Employment Application Advice

What should I put when I am filling out a job application and it asks why I am leaving my present job?

Honesty is usually the best policy when dealing with leaving your current job. You do, however, want to be sure that your response does not knock you out of consideration.

You didn't give me much to go on here, so I'll give you some suggestions for common issues:

Lay Off

In today's market, being caught in a lay off is not uncommon. You'll find that most companies, and many, if not most, hiring managers have gone through a similar experience. In this case, it's fine to indicate that you were laid off from your current job.

More Money

If you're leaving because you're not making enough money, I would expand on this idea by indicating that you're looking for a better opportunity - more responsibility, more management opportunity, bigger territory, or something similar. You want to convey the idea that you are looking forward, that you want to take the next step in your career.

Hate Your Boss or Working Environment

The cardinal rule when you're looking for a new job is not to burn bridges. You don't want to be negative regarding your current work situation. Keep things positive. The "better opportunity" response works well here.

You Were Fired

This is the toughest one to deal with on an employment application. It is important not to lie, because lying on an employment application is grounds for termination. While honesty is important, don't say "I was fired." Instead, say something a little less emotionally charged, such as "job ended" or "job terminated".

You will need to explain the situation in an interview. It's best to keep your explanation simple. If you were at fault, indicate that you made a mistake, and learned from the experience. If you were not at fault, develop a one or two sentence explanation about what happened - trying not to blame anyone in the process.

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