Mark's Answer:
Though it may feel embarrassing, it’s important to stay with the truth. I’ve sat through far too many interviews where candidates are clearly hiding something and as a result weave a typically over-long and essentially unbelievable story that doesn’t serve them well.
Most people, probably including your interviewer, have had bad bosses in their lives. If you can honestly and in as few words as possible say something like, "My manager and I had some differences" or "The job was not a good fit for me," you will enable the interviewer to feel comfortable to move on.
The key is to keep your answer short and crisp, and avoid saying negative things about the people and the organizaiton.
Answer the question with confidence and without a hint of embarrassment.
If the interviewer still seems curious, address that concern head-on, saying something like, "If you look at the rest of my career, you will see that this has never come up before," or "I had a great track record working for this company. It is only this most recent situation where things were not entirely positive."
The goal here is to read the interviewer’s reaction and provide enough positive information to allow them to move on.
There are some other things you can do that might help. Take control of the situation by offering to the interviewer a reference (or references) from your former company who can vouch for the quality of your work and your positive attitude. Or, perhaps offering to provide copies of your performance reviews (assuming that you have copies of your reviews and that they support the high quality of your work).
If you can’t provide a reference from this company, be sure the references you do provide can speak well as to your ability and positive attitude.
For more information:
Have a Different Question?
Have a question about the hiring process or about working with the Human Resources department where you work? Mark will answer new questions every month. Please send your questions to questions [at] Job-Hunt.org. We will never publish your name when we publish your question and the answer.
© Copyright Mark Cohen, 2013. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
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Mark Cohen is an experienced Human Resources leader who has worked for many employers. He offers his assistance in this column to help you navigate through the sometimes-puzzling processes of Human Resources departments.
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