jobs.ac.uk - Great jobs for bright people
  • Find a Job
  • Find PhDs
  • Career Advice
  • Jobs by Email
  • Recruiters
  • Your Account

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

career-advice.jobs.ac.uk

Secondary Sidebar

jobs.ac.uk Career Advice

  • CV and Cover Letter Advice
    • CV Tips
    • Free CV Templates
    • Cover Letters with Examples
    • Personal Profiles
    • CV Resources
  • Jobseeking and Interview Tips
    • Jobseeking Tips
    • Academic Interviews
    • Professional Interviews
    • Jobseeking and Interview Resources
  • Career Development
    • Academic Careers
    • Research Careers
    • Professional Careers
    • Working in Industry
    • Career Development Resources
    • Global Careers
    • Working From Home
  • Women in Higher Education
  • Resources
    • Academic Case Studies
    • Professional Case Studies
    • Interview questions tool
    • Job Profiles
      • Biological Science Jobs
      • Health and Medical Jobs
      • Engineering and Technology Jobs
      • Computer Science Jobs
      • Physical and Environmental Science Jobs
    • Blog
    • Vlogs
  • Webinars
  • Country Profiles
    • Africa
      • Egypt
      • Ghana
      • Kenya
      • Nigeria
      • South
    • Americas
      • Canada
      • United States of America
    • Asia
      • Bahrain
      • Brunei
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Kazakhstan
      • Malaysia
      • Qatar
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • Turkey
      • United Arab Emirates
      • Vietnam
      • Uzbekistan
    • Europe
      • Belgium
      • Denmark
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
  • Studentship Advice
    • PhD
    • Studentship Resources
    • Vlogs
  • Menu
    • CV and Cover Letter Advice
      • CV Tips
      • Free CV Templates
      • Cover Letters with Examples
      • Personal Profiles
      • CV Resources
    • Jobseeking and Interview Tips
      • Jobseeking Tips
      • Academic Interviews
      • Professional Interviews
      • Jobseeking and Interview Resources
    • Career Development
      • Academic Careers
      • Research Careers
      • Professional Careers
      • Working in Industry
      • Career Development Resources
      • Global Careers
    • Resources
      • Academic Case Studies
      • Professional Case Studies
      • Interview questions tool
      • Blog
      • Vlogs
    • Country Profiles
      • Africa
        • Egypt Country Profile
        • Ghana Country Profile
        • Kenya Country Profile
        • Nigeria Country Profile
        • South Africa Country Profile
      • Americas
        • Canada Country Profile
        • United States of America Country Profile
      • Asia
        • Bahrain Country Profile
        • Brunei Country Profile
        • China Country Profile
        • Hong Kong Country Profile
        • India Country Profile
        • Japan Country Profile
        • Kazakhstan Country Profile
        • Malaysia Country Profile
        • Qatar Country Profile
        • Saudi Arabia Country Profile
        • Singapore Country Profile
        • South Korea Country Profile
        • Turkey Country Profile
        • United Arab Emirates Country Profile
      • Europe
        • Belgium Country Profile
        • Denmark Country Profile
        • Finland Country Profile
        • France Country Profile
        • Germany Country Profile
        • Ireland Country Profile
        • Italy Country Profile
        • Netherlands Country Profile
        • Norway Country Profile
        • Russia Country Profile
        • Spain Country Profile
        • Sweden Country Profile
        • Switzerland Country Profile
        • United Kingdom Country Profile
      • Oceania
        • Australia Country profile
        • New Zealand Country Profile
    • Studentship Advice
      • PhD
      • Studentship Resources
      • Vlogs

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

Why Did You Leave Your Last Job

There are few interview questions that strike fear into the heart of an interviewee as much as the dreaded “why did you leave your last job”? Whether you were fired because of incompetence or had a boss that made Cruella de Vil look like a sweetheart, the only job that matters now is putting your prospective employer’s mind at ease.

Why do employers ask this question?

Primarily employers are trying to find out more about you and what you might be like if they hire you. They want to know whether you’re one of those difficult employees whom are hard to manage, or whether you’re a flake that can’t stick to a job for more than two minutes. They need to know whether your demise was due to your bad attitude or whether your reasons for leaving are more positive, such as for personal development or a new challenge. Whatever your reasons; preparing an answer that shows you in the best light is going to be essential.

So, what if you were made redundant?

Redundancy is one of the easier reasons to deal with in an interview. Firstly it’s important to remember that your position was made redundant, not you. You weren’t made redundant for personal reasons. Redundancy was purely a business decision and one that is being made more frequently due to the ongoing economic crisis.

Secondly, discussing your redundancy and showing how you’ve dealt with it is a great opportunity to show that you have a positive outlook and a solution focused approach. If you can show to an employer that you’ve seen redundancy as an opportunity to move on, develop and grow as an employee, you’ll be well on your way to landing your next job.

What if you were fired?

First and foremost you’re going to need to be honest. Most prospective employers will want to hear from your previous boss and lying about your situation won’t do you any favours. Rather than hiding your head in the sand, talk to your previous boss to agree what they will say when approached for a reference. This will help you to plan your answer and overcome any sticking points.

The key to coming out on top is going to involve explaining what you’ve learnt from the experience and to showcase how you’ve dealt with it in a positive manner. Whatever you do, avoid bad mouthing your previous employer as that is a certain road to nowhere. Remain positive and explain how and why the position wasn’t a good fit for you. Give some concrete examples and show how you are working on those shortcomings. If you’re lucky you may even impress the potential employer with your self-awareness and commitment to professional development.

Why are you thinking of leaving your current job?

If you’re employed and are considering leaving your current employer the important thing is that you explain why in a positive way. Essentially an employer wants to know that:

  • You’re not a serial job hopper (loyalty is important to employers)
  • You’re not the type to badmouth your previous employer
  • You have a clear career vision

If you’re leaving your current job because you hate your boss, remain positive and show why your previous job wasn’t a good fit. Keep your answer short and sweet and if you feel yourself waffling, stop! The longer you talk, the more chance you have of digging a hole that you can’t get out of.

If on the other hand you’ll be leaving your previous employer on good terms for purely positive reasons, show what they are and leave it at that. If the employer wants you to elaborate any further they’ll ask.

To ensure you finish your answer on a high, tell them why you want to work for them. An employer wants to know why you are interested in their role, why you think you’ll be a good fit and more importantly why they should you hire you over someone else. Give them concrete examples of why you think you’ll be the best candidate for the job and back those reasons up with some evidence from previous roles.


Share this article

Reader Interactions

You may also like:

Prepare for all stages of the interview process
How can you improve your online presence to be a suitable job candidate?
What You Should Include in a Personal Statement

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow us

Latest Jobs

  • Undergraduate Education Project Coordinator (Fixed Term)

    Office of the School of the Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge

    Location(s): Cambridge

    Salary: £29,605 - £33,966 per annum


  • Health and Safety Advisor

    Health and Safety Directorate, University of Hull

    Location(s): Kingston upon Hull

    Salary: £38,205 - £44,263 per annum


  • Research Officer

    Leeds Beckett University

    Location(s): Leeds

    Salary: £32,983 - £38,205 (Grade 5)


  • Senior Lecturer (Architecture)

    Faculty of Social Sciences - School of Architecture, University of Sheffield

    Location(s): Sheffield

    Salary: £59,421 - £66,857 per annum. Potential to progress to £77,475 per annum through sustained exceptional contribution


  • Lecturer in Digital Marketing

    School of Arts, Media and Creative Technologies, University of Salford

    Location(s): Salford

    Salary: £45,585 - £54,395 per annum


  • Project Manager (Operations & Processes)

    Professional Services - Digital Education Service, University of Leeds

    Location(s): Leeds

    Salary: £37,099 - £44,263 per annum depending on experience (Grade 7)


Footer

jobs.ac.uk - Great jobs for bright people
  • Find a Job
  • Find PhDs
  • Career Advice
  • Jobs by Email
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility Statement

Copyright © jobs.ac.uk 1998 - 2023

  • Find a Job
  • Find PhDs
  • Careers Advice
  • Jobs by Email
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Accessibility
jobs.ac.uk - Great jobs for bright people

Copyright © jobs.ac.uk 1998 - 2022