Why did you quit your last job so early?

Possible Intention:

• To know the reason for your job switch.
• To check if you are just a mercenary who works for whoever pays more.
• To know your experience that made you leave the previous job.

Insights:

• Be ready with a convincing answer. The interviewer is trying to judge whether to hire you or not, if you have left your previous job after a very short stint.
• Have a list of reasons which do not say bad things about your previous employer.
• If you have had disagreement with your previous employer, do not wash dirty laundry in public.
• Do not give a flippant reply. It shows that you are not a responsible person and do not take your job seriously.

Example Answers:

1. I had to leave in a very short period due to some family problems and continuing my job was not possible. Since I had not completed my probation, getting leave was difficult, when my family needed me the most. But I assure you that nothing of this sort will happen again now since the problem has been sorted out.
2. I had few disagreements with my manager in the earlier employment, and as I could not make compromise with my core believes, I thought it would be a good idea to seek out like-minded people who can foster those believes.
3. There was a gap between what I do with my life and what the organization needed, so rather than having a disturbance in my personal life as well as work envirnment, I decided to approach people with same vision as mine.

Anti Pattern:

• Do not say left because you did not like the work environment or the project that you were assigned. It may indicate that you are not adaptable.
• Do not say that you did not like working at the earlier organization and hence left the job.
• Do not elaborate and dwell on the problem you might have faced earlier.
• Do not portray yourself as a victim.

Interviewer's Interpretation:

• The interviewer may appreciate you honesty and forthrightness as long as you can justify what you core beliefs are.
• The interviewer will understand that you have the courage to take strong decision, but not out of malice.
• That you are a sincere, thoughtful and responsible person who is capable of taking the right decisions,