How Do you answer this questionI had to leave my last employer because of constant oppression and abuse. The company was very small and when I say small I mean there was only 3 of us. I was basically running everything and the owner and other co-worker were out doing other things. I worked there for 7 years and gained all of my industry experience there. This person is also a relative which makes things worse. I have read all of the tips and guidelines for interviews and I am beginning to think that this is causing me to not get some jobs that I have interviewed for as I am not listing my most current employer as a reference. I do however have other professional references available. I've been describing my departure as a personal venture towards working with a larger company and expanding on my current experience. I recently had an interview with a company I would really like to work for and the interviewer said to me although this may not raise a "red flag" for him it would for other companies. I feel like I'm stuck in a catch 22 situation. At this point in time, I am mid 30's and honestly do need to move forward with my career. Any suggestions on how to answer the question: Why did you leave your last employer would be appreciated. I hope your resume lists your accomplishments in this position (if your resume doesn't emphasize accomplishments, I would suggest that you rewrite it so that it does). You could say that you've gained much useful industry experience in this job, as your accomplishments illustrate. The employer has never had a reason to complain about your performance during your 7 year stint at the company. However, since this was a very small company with only 3 employees counting the owner, and you were relied upon to practically run the entire business, the employer was upset with you when you decided to leave. Therefore, you are not quite sure about the kind of reference he/she will give you if contacted. You do, however, have other professional references who will attest to your knowledge of ____ and _____ and your skills in _____. Do not mention oppression and abuse, no matter how real, because that just makes you sound like a complainer. You are right in that it is a huge red flag not to list your employer of 7 years as a reference. Therefore, even if the interviewer does not ask for an explanation, you should volunteer it anyway. Some things will hurt you more if left unsaid. One way to offer the explanation is to mention it at the end of your answer to the "Tell me about your most recent job" question. Don't make it sound like you are trying to make excuses. A casual "You may have noticed that I did not list my most recent employer as a reference. I would like to quickly address this", followed by the explanation, should suffice.
Thank you Jen, I appreciate your response. | |
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