What can I tell interviewers as to why I left the company?

19 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 1:31PM UTC

   Honestly, I don't know if I would even include it on my resume.

2. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 2:41PM UTC

   I don't agree with the advice on sharing you filed any such case. That opens up areas of concern for a possible future employer. Also, that's your opinion and feeling why you were let go, unless they said you're being let go because you are now with child, that's clear and should be in the legal community. IMO

3. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 3:21PM UTC

   I am on the same page as others- leave it off and definitely file a complaint if you haven't already.

   If someone asks why the break, you could say you started a family; totally reasonable IMO. Someone else might have a better explanation- if so, listen to them :)

4. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 3:50PM UTC

   Once you disclosed your pregnancy, that put you in a protected class which means they had to show cause (other than the pregnancy, such as performance issues with write-ups/PIPs) before letting you go. If that didn't happen, you have a case for pregnancy discrimination.

   As for what to tell future employers, since you have been out for a year, leaving the job off creates a large gap, so unless you did something during the rest of your pregnancy (even volunteer work) that can fill that gap, it would be best to leave it on there and state that the job wasn't a good fit for you. Always follow that with why the position you are interviewing for is a better fit and why you want to work for this specific company.

   I also agree, not to mix the pregnancy with the termination when discussing it with a potential employer, as family status and medical conditions are not appropriate topics to disclose in an interview.

5. AnonymousApril 18,2024 at 4:33PM UTC

   Well, you could share the truth that your previous company did not support your pregnancy. The only caveat with that would be that then they know you have children and that is an illegal personal question for them to ask you. If you have worked elsewhere since then leave it be. You could say misalignment with what was told to me in the interview process and you would have been reorged into an area not of interest to you so you decided to part ways. Keep it simple, script it out and only share if need be.

6. MeMeApril 19,2024 at 1:05PM UTC

   If i was only at a job for 4 months, i wouldn’t even put it on my resume

7. AnonymousApril 20,2024 at 5:49PM UTC

   I made the mistake of including a job I had for ~five months (this was many years ago). Never should have. I eventually took it off, but somehow my resume wound up in the hands of someone who had seen it before. I think she only did the phone screen so she could call me out (unkindly) on it.

8. Gerald CombeApril 21,2024 at 2:28PM UTC

   Never leave a previous job off. When I run background checks and I do read the results, it is a flag for me and questions will be asked.

9. AnonymousApril 19,2024 at 2:25PM UTC

   Wow. I just got a call from a recruiter for a contract position for FOUR months. I have been looking for work so long, I told her I was interested because I have been looking for work for over a year. This FOUR month position is still not guaranteed. The recruiter submitted my resume to the hiring manager yesterday. The job requires a lot of work and is the same position I was laid off from over a year ago. I would hate not to mention work I have performed, but to your point, only working for FOUR months may be viewed negatively by a prospective employer. It is very tough out here. I would say it would determine why you only worked for four months on how to respond.

10. christine soderlundApril 19,2024 at 2:41PM UTC

    I would tell them you are looking for a better opportunity that matches your skill sets. Unfortunately there are a lot of hiring managers who lack empathy, but your job is to remain positive and hopefully figure that out the next time around before taking a job.

11. AnonymousApril 20,2024 at 12:30PM UTC

    I kinda doubt you were let go after telling your boss that you were pregnant. I know it might "seem" that way, but likely the company was getting ready to RIFF folks anyway and you did not have seniority there. Regardless,I would NOT bring the fact that you were pregnant into any conversation about being let go last year (prior to your baby's birth). Though we know that there is some prejudice out there about women/pregnancy and work....you don't want to be the person making insinuations about your former employer on a job interview. Were there others let go also? If so, you can simply say that there was a reduction in work force and though you liked working there alot (and no issues), the company went by seniority (very understandable). Or not. I would try to spin this job loss as best as you can. I lost my job 6 years ago and yes, I know it's hard to talk about this in your interviews. But you must PRACTICE a solid response at home...prior to your job interviews. Get your response down. Losing a job is a painful experience but you don't want that pain and anger to come thru on an interview,

12. AnonymousApril 22,2024 at 12:41PM UTC

    I agree - if you had only been there 4 months you wouldn't have seniority. It would be nice to know if others were also let go or if the role was backfilled. Sometimes people say they were let go but their role was really eliminated. It would be illegal to fire you because you were pregnant so I would hope they would know that.

13. AnonymousApril 20,2024 at 12:47PM UTC

    Did they replace your role? If not then you can easily say they did a reduction or restructure and you were impacted.

14. KathrynApril 20,2024 at 2:10PM UTC

    I said after 6 mos. it just was not a good fit for either of us. And left it at that. I got one follow up question and it was solely about pay. Then they moved on and I got that role and love it sometimes it is a nudge to move on. Oh an where I work we just hired a 7 mos pregnant woman to head up our operations. She was the best candidate and we understand life

15. Katherine Metres Akbar, Interview Coach & Resume ExpertApril 21,2024 at 2:03PM UTC

    Interesting what a range of advice you have received!
    Most of it I disagree with. My rule, as an interview coach, is that your answer to why a job didn't work out should be short, true, and not reveal any baggage. When you lie or hide information, other people can feel your lack of forthcomingness, and that reduces rapport and trust. Plus doing so undermines your confidence.

    Reviewing the facts, you did nothing wrong and were illegally fired. It sounds like you chose not to pursue this as a legal manner, because the costs of that were higher than the expected benefits. All of this makes you look good to an employer versus wondering if you were fired for performance or ethical mistakes.

    I do agree that you don't necessarily want to list this job on your resume, but to give you good advice on that, I would have to have more information on your job tenures.

    Now the thing about pregnancy is that you most likely have an infant now, and that is something else that can lead to discrimination, so you might want to keep that piece of information to yourself as below.

    Sample answer: "I was illegally let go after revealing that I was in a protected category at the time. I chose not to fight it, but I am looking for an employer that plays by the rules." They will then fall over themselves to assure you that they do, and you will respond warmly, "Fantastic! Great to hear." This little exchange will build rapport and show you as a strong person who self-advocates, which will raise their respect for you. Best wishes and let me know if I can help more!

16. Nicolette ThompsonApril 22,2024 at 12:39PM UTC

    I agree with your advice here - and same, can’t give a full answer without seeing the total list of employment to possibly just leave it off the list. The advice to keep it short sweet and true is huge - you can tell when someone is hiding something.

17. AnonymousApril 22,2024 at 12:47PM UTC

    Hmm....not sure saying I was illegally let go because I revealed I was in a protected category is good.
    It disparages the former employer, makes the new employer wonder if you are going to be high maintenance and require a bunch of accommodations, etc. Maybe it would work but I think it brings up a bunch of concerns as well. Even if they say we play by the rules, they are going to wonder what they are walking into and all else being equal they may pick a different candidate. Not saying they should or that it is a fair thing but lack of information and innuendo as well as saying something negative about the last employer seems more risky. I'd rather her say she was starting a family and that this didn't align with the role she had. Yes, some might discriminate on the "family" but do you seriously want to work for a company that would discriminate because you have children (especially if you have a young child)? It will be a problem every time you need off. You want a company that supports you, in my opinion. You might as well weed the ones out that won't support you and your family needs.

18. venu gopalApril 22,2024 at 12:00AM UTC

    Hey, Team, I can't see the comments for this post. Is this restricted?

19. NimartaApril 22,2024 at 1:45PM UTC

    kk