The Exit Statement Gives Your Reasons For Leaving

An exit statement or leaving statement which you will use at an interview, allows you to explain your reasons for leaving your last job in a simple and clear fashion, and it helps to protect you from the emotions of explaining about a difficult job loss situation that may have happened because of being laid-off, being made redundant or because of downsizing.

Even if you have your own reasons for leaving the last job you held, and you left your previous job of your own accord as your own decision, you should still make sure you can explain what happened.

The prospective new employer will almost always ask you about this at interview, so you need a 'reason for leaving' statement ready and prepared. This is where the exit statement comes in.

If you were laid-off or there was a redundancy or downsizing that cost you your job, the danger lies in being reminded of it.

An interview question about losing your job means that the emotions can surface suddenly and inappropriately and instead of you appearing confident and in control at your interview, you end up looking unsure or confused. More about answering interview questions below.

To prevent that from happening, what you need is an 'Exit Statement' which will enable you to express your reasons for leaving positively, saying why you left (or are leaving) your last job which:

• Is both factual, unemotional and well-rehearsed;
• Is based on what happened without sounding bitter;
• Should be presented positively and include the new options it presents;
• Does not criticize anyone or say that the decision was wrong;
• Mustn't contain any negatives either about yourself or your previous employer;
• Is brief and lasts for approximately 30 seconds while maintaining eye contact with the interviewer throughout.

Because the leaving statement will bring back all of your feelings about losing your job - especially things the new employer doesn't need to hear - it is much better to practice and rehearse a 'story' so that you get used to hearing it and it leaves you in control of your feelings. It only needs to be quite brief; see the example below.

This exit statement can also be tagged on to your "career overview" statement or when you answer the 'tell me about yourself' question to pre-empt the difficult question about why you left you job altogether.

Difficult Questions About Leaving...

Some thoughtless interviewers try to put pressure on by asking questions like:

"Why did they get rid of you?" Ouch, that one hurts!

"Why did they make you redundant?"

"If you were doing so well, why are you leaving?"

You can answer this question with confidence when you've prepared an exit statement that states the facts in a positive light and leaves you in control.

Your exit statement might go like this:

Do you see how you can make a clear statement that satisfies the interviewer, answers the question but also leaves it looking forward positively.

Try a similar statement that explains your own reasons for leaving and fits your personal situation. Don't worry if it sounds a bit too bland. The interviewer wants to hear a positive answer to the question about your reasons for leaving; wants to be sure you are not all 'bitter and twisted' about the situation and is less concerned about the past than finding out whether you can do the job you applied for!

Of course if you are leaving of your own accord, you might want some ideas of how to write your resignation letter and resign with style.

Return to the other page of Personal Marketing Statements that can be the key to others understanding why you should be the best candidate to hire for the current job opening.

But, don't be too worried if, like a lot of us you have some difficulty when it comes to talking about yourself. The preparation of these self-marketing, personally spoken “Presentation” statements can give you a real edge when it comes to your turn to talk about yourself. The importance of a good self-introduction in your interview should not be under-estimated. Neither should the value of an outstanding CV be forgotten.

These personal marketing statements can easily be learned and delivered when you need them.

Now go on to read the Best Interview Answers which shows you exactly how you can deal with questions like this. Of course 'tell me about yourself' is not really a question, but it's so often used to get you talking at the start of an interview. You can't afford to get this wrong as the whole interview may then turn out to be a waste of time if you haven't prepared for it.

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Return to Interview Help for more tips or go back to Your Career Change Home Page

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