TRAPS: Neverbadmouth your previous industry, company, board, boss, staff, employees orcustomers. This rule is inviolable: never be negative. Any mud you hurl will only soil your suit.
Especiallyavoid words like “personality clash”, “didn’t get along”, or others which casta shadow on your competence, integrity, or temperament.
BEST ANSWER: (If you havea job presently)
If you’re not yet 100% committed to leaving your present post, don’t be afraidto say so. Since you have a job, you arein a stronger position than someone who does not. But don’t be coy either. State honestly what you’d be hoping to findin a new spot. Of course, as stated oftenbefore, you answer will all the stronger if you have already uncovered whatthis position is all about and you match your desires to it.
(If you donot presently have a job.)
Never lie about having been fired. It’sunethical – and too easily checked. Butdo try to deflect the reason from you personally. If your firing was the result of a takeover,merger, division wide layoff, etc., so much the better.
But youshould also do something totally unnatural that will demonstrate consummateprofessionalism. Even if it hurts ,describe your own firing – candidly, succinctly and without a trace ofbitterness – from the company’s point-of-view, indicating that you couldunderstand why it happened and you might have made the same decision yourself.
Your staturewill rise immensely and, most important of all, you will show you are healedfrom the wounds inflicted by the firing. You will enhance your image as first-class management material and standhead and shoulders above the legions of firing victims who, at the slightestprovocation, zip open their shirts to expose their battle scars and decry theunfairness of it all.
For allprior positions:
Make sure you’ve prepared a brief reason for leaving. Best reasons: more money, opportunity, responsibility or growth.