Never Give The Real Reason Why You Quit a Job

We all know you quit your last job because it didn’t pay enough. Or your boss was a dick. Or your coworkers were insane.

Maybe you were bullied, yeah? Maybe your CEO was a narcissist and a psychopath? Maybe your very own HR Generalist tried to sexually proposition you?

Lucky you.

But, yeah, uh, please keep that to yourself.

“Laurie, what should I say when people ask me why I’m looking for a new job? I want to tell them that no self-respecting woman would ever work for my boss.”

Ouch, I feel ya. I know that experience. Except you worked there by choice. For an extended period of time. You cashed a paycheck. What the hell does that say about you?

Never give the real reason why you quit a job. In fact, you are looking for a new job for the following reasons.

1. You are looking for new opportunities and new challenges.

2. You are looking for experience in a new industry.

3. You are looking for additional opportunities to travel.

4. You are interested in new leadership responsibilities.

5. You want to manage a team.

6. You would like to apply your skills to a new organization.

7. You want to try and work for a smaller/bigger company.

8. You are ready to take what you’ve learned and help a new company find solutions.

Pick one.

But never tell me why you are really looking for a new job. I don’t want to know. I want you to accentuate the positive. Eliminate the negative. Lie to me. That’s how the game is played.

And the less you actually say about your previous employer, the better.