| Topic Name: |
Why Did You Leave Your Last Position? |
| Message Name: |
Levels of Information |
| Date Posted: |
06/16/2004 |
| In Reply To: |
About a year ago, my career got temporarily sidetracked due to a health issue that cropped up. I left my job (that I had held for only six months) to restore my health, and, understandably, my company had to fill my position due to: (1) I had no definitive timetable to return, and (2) the nature of my job (portfolio management) required immediate attention.
Once healthy, I decided to do some independent financial consulting to a couple of entrepreneurial ventures. In addition to having my job filled, I did not return to my original employer in another capacity because of a miscommunication regarding the terms of employment. Specifically, during the recruiting process the HR rep communicated the offer and outlined conditions that never materialized--significantly impacting my compensation. When confronted with this information by my boss (who was unaware of this miscommunication until I brought it to her attention), the HR rep "apologized" for any confusion, but said that she did not recall making the statements that fueled the controversy. This made me feel that the company was not very forthright in its dealings with employees (perhaps it was just the HR rep who might not have demonstrated integrity in this situation, but I looked at her as being representative of the company as a whole). So I decided to move on.
Now comes the challenging part: How do you explain this situation to a potential employer. Do you only mention the health issue as the reason for leaving? Will this "scare off" some employers? Do you only mention the compensation issue as the rationale for moving on? Does this make you seem greedy, self-centered, or money-grubbing? Or, do you mention them both--or something else?
Martin Yate, in his "Knock 'Em Dead" book, says the only acceptable reasons to proffer a potential employer as to why you left a previous position are:
(1)lack of challenge, (2) commute was too long, (3) lack of advancement opportunities, (4) underpaid, (5) desire to be with a better company, or (6) the company was not stable.
Prior to all of this, I worked for my last employer for six years.
I would definitely appreciate your feedback on this one.
Thanks. |
| Message: |
No, it is not a good practice to discuss your health with a potential employer unless it will impact your duties, in which case you should seek different work, anywy. This is the ultimate "personal reason" for leaving and should be described as such.
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