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"Need Job Interview Advice" Topics: job search, job interviews, interviewing, career, career advice, job advice

Some background on me. I quit a job I was at for two years without any notice whatsover, which is completely unlike me. However, the job was stealing my soul. It was a bad fit for me, and I went home in the middle of the day and never went back. I sent a letter of immediate resignation stating in a nice way why I left. I heard through the grapevine that my boss was ticked off.

Immediately after quitting I went on a job interview that I had previously sent my resume to when I was still employed at the soul-stealing job. I did not reveal that I had quit my current position. I was told the process to get hired is a long one.

Yesterday the company called me for a second interview. My question is, Do I say that I am no longer employed? If so, how can I couch it so that I don't sound like a lunatic for leaving the way that I did?

Please, no reprimands for my rash behavior in quitting the other job. It was a government job and I was bored out of my mind.

Thanks!

flag	asked Oct 14 at 19:10 Bobcat♦♦ 11●2

MichellePA · Answer 1 · 2009-10-14 20:47:14Z UTC

I think you’ll be fine on your interview as long as you don’t give too much information that you’re not asked for.

I highly doubt you’re going to be asked whether you’ve quit your job since you sent out your résumé, and I’m certain you’re not going to be asked about how you quit. As far as the first goes, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect someone hunting for alternate employment to have resigned, and as to the second point, if you’ve done a good job as coming across as a respectable, professional applicant, it won’t even occur to them that you might have left, um, abruptly. And you worked at your old job for two years; it's not like you have such a spotty, sporadic work history that a red flag is raised.

While it’s certainly likely that the new prospect will call your previous company to verify your employment, it’s much less certain that they’ll come away with a lot of information about you. Most companies are pretty darned cautious about giving out information; unless you’ve signed a release form, I doubt they’d find out anything other than your dates of employment and your job title.

If they do ask, all you’ll have to do is tell them that, because there wasn't enough work for you to do (a very good explanation for why you were bored), you felt it was best to resign and spend your time focusing on your job hunt.

But really, the only way I could see a need to say something at all is if they ask you how long you’d need to make a decision and start work, at which point you can beam at everyone and reply that you’re free to start work immediately!

I’m definitely not suggesting that you lie if these things are brought up, but I don’t think it’s something you’ll have to worry about. Be prepared for questions about the reasons behind your search for a new job and answer their questions forthrightly and honestly. But as long as you don’t volunteer information that they’re not asking for (which I generally wouldn’t recommend doing in an interview anyway), the things you’re worried about probably won’t ever come up.

Good luck!

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