When you speak with someone in your job search process, whether it is a networking contact or a potential employer, you want to leave them with a positive impression. That probably sounds obvious, but while being honest about your situation and past employment, you might have done the opposite.
Through the desire for connection, you might feel compelled to give your audience the personal details of your difficult current or past work circumstances. This might work well for a friend or romantic partner but not for a job search contact. Your job contact is looking at you through a lens of future employment and how positively you will contribute to a team or work environment.
If something negative happened in your current or past employment your future employer wants to know that you overcame it.
Leave a job search contact or potential employer with the belief that, despite challenging circumstances, you navigated through the difficult situation with resilience and problem-solving skills.
Discuss how the challenges you faced in previous roles helped you grow both personally and professionally. Mention any new skills or knowledge you gained as a result of overcoming difficulties. By reframing negative employment experiences in a positive light, you can present yourself as a candidate who is resilient, self-aware, and focused on continuous improvement.
Forego the stories of your current/former boss or organization that could potentially make you look bitter, ungrateful, and difficult to work with. Focus on the positive contributions you made. If you were faced with a significant challenge, reflect on what lessons you learned and how you will do it differently next time.
The best predictor of future results is past performance.
Use examples, stories and accomplishments to demonstrate how you used your skills to create a positive outcome. Use the SAR model to frame your answers. Note: STAR is a more common model, but I find the T (task) is unnecessary.
- Present the Situation (problem) concisely with as few words as possible to get your point across.
- Offer the Action (solution) that you took to overcome the situation. Provide enough details to demonstrate your capabilities and skills to show you worked through the challenge you were presented.
- Finally, share the positive Result of your action, providing measurable results if possible.
You can briefly say the reason why you are job searching but move on and explain why you are there. You can say, ‘I want to continue to improve my skills in X area, and my current job isn’t allowing me to do that. I believe a position with X company/X industry will allow me to apply my skills to provide more value to my employer.’
Example: My pursuit of a position in leadership and development is a departure from my career in HR. Although my role at Sage International Healthcare has given me valuable experience with leading at the enterprise level and exposure to broader aspects of HR, it also confirmed that my true interests and talents are in leadership development. When I was able to focus on the growth and effectiveness of high-potential individuals within Sage I saw the biggest impact to the organization. I am grateful for the opportunities Sage allowed me and look forward to the opportunity to drive the personal and professional growth of high performers, as well as contribute to the success of an organization as a whole.
PRO TIP: Teamwork is incredibly important in almost every job you apply for. Mention any positive relationships you built with colleagues, clients, or supervisors while navigating through a difficult situation.
In summary, reframing past negative employment is a strategic approach to presenting yourself positively, showcasing your ability to overcome challenges, and aligning with the expectations of potential employers.
As always, if you need further help don’t hesitate to reach out to me via LinkedIn or email.