance with a call. I knew it would be a challenge, but the daily intensity was more than I was prepared for. I was actually one of the last in my training class to leave, most people don’t last in those jobs because there’s no way for anyone to realize what they’re going to be faced with every day. Once you’re there and you’re dealing with the calls, you start to understand how really pressure-filled the position is.”
tlw: “Got it.”
If I see a pat “application” answer like “Left to seek other opportunities” I’m left with a big blank --it’s terribly vague. It could mean a million things, and I’m not left with something that I can really delve into. That could mean that the applicant was hoping for the opportunity to win the Powerball. A former 911 dispatcher wants “more varied challenges?” So what he wants to occasionally have the life and death of animals in his hands, and not just humans? Perhaps he also wants the challenge of dispatching, say, pizza drivers in addition to emergency personnel? Who knows?
An answer that sounds like something one human being would say to another will always win points over some cliche ridden, jargon filled “tell 'em what they wanna hear” drivel. Of course, if you would look me in the eye and honestly say to me “I wanted a job with more varied challenges and opportunities.” then go for it…
my advice that I would probably do: Lie like a mother-grabber. Put whatever you think they want to hear, and if I doesn’t sound good, make up a big old fat lie. I left a few jobs under “less than favorable” circumstances and got tired of pussy-footing around them, so I just either omitted them from the resume or made up an imaginary employeer to take their place (that went mysteriously out-of-business after the owner died. Dead owners are always a good reason to leave)
but you are better off listening to tlw. What do I know? I just always luck out and waltz into the best jobs that end up getting better and better than the last…
Okay, he’s taken it in, and now we’re in the dreaded “ohmygodIhopetheyhiremewhytheheckdon’ttheycall” stage. He used tlw’s recommendation. And both of us can’t thank you enough, tlw. Your post resolved a lot of questions.
And now, the thread can degenerate into “things not to put in the ‘Reasons for leaving’ blank”.
I vote for:
Got bored with the whole ‘work’ thing.
Left seeking environment with less conspiracy, plotting, mocking, and human sacrifice.
Lots of good advice. And thanks JohnT, for revealing the answers we always wanted to give.
tlw had a bunch of good points, but if I heard anybody defend themselves as elaborately as this on an interview, I’d wonder what the real problem was. And not ask them back.
I understand tlw is a pro at this, and I’m not disagreeing with the general direction, but the advice is more appropriate for somebody who is trying to avoid explaining something potentially shameful. The stress of 911 calls is something any interviewer can empathize with.
I’d just say something to the effect “I prefer a job where I can work with a group, get checks on my progress.” The less said, the better. Especially because there’s nothing to apologize for!
My ex put down on an application the name of the bar he used to work at and his reason for leaving was, “Made suggestion to the owner of a new location for the bar.”
During his interview he was asked what he meant by that and he said, “I told him he could stick it up his ass.”
The guy laughed his ass off and my ex was hired. Sometimes honesty is the best policy!
With the exception of “boss was a jerk,” all of those could be acceptable depending on what sort of job you’re APPLYING for. For example, if you’re applying for a part-time job then saying you left the previous job because of the long hours would be a logical reason (maybe you’re going back to school or just had a baby). If you’re applying for a challanging job, then saying you left your last job because you were bored makes sense (although I think a better term might be "under-stimulated). I assume most people looking for a job are interested in making more money, so that one is obvious. You could even get away with the boss one if you said you had different management styles or something, but that’s pushing it, lol.
I used to run a movie theater so I ended up hiring a lot of people who while not cut out for a typical 9-5 office job, were more than adequate or even better for theater hours or atmosphere.
Unfortunately, as there are people in this world who are put in positions of responsibility (or just plain own the company) and are completely unsuited to be, “the boss was a jerk” is, to my mind, a valid answer.
I worked for a guy like that. When asked if I could say anything nice about the job, I said, “The offices were clean.”
Another good reason: “They don’t appreciate genius.”
