In preparing for that next big job interview, you potentially did a lot of research on the types of questions you could expect from the interviewer, from more general questions to those that really probe your knowledge of your field. While every interviewer is different and their questions may vary, there are a few common questions you can expect and prepare for regardless of industry, such as the infamous “Tell me about yourself”. There are way too many to memorize, which leads us to ask— which interview question is the most important?
Former General Electric CEO, Jack Welch, who led the $100 billion organization for 20 years, was well known for growing and developing great teams, and someone once asked him what he thought the most important question was during a job interview. His answer “Why do you want to part ways with your current job and employer, and why is it that you left your previous jobs?”
- To begin, you do not ever want to badmouth your past employer or their hiring manager. The reason for this is that 99 times out of 100, the individual who is currently interviewing you will most likely side with your previous employer and hiring manager. Trashing the previous company all but ensures your resume goes into the “not considering” pile.
- Secondly, you want to avoid giving a drawn-out, long, and bloated answer to this question. When hiring managers get long answers to this question, what they ultimately hear is just problems, and they will think you are the epicenter of all these potential problems. And what this means is that if they choose to hire you over someone else, they will be hiring problems that the company will probably not want.
- The last thing you should consider when answering this question is that whenever you have to provide reasons for why you parted ways with your last employer, be sure that you avoid giving this company reasons NOT to take you on as a new hire.
Now, if you were fired or are not currently working, that does not mean you can’t beat it. Treat the incident as a learning opportunity that has enabled you to become a better manager. Put as much positive light on it as possible without being deceptive. If you are working with a recruiter, their team will be able to coach you through this to ensure you answer the question correctly.
If you are still employed, answering this question becomes much easier. There is no need to tell a potential employer about issues or personality clashes you may be having. You can portray your job search as simply looking for a change or looking for new challenges. Again, a hotel recruiter can work with you on this answer to ensure you come off in a positive light.
In the end, knowing that you will likely be facing this question during most, if not all job interviews, it makes the most sense for you to just plan your answer in advance. In addition to being honest, your answer should be concise, clean, and well-worded—all of which are things that can be honed and practiced before the actual interview.