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Why did you leave your last job?

 
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Hi,

I quit my job last week and have started looking for a new job. From past experience I know that some interviewers ask why did you leave your last job.

What would be a brief and vague answer to this question so that the interviewer can quickly move on to the next question. Simply saying it was time to move on sounds like textbook stuff.
 
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What's wrong with telling him the direct truth about why you left your last job. Why do you have to be vague?

--Mark
 
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Usually, in India quitting one job without having another is not perceived as a good thing to do unless you can really give convincing answer. So explain your reasons properly.

- Manish
 
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Originally posted by Danish Saeed:
What would be a brief and vague answer to this question so that the interviewer can quickly move on to the next question. Simply saying it was time to move on sounds like textbook stuff.



For that you need to be very clear on why you left your last job. And in many cases esp in India, IT, it is subconsciously "time to move on" and the better salary becomes the primary reason.

To be honest I have changed jobs twice and could never convince myself on why I am leaving the current company. Although I was able to convince the interviewee by giving reasons like "Concerns on Organizational policies" or "Overgrown in current project and could not move out". I have a bag full of these reasons(excuses is more like it)

I have been performing outstandingly in all my companies yet after 2-3 years, I feel that I have outgrown the company and see inertia creeping in. It is this reason more than anything else that makes me look around. Yet its difficult to convince interviewees esp in India (who are mostly techies gorwn into managerial roles by virtues of their ageing factor and can never think beyond HOT technologies being reasons to quit).

Hope I make sense.
 
Danish Saeed
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I left my job without having any other job offer. I am in the process of talking to companies and hopefully something will work out. While taking the decision I kept in mind that I might have to face unemployment for afew months, maybe a year. But I preferred staying unemployed rather than working with that company.

So money and career-goals were not the reasons. If I talk about the real reasons it would be negative things about the company. I don�t want to say anything against the company.

The fact that I quit without having anything under my belt explains a lot.
 
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Danish..Please say atleast the Company name because it would help other ranchers atleast,,,
 
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Originally posted by Danish Saeed:
The fact that I quit without having anything under my belt explains a lot.


It may have negative impact too.!As Manish told,resigning from a company without having any job is not percevied well atleast by HR folks.Many thoughts could arise like:
1)Something seriously wrong either with company or person.
2)If company is wellknown,your side weakens.
You can not say I didn't like company policy etc.Policies were known to you when you joined.You can not say personal enmity or lack of onsite opporunity etc.
 
Ravi Sekar
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Hi Arjun..Why not onsite opportunity..Isn't that a valid reason?
 
Arjunkumar Shastry
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Valid from your perspective.May not be valid from employer's side.Employer wants to test your loyalty atleast for a 6 months or year before sending you onsite.
 
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Originally posted by Vetti Payan:
Hi Arjun..Why not onsite opportunity..Isn't that a valid reason?



It may be valid from your personal view but from company's view it may look very small reason.
 
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