Q. I left my last job because I had a dysfunctional boss, and I’d like your opinion on how to address that topic during job interviews.
My friends tell me that mentioning a personality clash would be a red flag for potential employers, who seemingly can readily accept managers’ complaints about bad employees, but have a hard time believing employees’ complaints about bad managers. A human resources person even admitted to me that 80 percent of the people who leave their jobs do so because of their bosses. If I left because I wasn’t happy, I would like to be honest and say so. But I don’t want to be looked at negatively or blow an interview.
A–There are two sides to this dilemma: The interviewing process is designed to impress interviewer and interviewee alike. Because managers want you to like their company, they are not going to tell you about your potential boss’ faults. Likewise, you want your interviewers to think you’re perfect for the job.
Bringing up details of a personality clash may worry interviewers since they don’t know you or your former boss. Good chemistry between all parties is paramount to getting and keeping a job, so information on personality clashes is better left out of an interview, even if the other party was the dysfunctional one.
On the other hand, honesty is sometimes the best policy, as long as you present the problems in a logical and professional manner. In a progressive company, the interviewer should be experienced enough to sense that you were not the problem. If he or she reacts negatively to hearing the truth, the company may have a rigid work atmosphere and may be doing you a favor by not hiring you.
Comfort is the key word in choosing how you handle the situation. Don’t say anything–positive or negative–that makes you wince or squirm.
Q–You may think this is petty, but I work closely with a woman who has bad breath. It makes me sick to my stomach to get too close, but I don’t know how to tell her without offending her.
A–Don’t think of it as criticism, but as a way to help her. Carry strong mints with you and munch on them when you have to work with her. Every time you take one, offer her one. If she simply doesn’t get the hint, try turning the tables: Say that you hope your breath isn’t bad. She may then ask about hers, to which you can meekly reply that a mint might help.
Q–I often serve on job-search committees and occasionally receive unsolicited resumes, many of which automatically eliminate the applicant because the resume is poorly proofed, or the cover letter is written on the employer’s stationery, or it gives too much personal information (such as being on a spiritual quest, listing sexual preference or going through a divorce). I’ve wanted to respond to these applicants with personal advice, but I know that would be inappropriate. Is there anything that employers can do for them?
A–It’s nice that you’d like to help, but as you say, as a potential employer, you can’t. If you’d like to guide people looking for jobs, you could go into private career counseling. Libraries and bookstores, however, are filled with how-to books on resumes, cover letters, interviewing and negotiating skills, and interview follow-up procedures. That’s where job-seekers should start.
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Problems on the job? Write to Lindsey Novak, Jobs, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611, or via e-mail: AtWorkbyLN@aol.com. No phone calls, please. No phone calls, please.
