How to Discuss a Former Employer in an Interview

If you're going to a job interview, chances are you want to have a successful interview that might lead to an exciting new job. One common mistake many job seekers make is not knowing how to discuss a former employer, so learn how to avoid this interviewing pitfall.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Men's Suits
• Women's Suits

1. Consider what you will say well in advance of the interview. If the job was great, play it down a little, or your prospective employer will wonder why you left. If the job was awful, tone that down a bit, too.

2. Be tactful. Droning on about the vices of your former boss will only make you look bad in the eyes of a prospective employer, who may wonder if you will someday say the same things about her.

3. Remember to be truthful. If your prospective employer calls for a reference, she should be prepared for what kind of response she will get.

4. Don't try to gloss over anything that may have happened in the past. If it comes up in the interview, speak directly about it, but you need not volunteer information that would be better left unsaid.

5. Accept part of the responsibility for any bad employment experiences you've had, but turn a negative into a positive. For example, "Now I understand why we did not get along; since then I've had the opportunity to change the way I go about presenting my ideas."

Tips & Warnings

• Make mistakes of the past look like learning experiences that can only benefit future employers.
• Avoid talking too much and too long about bad past experiences. Prospective employers just want to know the facts behind your past, not the gruesome details.

on 11/22/2005 Never trust Human Resources! They are puppets of the company! They have law backgrounds, many are lawyers. Need I say more. Know your rights. Understand the basic laws on employer employee confidentiality in the city and state you are seeking employment. Then, be prepared for the typical spin that lawyers do so well!