Getting your player ready...
Dear J.T. & DALE: Six months ago I took what I thought was my dream job with a company I adored. Sadly, once inside the organization, I learned it was highly dysfunctional. The job became so stressful, with arguing and backstabbing, that I got physically sick. After a discussion with my wife, I decided to resign. I immediately felt better, but now that I’m going on interviews, I’m struggling to explain what happened. Suggestions? – Rory
J.T.: When on interviews, it’s difficult to explain what happened to you without throwing your former employer under the bus. When you throw an employer under the bus, it’s very hard for the next employer to see you as a good hire. DALE: Here’s the problem: Recruiters are trained to think the worst. Why? Because their first priority is to avoid a bad hire. So, when you quit a company with a great reputation, you look like a malcontent; or maybe they think you must have been shoved out. J.T.: To overcome this, you should stick to the facts and be as objective as possible when explaining what transpired. Then take ownership of the situation. By that, I mean you should explain what you’ve learned from the experience and how you’ve grown. Tell them specifically, if you can, what you would have done differently. Then tell them how important it is that you find a new employer and put this behind you so you can give the new employer 200 percent. By being honest without getting emotional, and by taking ownership, you will show your character without having to speak poorly of the former employer. DALE: All good advice, except I would quibble with the idea of getting specific. Instead, I would blame politics, saying something like: “I thought it would be a dream job, but it turned out that it was constant office politics. Plenty of people had knives sticking out of their backs. I tried to get along with everyone, but it was impossible. So I left to devote myself to finding a real team, a place where we work together and help one another succeed.” Bang. Who doesn’t want to hire that guy? Dear J.T. & Dale: I am so frustrated with my job search. I’ve applied to hundreds of companies have not heard back from even one. Why are they so rude? – Nanci DALE: There was a time when companies made an effort to respond. I once did consulting work with a big brewery that sent a nice reply to every job applicant, including an invitation to a special brewery tour. However, over the years, applying for jobs got much, much easier – no classy stationery needed, no trip to Kinko’s, no typing up a custom cover letter, no postage – and the burden of responding grew along with all of those easy applications. Eventually, during one economic downturn,eliminating that function became an
easy choice. J.T.: Yes, it’s not companies being rude, but rather the sheer volume of applications that makes it impossible for them to respond to every one. Let me explain the magnitude of the problem: A recent study showed that the average job posting gets over 200 applications, with the first one coming in within 200 seconds ofthe posting.
