How To Talk About Having Quit a Job

In job interviews everywhere you’ll almost inevitably run into the same handful of questions time and time again. One of the most popular is why you left your previous position. Answering this question can be tricky: you have to be able to give a logical explanation of why you left without coming off as bitter or negative. The difficulty of this question is compounded if you were fired or asked to resign from your last position. Fortunately, it doesn’t take an online PhD to come up with an effective response, and with a little forethought you can answer this question without hurting your chances of getting hired.

To begin, it’s important to understand why employers ask this question at all. Applicants’ resumes may look terrific, but there may be a difference between what’s documented on paper and how people actually handles themselves on the job. By asking why you left your previous job, employers are looking to uncover potential problems with prospective hires that might not be reflected by their application materials.

The interviewer is also trying to glean information about how you handle adversity. Whether you left your job voluntarily, were laid off, or were fired, your answer to this question will give a glimpse of how you act under trying circumstances. Asking this question is an investigation into your personal integrity. So, armed with this knowledge, how should you answer the question?

It’s important to answer the question in a way that isn’t critical of your previous employer. Respond as positively as you reasonably can. If you left because you were burnt out with working for the company and decided you couldn’t stand to work there any longer, don’t trash your employer. Instead you might respond by saying you were seeking a position that would offer you greater opportunity to develop professionally. If you quit because you hated the job, you can talk about wanting a position with different responsibilities that your old company couldn’t provide. Whatever the case, don’t focus on the negatives about your previous employers. Instead, come up with a reason that casts your desire to switch jobs in a positive light.

Another thing you can do to make yourself stand out is mention what you’ve been doing since leaving your job. If you’ve done consulting work or enrolled in classes, then by all means point it out. Employers tend to look favorably on activity between jobs that shows you can take initiative and handle adversity well.

Finally, it’s important to make sure your delivery is accurate. Never tell an outright lie to an interviewer. A company can easily cross-check the reason you left your job with your previous employer. If a potential employer finds out you’ve misrepresented the circumstances of your last job, you’ll be in a worse predicament than if you had just told the truth, even if it isn’t totally favorable.

Keep your response positive, but truthful as well. It may be necessary to practice your answer several times before the interview to ensure you can be honest without hurting your chances of being hired.

This is a tough question, and leads many applicants to stumble if they’re unprepared. By being truthful and well-rehearsed in your response, you’ll be able to make a great impression on interviewers. A solid answer here will help push you to the top of the recruiter’s list, and put you that much closer to landing your next job. Good luck!

This is a guest post from Elaine Hirsch.

Related posts:

1. How To Quit Your Job Without Burning Bridges
2. How To Handle The “What’s Your Greatest Weakness?” Question In A Job Interview
3. How Your Credit Score May Affect Your Job Search

Simple Job Search Tip: If You Want To Hear Back, Follow Directions!

It’s such a common job search refrain:

“I’ve sent my resume out hundreds of times and I’ve heard nothing back!”

9 times out of 10 though, there’s a simple reason. Want to know what it is? Well, you’ve got to go a bit into the psychology of the hiring manager.

In this job market, when an employer posts a job, she’s likely to get dozens – nay – hundreds of resumes for that posted position. So if you’re that person doing the hiring, you’re looking for any reason to cut that stack of resumes down to size. I mean, realistically, you’re only going to call 3-4 or 10-15 people for interviews, right? So when that stack of resumes hits your desk or your inbox, you’re looking for the quickest and simplest reasons to cul the herd, right?

Now, there are dozens of ways that a hiring manager might weed you out and throw your resume right in the trash. Your resume might be garbage. You might be unqualified for what you’ve applied for. You might even just be too far back in the pile.

But do you know the quickest way your resume hits the trash bin?It’s simple: if you didn’t follow the directions of the job ad.

Every single job ad, be it online, in a newspaper or whatever has 3 components:

1. The description of the job
2. The description of the sort of candidate they are looking for, and…
3. Instructions on how to apply.

Over the years, I’ve seen job seekers fail again and again for no other reason than the fact they they ignored component 3.

The employer will tell you how they want you to apply. Online? Through their website? Through Monster? Via LinkedIn recommendation? Via email? In person? Over the phone? They will tell you in what format, in what time frame and how often you can apply.

If you simply don’t apply in the way they have explicitly asked, I can almost guarantee that your resume and your application will immediately go in the trash.

It’s basic human nature.

I mean, the hiring manager must be thinking this:

“If this job seeker can’t even follow the directions we laid out explicitly in our job ad, then how would I ever assume they’d be good at following directions on the job?”

So don’t make the first (worst) mistake possible when applying for a job. Don’t ignore the instructions in the job ad regarding how to apply.

I know, it seems so simple… so simple as to be stupid. But, especially with online job search, people tend to take a shotgun approach. They apply in every way possible. They submit via monster. They submit via the company website. They email. They call.

Please… for your own sake… don’t.

SIMPLY APPLY IN THE WAY THEY ASK YOU TO.

If spamming people worked for job searching, then it wouldn’t be viagra spam you’d be getting in your email spam box. It would be job applications. In the same way you don’t like spam, which is a solicitation you didn’t want, in a format you didn’t request… it’s just the same for the hiring manager. If a job ad tells you how to apply for a job, follow those instructions to the letter, otherwise you risk giving the hiring manager the easiest reason in the world for deleting your resume.

Related posts:

1. Retro Job Search Hack- Remember The Fax?
2. Should I Include My Address On My Resume If I’m Submitting Online
3. Ask Brian – You’ve Not Really Applied For A Job Unless You’ve Spoken To A Person

The Perfect Job: Is There Really Such a Thing?

Most of us make the mistake of telling ourselves that our lives will be great, just as soon as we find the perfect job. As a result, we end up defining our ideal situation based on some arbitrary set of rules around job title, level of pay, amount of vacation time, and whether or not we have an office with a window. We say in our minds, once we find these things, our lives will be perfect. Life will be filled with passion. Life will be incredibly great. Life will be filled with happiness!

There is one big problem with this line of thinking- it is incredibly flawed. Even if we did find that “perfect” job, after a period of time it would probably become stale and unsatisfying. You see, passion exists within us. We create our own passion- the excitement, enthusiasm, and emotion that we feel towards something. It is not our environment that creates that passion. It is our thoughts and feeling towards something that creates those feelings.

It is also the thoughts and feelings that we carry with us that create our own “dead-end,” lifeless situations. We spend so much of our time thinking about what we hate and what doesn’t work that our lives become miserable. We repeat and reinforce the same story over and over in our minds- this sucks, this isn’t working right, this is miserable, I won’t be happy unless I find the perfect job. We become stuck in a downward spiraling cycle of negativity and with that there certainly is no passion.

So, how do we break that cycle of negativity and pull the passion that is inside of us to the forefront?

1) Take an honest look at what you’re focusing on while you are at work. Do you spend most of your time focusing on what you don’t like about your job? If so, change that around. Look for the things you do like- maybe it is the people or the flexibility of the work hours. Focus on those things instead.

2) Make a list of at least 10 things you like about your work. When you are having a “poor me” moment at work, pull the list out and reflect on those things you like.

3) Out of the list of 10 above, find one thing that you can spend a considerable amount of time focusing on each day. Maybe there is a certain customer that you like working with more than others. Find a way that you can focus more on that relationship, or think about what it is you really like about that customer. Spend your time focusing on how you can replicate that with other customers, and not how much you dislike the other customers.

4) Practice “mindfulness.” Be aware of where you are in the present moment. Direct your mind away from the negative thoughts you have about your job and instead focus exclusively on the task at hand.

5) Ask yourself, is this really so bad? Chances are- it’s not. Otherwise, you would be in a different job already. Remember, we are not really as “stuck” as we wish to think we are. There are always options available to us.

The key is to get out of the downward spiral of negative thinking.

This is a guest post. About the author:

Lori Bell is founder of Creating Powerful Change, LLC and creator of http://www.help-me-change.com which offers tips, tools, and techniques for implementing successful change in to your life. As your Personal Change Agent, Lori will provide you with an easy to follow step by step process that allows you to tap into your hidden potential, to grow personally and professionally, and to create a life that finally feels right and works great for you! To receive other free articles and the no cost product- “Are You Ready for Success?” visit http://www.help-me-change.com now.

Related posts:

1. Changing Career: How To Identify Your Transferrable Skills
2. Ask Brian – Just Took A Job That Is Below Me. Now What? When Do I Try To Move Up?
3. How to get noticed in your job for all the right reasons!

Job Interview Tip: How to Discuss a Layoff

Being laid off can feel so awkward to a job seeker that it paralyzes them in an interview situation and undermines their candidacy–but it doesn’t have to. I’m going to show you how to change the language you use and the perspective you have about your layoff to boost your confidence and calm the concerns of a potential new employer. So: How do you address a layoff?

First things first

In a phone interview, you will be asked right off the bat about why you are no longer with such and such employer. You need to be prepared to answer that question so that it positively biases the hiring manager (or the recruiter, whoever’s calling you) towards you. One of the key questions that I ask (as a recruiter) when I talk to someone about a layoff are “How many people got laid off?” If you were with a company of 1,000 people, and only 25 got laid off, I want to know why you were one of those 25? If there was a layoff where 45% of the sales force was laid off, that seem like it would be difficult to determine who got laid off. It’s important to think about the parameters of your layoff. The key concern of that recruiter or hiring manger is “Was it just you?” and then, “Is there some kind of issue with you?” If you are able to legitimately show that it wasn’t just you, and in fact, didn’t really have a whole lot to do with you or your performance, you’re in a much better spot.

Talk about your references

If you have very positive references from a layoff situation, it alleviates the question of “Was it due to performance?” That makes us feel much more comfortable with your candidacy. Even if you were terminated, a few good references can mitigate a lot of damage.

Show evidence of your success

Brag books are wonderful vehicles for showcasing your success on the job. They can include performance reviews, examples of your work, awards letters, complimentary emails, even. Any kind of “testimonial” in your favor can be a part of your brag book. It’s all evidence of how well you’ve done at your role that goes a long way to tilting the scales in your favor.

Focus on your future success

In addition to your brag book, show them forward-looking documents that paint a picture for them of what you’ll do in this position. Candidates often use a 30-60-90 Day Plan to do that. Those plans can really help with your candidacy because they highlight your initiative and work ethic, and they help people focus on the positives that you can bring to this organization, rather than the circumstances of why you’re no longer with your last one.

This is a guest post. About the author:

Peggy McKee offers more tips, tools, and techniques to be a standout candidate on her blog at => http://careerconfidential.com/

Control the job interview and create a hiring frenzy when you bring a 30/60/90-Day Plan. Find out more at => http://30-60-90-day-sales-plan.com/getthe306090dayactionplan.htm

Related posts:

1. Interview Tip- Have Some Questions
2. Job Search/Layoff Tip- Rainy Day Fund
3. Interview AND Resume Tip- The Job Description Is Just The Starting Point

Job Interview Tip: How to Discuss a Layoff

Being laid off can feel so awkward to a job seeker that it paralyzes them in an interview situation and undermines their candidacy–but it doesn’t have to. I’m going to show you how to change the language you use and the perspective you have about your layoff to boost your confidence and calm the concerns of a potential new employer. So: How do you address a layoff?

First things first

In a phone interview, you will be asked right off the bat about why you are no longer with such and such employer. You need to be prepared to answer that question so that it positively biases the hiring manager (or the recruiter, whoever’s calling you) towards you. One of the key questions that I ask (as a recruiter) when I talk to someone about a layoff are “How many people got laid off?” If you were with a company of 1,000 people, and only 25 got laid off, I want to know why you were one of those 25? If there was a layoff where 45% of the sales force was laid off, that seem like it would be difficult to determine who got laid off. It’s important to think about the parameters of your layoff. The key concern of that recruiter or hiring manger is “Was it just you?” and then, “Is there some kind of issue with you?” If you are able to legitimately show that it wasn’t just you, and in fact, didn’t really have a whole lot to do with you or your performance, you’re in a much better spot.

Talk about your references

If you have very positive references from a layoff situation, it alleviates the question of “Was it due to performance?” That makes us feel much more comfortable with your candidacy. Even if you were terminated, a few good references can mitigate a lot of damage.

Show evidence of your success

Brag books are wonderful vehicles for showcasing your success on the job. They can include performance reviews, examples of your work, awards letters, complimentary emails, even. Any kind of “testimonial” in your favor can be a part of your brag book. It’s all evidence of how well you’ve done at your role that goes a long way to tilting the scales in your favor.

Focus on your future success

In addition to your brag book, show them forward-looking documents that paint a picture for them of what you’ll do in this position. Candidates often use a 30-60-90 Day Plan to do that. Those plans can really help with your candidacy because they highlight your initiative and work ethic, and they help people focus on the positives that you can bring to this organization, rather than the circumstances of why you’re no longer with your last one.

This is a guest post. About the author:

Peggy McKee offers more tips, tools, and techniques to be a standout candidate on her blog at => http://careerconfidential.com/

Control the job interview and create a hiring frenzy when you bring a 30/60/90-Day Plan. Find out more at => http://30-60-90-day-sales-plan.com/getthe306090dayactionplan.htm

Related posts:

1. Interview Tip- Have Some Questions
2. Job Search/Layoff Tip- Rainy Day Fund
3. Interview AND Resume Tip- The Job Description Is Just The Starting Point

New Graduate Resume – 5 Things to Get Right on a New Grad Resume

An economy in the ditch is tough on all job seekers, but particularly so on new college graduates. New grads likely went into their 2-4 year programs on the wings of an expanding economy. Most are now falling fast as the economy has retrenched and jobs hard to come by for those with little to no practical experience in their chosen fields. But there are jobs out there, albeit few. And they will go to somebody. To make sure you’re one of those somebodies, begin by making your new graduate resume the best it can be.

5 Things To Get Right on the New Graduate Resume

1) Choose Targeted Over General Resume. The days are gone when the new grad can write a ‘one-size-fits-all’ resume with a general objective statement, a bunch of overused resume cliches and a chorus line of part-time jobs, each given equal weight whether relevant or not. A job search in this environment demands a targeted approach. Every resume you submit to a job opening needs to be targeted to that position; your objective (if you have one) should mention that position by name, and every ingredient in your profile section needs to drive home the point that you are the right person for that job. Even the details under your education and experience sections should be adjusted to reflect maximum compatibility with the targeted job.

And yes, that process should be repeated for each job you apply. More work? You bet. Welcome to a recessionary economy.

2) Include an Objective Statement and a Profile Section. Yes, I know. Resume objective statements have taken a beating over the past few years, and many career counselors advise against including one on the resume. As a bit of a contrarian, I believe they should remain an option, and especially on a new graduate resume. Why? It gives the resume an immediate focus, and – if phrased correctly – the opportunity to directly address the specific qualifications of the job in question (e.g. Entry-level position in Retail Merchandising requiring a valued team player with a strong fashion sense and a relevant academic background.)

Your profile (or summary) is located either in place of, or directly beneath the objective. Your profile is a brief section (two or three lines, maybe three bulleted achievements beneath those lines) giving you the opportunity to highlight the skills and training that best qualify you for the position at hand. Note that this section might change slightly with each new targeted resume, as you subtly adjust your skill set to match each job’s qualifications.

3) Highlight Your Education. For most new graduates, their education is their calling card. Situate the education section directly beneath the profile. That is, unless you’ve held at least one full-time job for a year or more, and that job is particularly relevant to your objective. In that case, place the experience section above education in the lineup, as you will want to emphasize and elaborate on that job.

4) When To Use GPA. Mention your overall grade point average if it’s 3.5 or higher. Indeed, emphasize that fact on your resume. On the other hand, if your GPA is not so good, especially anything less than 3.0, leave it off the resume entirely. Mention your major GPA if it’s 3.5 or more, or higher than your overall.

5) Courses and Activities. List individual college courses, campus activities and such in indirect proportion to the strength of your experience section. In other words, if your experience is lacking big time, elaborate on specific courses completed, campus activities, club memberships, offices held, etc. Conversely, downplay most or all, and leave some off entirely, if you’ve held one or more jobs that add heft to your objective. And if you’re totally dependent on a list of course work to fill up space on what would otherwise be a desert moonscape of a resume, try to show how the knowledge acquired from these courses transition to your stated objective, and the needs of the employer.

New Grad – Some Things In Your Favor

As a new graduate, you have some things going for you. You have a good academic foundation in your selected profession, you’ve demonstrated the fact that you’re trainable, and odds are you’re more technologically savvy than members of the previous generation. And you’ve got a fresh perspective and a can-do attitude (in other words, you haven’t yet been crushed under the jackboot of cynicism and apathy).

Make sure your resume looks equally good, and get yourself out there.

This is a guest post by David Alan Carter who says:

Should new graduates consider using a professional resume service? “In this tough job market – yes,” says former recruiter David Alan Carter. “But make sure the writers are certified and they offer an interview guarantee.” Carter has put together Resume Service Reviews of the Web’s most popular writers at the website TopResumeServices.com, reviewing quality of workmanship, spelling out their pricing, and giving each a star ranking.

 

Related posts:

1. New Graduate Resume – 5 Things to Get Right on a New Grad Resume
2. Ask Brian- Taking A Step “Backward” And How To Address This In My Resume
3. Resume Summary – The Importance of a Resume Summary Section

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