What Should You Tell An Interviewer After Leaving A Job On Bad Terms?

You may have left your previous job on a bad note. And now that you're on the search for a new job, what you should tell interviewers when the question arises?

Most candidates would tend to provide a neutral reason such as seeking new opportunities or looking for greater challenges without going into details of what had happened at their previous workplace, says Mr David Blasco, general manager of recruitment firm Randstad Singapore.

“Such an approach gives the candidate a chance to focus and reflect on how they have grown professionally, a trial by fire of sorts, and how they can use their learning experience to manage conflicts and challenges in the future.”

This allows an uncomfortable question to be turned into an opportunity to showcase your maturity and resilience.

If probed, you should strike a balance between honesty and professionalism by focusing on the facts when sharing past experiences.

“Avoid reflecting on the experience using only emotions, but take the opportunity to share what you’ve learnt from it to show your maturity and willingness to grow in a safer and more supportive work environment,” says Mr Blasco.

For example, instead of labelling a supervisor with emotionally loaded terms such as “toxic”, provide specific examples of what happened in your previous role, and how you would deal with those incidents.

Text: Tay Hong Yi/The Straits Times