Job interview: "Why did you quit your last job?" I can't tell them the truth (employment, job application)
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I quit my last job because I was being sexually harassed by my manager (I'm male, she's female), and she wouldn't take no for an answer. So I reported it, then I got retaliated against, and HR said "sue us or quit". So, I quit. By this point my health was in pretty bad shape since it was a pretty slow-burn retaliation, very slow, sneaky, and deliberate. Definitely not a good time.
So how do I spin this with job applications/interviews? I've been unemployed since April dealing with that + pretty heavy family issues (directly related to what happened to me at my last job) and I've been freelancing here and there to keep myself in the game at least a little bit.
So what do I say? I'm not going to mention what happened to me, because I know that's taboo. But I'd also like to find a job because I'm going to become homeless pretty soon if I don't find one fast. Yeah, great times.
My resume shows a consistent track record of success and hard work. 4 years at this last job (Fortune 300 headquarters), 3 years at another job (Fortune 100 company), college degree, law degree, successes at pretty much every job and internship, etc.
So I've got a lot of counter-evidence going on here that I'm not some guy that just quits for random reasons, but I can't really think of something that doesn't involve lying through my teeth. Because the truth is pretty messed up, and I know it's a no-go in interviews.
Thoughts, ideas, suggestions would be greatly welcomed. Thanks.
If you get asked why you left your last position try this:
"The work environment at my last place of employment became toxic and borderline hostile due to one of the supervisors engaging in a pattern of unwanted sexual advances towards their subordinates.I simply could not succeed in such a stressful environment".
OP: You really should have file a suit for sexual harrassment along with all of your documentation shortly after it started and not let it get so far that it affected your health and ability to do your job.
With a law degree you should be able to find the proper and legal way to answer the question without going into details if you have no real proof of the incidents.
OP: You really should have file a suit for sexual harrassment along with all of your documentation shortly after it started and not let it get so far that it affected your health and ability to do your job.
With a law degree you should be able to find the proper and legal way to answer the question without going into details if you have no real proof of the incidents.
Yeah, I should have, but I didn't. I don't have a family or anything like that, so I had nobody to talk to about it or help me out with it. It was like getting run over with a car and I had to find some way to take care of myself. I've seen how they defend lawsuits, it would've been an all-out war.
Any lie will do: commute too long, pay too low, too few benefits, few opportunities for advancement, wanted different job duties, etc. . . Saying any one of these in a diplomatic way can skirt the sexual harassment issue entirely while offering good reasons you're looking for another job. Just don't count on your old job giving you a good reference
I would say that you quit to be at home with a sick relative and in that time you did consulting on the side to maintain an income. This shows initiative and that you have empathy.
I would say that you quit to be at home with a sick relative and in that time you did consulting on the side to maintain an income. This shows initiative and that you have empathy.
This.
Personally, as a hiring manager I would be ok with you telling me the truth. As you can see from the knuckle-heads posting before me, the truth is risky in this case.
I would say that you quit to be at home with a sick relative and in that time you did consulting on the side to maintain an income. This shows initiative and that you have empathy.
This is actually the one I've been planning to use. I wanted to see what other people thought and toss around some other ideas.
Last edited by lookingforadvice20202; 12-28-2016 at 06:59 AM..
This is actually the one I've been planning to use. I wanted to see what other people thought and toss around some other ideas.
Same here. I think keeping it short and sweet will be the best benefit here.
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