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Subject:Re: FWD: Employment Interview Questions From:Dick Margulis <ampersandvirgule -at- WORLDNET -dot- ATT -dot- NET> Date:Sun, 15 Feb 1998 14:44:55 -0500
Eric J. Ray wrote:
>
> Name withheld upon request. Please reply on list.
>
> *************************************************
>
> I feel I can present myself well in an interview, but I'm bothered by one inevitable question:
Why are you wanting to leave your present job?
I think the more professional interviewers will be unlikely to ask you
this question, although your are right that it is well to be prepared
for it.
If someone does ask you, the one thing you want to avoid is any negative
comment about your current manager or employer. (The interviewer's
agenda is likely to be: what's this dork gonna say about me when it
turns out he's a misfit here, too?) So this is a situation where
etiquette trumps truth, and a cliche like "seeking new challenges" is
perfectly acceptable. Looking for "an opportuity for growth," "more
dynamic environment," "more up-to-date management style," etc., work the
same way. Focus on what you are seeking to do prospectively, not where
you've been. Remember that some questions are traps and that the best
way to answer them is to avoid answering them.
