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Advice please, how do I address this on an interview

8 replies

ColdemortReturns · 01/02/2021 17:33

Last I left my job. Great timing huh? It was a terrible office, not just in terms of a bullying environment but also being told to do stuff that was both unethical and fraudulent (financial services). Plus they refused to shut the office during lockdown (apparently they have this time - because there is nothing to stop us working from home other than controlling management).
Time line was that I was signed off sick for 6 weeks with depression, then quit, then had a complete psychotic breakdown that left me in hospital.
The other side to this is that about 9 months before I left the company lost a contract which my particular role was 90% dependant on. (To add losing the contract was nothing to do with me - it happened before I even started).

I'm now back in the position to start work again. I've had a couple of telephone interviews but they're not progressing any further. I think a big part of this is I flounder when asked why I left my last job. For all companies promote mental health awareness I'm not convinced they practise what they preach. So do i:

  1. be completely honest and say i had a mental crisis but I've sought treatment and am now much better.
  2. say it wasnt the right environment and try and gloss over it.
  3. say we lost the contract and my job became redundant (not strictly true but would stand up to casual scrutiny I.e. anyone googling the company).

Any other ideas welcome.

OP posts:
ColdemortReturns · 01/02/2021 17:33

*last summer I left my job

OP posts:
ArosGartref · 01/02/2021 17:37

How long had you worked there?

peanutbuttermilkshake · 01/02/2021 17:38

2 but not exactly how you’ve worded it. Go for the ‘needed a new challenge’, ‘wanted to find a new role where I could progress’ rubbish that employers seem to love!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

wendyleen · 01/02/2021 17:38

Say that you needed some time out and took a sabbatical. A family member needed quite a bit of support and you didn't think it would be fair on the company. Not entirely untrue as you could be describing yourself!

I would be very wary of declaring a mental health issue. Very few employers would be understanding.

It's tough out there at the moment so try not to overthink it.

NovemberR · 01/02/2021 17:39

I'd probably say that just before I started my last job the company failed to renew a contract which was a large part of my role. As a result I felt that my abilities were under utilised from the moment I started and consequently it was never really the right fit for me. I'd say I'd decided to resign to pursue other opportunities and obviously Covid had limited these but I was now eager to channel my energy into a new challenge.

Does that sound bullshitty enough? I don't think you should be obliged to mention your mental health issues if you don't want to.

ColdemortReturns · 01/02/2021 17:42

@wendyleen

Say that you needed some time out and took a sabbatical. A family member needed quite a bit of support and you didn't think it would be fair on the company. Not entirely untrue as you could be describing yourself!

I would be very wary of declaring a mental health issue. Very few employers would be understanding.

It's tough out there at the moment so try not to overthink it.

I really like this, thankyou. To reply to others, I was getting on for a year working there which also I know looks terrible. I actually had 2 interviews lined up in March - then boom lockdown.
OP posts:
ColdemortReturns · 01/02/2021 17:43

@NovemberR

I'd probably say that just before I started my last job the company failed to renew a contract which was a large part of my role. As a result I felt that my abilities were under utilised from the moment I started and consequently it was never really the right fit for me. I'd say I'd decided to resign to pursue other opportunities and obviously Covid had limited these but I was now eager to channel my energy into a new challenge.

Does that sound bullshitty enough? I don't think you should be obliged to mention your mental health issues if you don't want to.

That's basically what I've been saying, although not as coherently!
OP posts:
ArosGartref · 01/02/2021 17:46

Ok, I think a year is fine and I would focus on it not being the right cultural fit for you and then demonstrate your knowledge of the new company and why that's a better match for you.

If you'd been there 5 years plus I think the "new challenge" would be more appropriate. That's why I asked.

I think this is a question that is going to go out of fashion in the current climate too - loads of people will be moving jobs for obvious reasons.

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