Fearless InterviewingANSWERC: My last boss and I really didn’t see eye to eye. He
wouldn’t give me a raise no matter how many times
I tried to get one.
I bet you already chose A. You’re right! No matter what question
you are asked about your last company, your last supervisor, or
your former coworkers, the intent is usually to “dig up” some-
thing negative. Both B and C imply some sort of negative
response to your last job.
Sharing ANY kind of negatives about a past
employer is to be avoided at all costs, even if you
feel that you were treated unfairly.What if you were laid off due to a downsizing or reorganization
of your company? The three rules of thumb for explaining a lay-
off are the following:
- Don’t blame yourself.
- Don’t blame or sound angry with the company.
- End your statement about the situation on an upbeat
note by saying that you are looking forward to a new
position with new responsibilities.
Try these answers on for size. They do not get into negatives,
and they indicate that you have a clean slate and wish to move on:
ANSWER: Due to a mass reorganization of my company, my
entire department was eliminated. Now I’m looking
forward to exploring new options for employment.
Or...
ANSWER: Due to serious financial problems, my company was
forced to downsize. Unfortunately, my position was
affected. Now I’m looking forward to exploring
some new opportunities.