Q: I’m sure that the interview panel will ask me why I am leaving my current job. It doesn’t really make sense when you look at it from afar. The reality is that I hate working there and have no respect for my managers. I’ve tried to work around this but it’s just unbearable. Should I tell the panel this? (CD, email).
A: Not in so many lines. It is not a good idea to speak poorly of previous employers. Find ways of explaining why you’re leaving this job without coming across as bitter or overly critical.
Talk about looking for new opportunities and chances to learn, and have something specific at the ready about the new role – are the company expanding into a new area, have they pioneered technologies or processes that interest you, or are they at a particular point in their evolution that attracts you?
Ultimately, the most effective answer of all is that you are now pursuing a job you really want. Persuade them that this is the case with the breadth of your knowledge about the role and your enthusiasm to secure it.
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