
Aug 17, 2018 - 04:18 AM
Since hiring managers frequently ask details about prior job history, it is important to know how to respond if you left a prior position due to an emergency situation. These tips give general advice for answering questions about why you left your last job.
When asked about why you left the prior job, provide general information about your circumstances without giving more details than necessary. For example, if you left because of a family member's illness, explain that you left to care for the individual. Follow up by emphasizing that the situation changed, and you are ready for regular or full-time employment again.
You may need to explain why taking a leave of absence or working a reduced work schedule could not put you in a position to deal with the emergency situation. You may have had to move to a new location, for example, or the company may have been too small to offer these types of accommodations during the emergency period.
Many company officials are sympathetic to emergency situations that cause breaks in employment. They are also interested in knowing that the circumstances are different now and that the emergency is unlikely to repeat in the future.
When asked about why you left the prior job, provide general information about your circumstances without giving more details than necessary. For example, if you left because of a family member's illness, explain that you left to care for the individual. Follow up by emphasizing that the situation changed, and you are ready for regular or full-time employment again.
You may need to explain why taking a leave of absence or working a reduced work schedule could not put you in a position to deal with the emergency situation. You may have had to move to a new location, for example, or the company may have been too small to offer these types of accommodations during the emergency period.
Many company officials are sympathetic to emergency situations that cause breaks in employment. They are also interested in knowing that the circumstances are different now and that the emergency is unlikely to repeat in the future.