#1 Reason You Left Your Last Job

#1 Reason You Left Your Last Job

Posted in Employment, Interviewing, Job History, Job Seeking, Past Employer, Workplace Conflict on November 5, 2010 by Charles River Cobb

In a mildly heated discussion in a job seekers group on LinkedIn, one career expert commented that the number one reason people leave jobs is their FORMER BOSSES.

That doesn’t jive with what you are expected to say in a job interview, when asked why you left a job: “I am searching for a better opportunity to utilize my skills.” Or “Looking for more responsibility.” And you are expected to never say an unkind word about a former boss, but a new employer wants you to be “completely honest” with them.

In the end, does this really matter? We want former employers to, at the very least, not damage our future prospects. They want us to keep up their images in the marketplace. It’s the nature of social interaction: you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours. And that’s why your prospective employers don’t want you to be completely honest. They expect that you will honor this social convention with them, too.

CRCobb