What can I say in an interview if I'm leaving because of my boss?
**Don’t speak negatively about a previous employer**
This is forever enshrined in the interviewing rule book.
So then, what do you say instead if you want to leave because your boss is just plain toxic or incompetent (or both) and making your life hell? Just make something else up and hope it sounds credible?
The issue with that is that your alternative reason might not sound credible.
The reason might not align with what the firm you’re now interviewing with can actually offer you.
Or it could sound vague, making them suspect you’re not telling the full story, leaving a question mark against your application.
Our advice: be honest.
Be professional in how you communicate the issues and have some non-emotive examples prepared which highlight an unreasonable management style or expectation, or other signs of an unhealthy work culture.
Avoid a character assassination, but if things aren’t ok in your current firm/team to the point you want to find somewhere more enjoyable/healthy, that’s a perfectly legitimate reason which shouldn’t need to be unspoken.
Talk it through in advance with someone neutral to see if it makes sense to them. And talk to an experienced and consultative recruiter who can offer candid feedback and further advice.
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