There are plenty of things that can disqualify your application for a position—not enough experience in a certain area, an unwillingness to relocate, or even something as simple as another final candidate having just one more desirable skill that you don’t have. However, one of the biggest reasons—also one of the worst reasons—for someone to lose out on a new job opportunity is by talking poorly, or badmouthing, a previous employer during an interview.
Now, everyone has had at least one bad experience during their career, and expressing yours won’t necessarily or immediately put your resume in the dreaded “no” pile, but you need to remember that the interviewer for this new position will most likely be on the side of your former employer when it comes to bad experiences you may have had with them. If there is an experience in your career history involving your former employer that was by no means a good one, one thing you need to do first is to take a step back and try to really analyze and figure out everything you learned from it.
This is crucial not only for your job hunt but also for your career moving forward because rather than taking something negative into your new position that could hurt your prospects, you will be bringing something positive to it instead that can build you up and possibly make you even more successful in your new position.
So, whenever you are interviewing with someone for a job with a new employer, focus on sharing the positives of your various experiences—good and bad. What is it that you learned in your time with an employer? How did learning this make you better? This is how you should think and talk when you must focus on something you consider a bad experience.
If you are asked about a bad experience, and you are struggling to frame it in a positive light, it is crucial that you touch on the subject quickly and as positively as you can, and then pivot on to a different subject. Of course, you will want to talk about what you learned, and, fortunately, this is the easiest way to talk about something negative without it blowing up in your face—and along with it your chances of getting the job.
Realize, this is a trap that every interviewer uses to get an idea of your mindset and attitude about the industry. There is a saying in the hospitality industry that there are no problems, just challenges, and that is how you have to present anything negative that happened to you in your lost position.
For instance, if you had a boss that was constantly dumping his or her assignments on you, it was not extra work but rather an opportunity to train for advancement. If you had employees that were constantly slacking and had a bad attitude, it was a challenge to try to get lifelong employees re-motivated about the industry and to change the culture of the hotel. Taking that approach shows that you truly have what it takes to make it in this industry.
In the end, an interviewer wants to get the fullest picture of you that they can in order to make an informed decision and bring in the right hire, as the wrong hire can easily cost them thousands in time and money. Oftentimes, the fullest picture includes whether or not you can work collaboratively with the team around you, and someone who badmouths a former employer rather than talking about what the experience taught them doesn’t point to the best option, especially if similar challenges are expected in the new position.
As the adage goes, the first impression you make is the most important, and this is especially the case with job interviews, so make sure to paint the best impression possible with your potential new employer.
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