Well, here's a question for wasp69, who knows human resources.
While I do interview, I am not an HR guru. I am picked to interview from the SME side because I have experience and perspective but also because I have a very uncanny ability to sniff out BS from a candidate. I guess I learned it from having to ferret out truth from junior troopers and my children.
Frank, an answer of "in way over my head" would be something I would want to know more about. Honesty is a great thing but I would make damn sure what I was asking you to do wasn't "over your head" in any way before I started paying you.
So, DUmmies, I am about to bestow some information in the form of wisdom - I would advise you walking cluster****s to pay attention because this may help you in the future.
Nikia (10,946 posts)
What to say at an interview when you left on bad terms?
The answer that I've given so far about there being a lot of changes and stress seems to be the best that I've said so far but it still makes me sound like I can't accept change or stress, which has probably prevented me from getting the jobs.
Nikia (10,946 posts)
13. I mentioned culturual changes within the organization
Okay, DUmmie Nikia (for whatever reason) quit its job and threw the lit matchbook on the bridge going out of the door. This type of shortsighted, feelgood behavior is tremendously stupid. Acting without thinking in the long term is childish and crippling (their DUmmies, I know, we should expect no better), especially when it comes to job search in the obameconomy. At this point DUmmie Nikia had to not only find a job that payed roughly what it was making before, but it also has to overcome why it left the last one; something that doesn't make sense to any rational person.
If any of you lurking morons do something like this, be prepared to answer pointed and probing questions about it. Instead of whining about "change" and "stress", you could say something along the lines of wanting to do something different or wanting to come to their company because your "research" says they more perfectly match what you are trying to do.
Say anything other than the changes stressed you out. That will make you look like a malcontent and it will land your application into the round file rather quickly.
Now, for the recommendations of the other DUmmies.
Scuba (15,236 posts)
1.
"Impossible demands" might be re-stated as "demands that I compromise my personal ethics" or "demands that were not tolerable from a family perspective".
rbnyc (16,182 posts)
2.
Maybe I would say something like, "It was my choice to leave the organization. Although it was a risk, there had been a cultural shift within the organization and I felt it was my opportunity to find a better relationship, so to speak. I had to make a choice about my role in the changes that were going on. I didn't feel completely bought in. I think it's very important to be committed to the direction of an organization. It was time to look for a better fit."
If pressed for specifics on "cultural changes" I would try to keep it vague. "There are many ways to run a business and people can disagree without either of them being wrong. It's just a question of perspective and style. I want to avoid being overly critical of my former employers. I still feel a sense of gratitude for my experiences there."
dmallind (8,903 posts)
5.
1) Keep complaints vague and impersonal without complaining about workload - I found phrases like "inconsistent and ill-defined priorities for my role and the whole department/company" and "absence of any real metrics that defined and incentivized high performance" to be useful. That way they know you were interested in priorities and high performance, and you are blaming the whole systems and processes of the company not "the boss" when you are talking to a person who will hopefully become "the boss", and will probably think they have a better system of metrics and planning.
2) If you are likely to get a poor reference, set this up upfront with again impersonal statements like "the company's way of managing uncertainty and change were not conducive to employee success. Communication was poor and erratic (every employee survey at nigh every company says this) and change, instead of being collaborative and positive as in well-managed companies (never badmouth change itself - nobody wants an inflexible worker), was thrown at the wall in the hope it would stick with no real input from or guidance for those affected. It became a very uncomfortable and unproductive environment filled with conflict".
DUmmies, listen up! This is going to be worth your trip over here: If you open the door, I'm going to walk through it. If you say any of the above, I'm going to pull the string and dig for more. If you try and keep it vague (as per the bolded above), the interview will be over at that point. I would say "thanks for coming in, we'll be in touch" and your resume will go into the "rejected" pile. If you don't want to have to explain something to a perspective employer, don't bring it up and whatever you do, do not try and be dodgy about it.
Ever.
BTW, DUmmie rbnyc's first and last parts of its post were pretty good. Too bad the middle (what I quoted) made it a shit sandwich.
blue ivy schlotsky (18 posts)
7. I guess this is why I have been unemployed for over four years!
I am repulsed and appalled by what we are expected to go through to have the "honor" of being able to earn a paycheck
I think I may have found your problem, DUmbass.
