True. But again, this is where taking control of your narrative as much as possible comes into play. And while it might be tempting to act like the fallout from your last gig just didn't happen, this isn't a great approach. "Interviewers can always tell when you're trying to skirt around an answer when it comes to this topic, " says Andrea Gerson, founder of Resume Scripter. It's important to shift your own perception of events from negative to positive, says Crawford: "If you left to start a family or went off to explore the world for a gap year, share that, " she says. "Share how those experiences shaped you to become the amazing candidate they see before them. What did you learn? Did you pick up any transferable skills that lend themselves to making that organization thrive? Tell them. " And the best way to ensure your answers are coming across in a genuine way is to practice (duh). "Generally speaking, the best answer is honest and short, " says career coach Angela Copeland. "Take the time to write down your answer to this question.
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Then, practice it on family and friends until you feel comfortable. " …but not *that* real For all the honesty that you should be bringing to the table here, that doesn't translate into letting it all come out. In other words, this is not an opportunity to indulge in gripes about how much you loathed your previous boss or how the quality of coffee in the break room was absolutely unacceptable. "I typically coach my clients to frame all transitions as originating from a place of seeking professional growth, " says Gerson. "Rather than emphasizing what was wrong with the job, focus 100 percent on what you are hoping to achieve by making a change. " In other words: Don't be petty. Your prospective employer will likely perceive this as unprofessional and chalk it up to a lack of coping skills. Keep things on the up and up, and where there once was friction, position it as an opportunity. "For example, " says Emily Liou career coach and founder of Cultivitae, "you can say, 'Unfortunately, my company and I both agreed it wasn't the right cultural fit.