Interview question: ‘Why did you leave your last job?’

If you quit your previous job, it’s normal for potential employers to be curious about why you left. Asking this question can help them determine if your decision was well thought out and if you’re on good terms with your previous employer. Your answer will say a lot about you as a potential candidate.

Don’t bad-mouth your former employer
Even if you left your previous job because of poor working conditions or tense professio¬nal relationships, never blame your former boss. Instead, be diplomatic and use the first-person plural. For example, you could say, “we didn’t see eye to eye.”

Showing that you respect your former employer will give your interviewer a good idea as to what kind of relationships you’ll cultivate with your future managers and colleagues.

Reassure your interviewer
Although most interviewers won’t directly ask you how you left your former job, this question is usually implied. Consequently, stating that your departure was amicable will reassure the interviewer that you aren’t impulsive or confrontational.

It’s a good idea to indicate that you carefully considered your decision and left your position in a responsible and professional manner. If things didn’t go well at your last job, admit that you mishandled the situation and emphasize that you’ve learned from your mistakes. This will let the interviewer know that you won’t repeat these actions in the future.