A career coach has lifted the lid on the best way to explain why you left a job after a short period of time — without going into too much detail.
J.T. O’Donnell, founder and CEO of WorkItDaily.com, has more than 1.1 million followers on TikTok, where she shares tips on everything from how to find a job to navigating a pre-planned vacation with a new employer.
She recently went viral after detailing what you should say in an interview if you are asked why you left a job shortly after you started.
‘There are only three things you need to say,’ she explained in the video.
J.T. O’Donnell, founder and CEO of WorkItDaily.com, has more than 1.1 million followers on TikTok, where she shares job-hunting tips and career advice
She recently went viral after detailing what you should say in an interview if you are asked why you left a job shortly after you started
The career coach stressed that you never want to over- or under-explain because it ‘makes you look suspect’
O’Donnell stressed that you never want to over- or under-explain because it ‘makes you look suspect.’
She advised that you start off by saying, ‘That’s a great question. Thanks for asking.’
‘This shows that aren’t afraid of answering the question,’ she noted.
The career coach said you should then give a brief explanation outlining why you left the position.
‘Soon after getting there, I realized the job wasn’t what I thought, and I couldn’t see a long-term future as it was presented to me.’
Finally, O’Donnell put a somewhat positive spin on her departure from the company.
‘I made the hard decision to move on so I could find the right job and they could find the right employee,’ she concluded.
O’Donnell advised that you start off by thanking the interviewer for asking the ‘great question’ before briefly outlining why the job wasn’t the right fit
Finally, O’Donnell put a somewhat positive spin on her departure from the company
The viral video has been viewed more than 517,000 times since it was posted last week, and her advice inspired some commenters to share the explanations they’ve given
The video has been viewed more than 517,000 times since it was posted last week.
‘Perfect answer,’ one fan responded. ‘Most people experience a bad fit in a job at some point. A good hiring manager won’t hold it against you as long as it’s not recurring.’
‘This is awesome! No need to overexplain!’ someone else agreed.
‘I’ve used this,’ another added. ‘Job was not as advertised and I knew immediately it was not for me after giving it a few months.’
The video also inspired other commenters to share the explanations they’ve given during their own interviews.
‘I’ve given up and gotten blunt, “My pay did not match my duties or performance, so I found opportunities that did,”‘ one viewer explained.
‘”The management was terrible,”‘ someone else said. ‘It’s no secret anymore that most management is, in fact, terrible.’
I’ve told a potential employee that I was being asked to do unethical and illegal/fraudulent billing,’ another replied. ‘They ask more questions and they get to see how I follow our code of ethics. Win for me.’
