Job Interview Advice

[jcube]

My friend has been working at a real-estate company for about 5 years. Recently she got dissatisfied with the working conditions and started looking for another job in the same field. She got hired by a smaller real estate company, but that's where the problems began. Her boss at the new company kept asking her questions about her old company and the way they ran things. After about a month of this, she had enough and quit.

She's in a tough spot right now, because any job interview shes goes for, they ask her why they left her original company and then the second company so fast. She asked me for advice on how to handle the situation, and I decided to ask the people on here (since you're all so knowledgeable!)

I don't think the boss at the second company was right in asking about her old company (NDAs and all.....), but is it worth taking legal action over? Should she give detailed information on why she left both companies to potential employers? Or just leave it at being unhappy with her working situation?

[cranky]

what legal actions are there to take

she quit both jobs, the previous employers violated no laws.

[elephant]

Did she have to sign a confidentiality agreement during her 1st employement? If yes, they she can't disclose those things to the 2nd company. Use that as an excuse or answer to them.

Now for the future interviews, find something in the 3rd company that she likes (or can pretend to like). For example, she can say to the interviewer, the goals and mission of the last 2 companies did not appeal to me after I worked there and realized it. I like YOUR company's goal of "Customers #1, blah blah..."

So what I'm saying it, try to turn that question of WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE LAST COMPANY into a compliment to the new company.

[sterdeus]

How long was she at the second place? If it wasnt long, she could leave it off her resume and it wont leave a big gap.

[Spidey]

How long was she at the second place? If it wasnt long, she could leave it off her resume and it wont leave a big gap.

Agreed. Ive left off places where I only worked a couple months and quit due to whatever reasons. Ive never been questioned about it

[Montecore]

I omitted the last 5 jobs I was fired from ...

[15-20_God]

I omitted the last 5 jobs I was fired from ...

its not something to brag about.

[ronny1980]

I omitted the last 5 jobs I was fired from ...

Why were you fired?

[IronMac]

How long was she at the second place? If it wasnt long, she could leave it off her resume and it wont leave a big gap.

If it was only a month then there really isn't any need to explain the gap. In fact, depending on the field, there could be a gap of months and there would be no need to explain. Leave off the second company.

[Montecore]

its possiable to have a 6 month gap , especially with this sluggish economy and high unemployment rate ... its takes at least half a year to find work .

[UrbanPoet]

she could easily say that she quit her other job because they kept on asking about the way her previous company ran business, and certain practises/tactics they have...

This was in violation of the old companies privacy and confidentiality rules that you wanted to respect. B/c if you were to give out all that information it wouldnt be fair...

that way the new employer will see her as very loyal and ethical. quite the oppisite of what most ppl would think of a person that moved job to job so quick!

And i think its true most work places dont approve of you spreading inside company tactics/practises.

[trixR4kids]

the last thing u wanna do is tell the employers that that her previous bosses were all jerks.

[BobW]

She should either just tell the truth, or if she doesn't want to badmouth the second employer, just say that it was a mistake to take the second position. Most employers will respect the fact that you realized that you shouldn't have taken the job and chose to leave. No harm, no foul.