Why You Should Never Complain About Former Bosses

You're at a job interview. You're doing great, answering questions left and right. You're enthusiastic, upbeat, confident. Then they ask, "Why did you leave your last job?"

An image of your former boss, red-faced and screaming, pops your head. He was such a jerk! You desperately want to vent your frustrations and tell them why you HAD to quit, but you hesitate, thinking... is honesty the best policy in THIS situation?

There's no better way to present yourself as a whiner than to complain about a former boss or job. Even if you left a job because your boss was an egomaniac who took credit for all of your hard work, verbally abused you in front of others, and poisoned the plant on your desk, don't say anything bad about him/her during an interview.

If you do, the interviewer may think you have a problem with authority or can't get along with others. After all, they don't know you. And as an authority figure, they may more easily identify with your maligned former boss than with you.

It's best not to count on them believing YOUR side of the story, even if it IS the truth.

So instead of saying "My boss was an incompetent idiot," choose one of these sample responses, whichever fits your particular situation best:

"My manager and I both agreed that my advancement opportunities were limited there and obtaining another position was the best option for me and my career goals." Be prepared for a possible follow-up question such as "What ARE your career goals?"

"I wanted more challenging assignments." This is a nice way of saying you were bored out of your mind. Prepare to follow it up by saying something about being eager to tackle challenges associated with the position for which you are applying.

"I'm looking for an organization that supports its people." This could trigger the "Can you expand on that?" question, so be sure to have a response planned, such as "There weren't many training opportunities."

"My career goals have changed." This is a great response if you are going into a new field. However, companies want people who can hit the ground running, so be prepared to explain how your past experiences make you a good candidate for this new job.

One or all of these may be variations of the real story, so you won't really be lying about why you left your last job. You just won't be giving them the whole truth!

You may reprint/republish this article if you include my name and a link to this website.

Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.

---

Revitalize Your Recruiting for 2005

Happy New Year! The forecasts are in agreement: Hiring is... Read More

Consultants - If We Cant Laugh At Ourselves?

There are hundreds of varieties of Consultants these days. We... Read More

Passing The Police Test Just Became Easier

You've taken the police officer selection test or law enforcement... Read More

War Time Hiring: 5 Steps to Attract Top Talent

A recent report, titled "The War for Talent" stated that... Read More

Old Hiring Foxes vs. The Hedgehogs

You are about to compete for the best people again.... Read More

Seven Ways to Say You?re Fired and What to Do When It Happens to You

Today's employers scramble for creative ways to advise employees of... Read More

Telecommuting Website (Part One)

"I've heard you talk about building a website to get... Read More

Best Strategy Using Internet Job Search Engines

Best Strategy using Internet Job Search EnginesThere are hundreds of... Read More

Career in the Toilet?

Individuals not within their target career field may feel insecure,... Read More

Tips for Requesting a Raise

You probably think you deserve a raise. But does your... Read More

Searching for an IT Job

Looking for an IT job is one of the easiest... Read More

Sweeping Up Worms

With the opening of a new venture and numerous reporters... Read More

Ideal Job and Handling Criticism

How many times have you been asked, "What is your... Read More

Discuss Your Accomplishments During the Interview

When preparing for your interview, you need to be ready... Read More

How to Create a Great Electronic Resume

After creating the perfect resume, you then need to distribute... Read More

Jobseekers! Look For Smoke, Not Fire

"If you always do what you've always done, you will... Read More

Why Become A Truck Driver?

There are a great number of good reasons for someone... Read More

Career Advice On Freelance Writing Jobs

Sometimes the freelance writing jobs available are those that no... Read More

In a Rut? Ready for a Career Change?

Are you unhappy at work? Tired and lacking energy and... Read More

The 6 Stages of Modern Career Development

Career experts say that people will change careers (not jobs)... Read More

Reinventing Yourself for Multiple Careers

In many countries around the globe, people are born into... Read More

Driver Team Solo Positions: The Nitty Gritty On Truck Driving Jobs

Trucks and truck drivers are a constant presence on US... Read More

Create Your Plan B Before the Layoff Axe Falls

In one short week, the axe fell at a number... Read More

How to Manage Your Career Like a Business

Look upon yourself as a company with a product or... Read More

Stop Whining and Ask For What You Want!

When you want something, the best way to get it... Read More

Ask the Recruiter

We all have career goals, big or small. Here are... Read More

Make Your Resume Keyword Rich and Scanner Friendly

If you haven't looked for a job recently, there are... Read More

Integrity At Work - How Do You Show Up?

As the business sections of today's papers and magazines read... Read More

The Power to Succeed

It's amazing how we fool ourselves... while at the same... Read More

Should You Lie On Your Resume?

Warning: Lying on your resume could cost you your job... Read More

Why Culinary Education

If you are thinking about a career in culinary arts... Read More

Dont Let Difficult People Derail Your Career

Unless you are among the luckiest people in the world,... Read More

Reviving Your Resume

A resume may not be who you are, but to... Read More