About 10% of my client pool is out, looking. In this pool I have people from CEOs to newbies—college grads, who decided to quit because they were disillusioned by their first job—with one thing in common: their Exit Statement could have got in their way of moving ahead for getting their next job! A good Exit Statement is also a sine qua non for anyone looking to change jobs, but it is less critical than for those who are out and looking. This is mainly because the state of your “jobless” mind can subconsciously vitiate your efforts to present a positive message about your exit.
What is an Exit Statement?: It is the reason why you are out of work and looking, or why you are seeking a change in jobs. Simple enough, right?
Wrong!
When we first start our session after they turn-in their Client Intake Questionnaire, I have a good idea of what they need to move ahead and what they need to work on to get their next job. But, before we begin our session and a discussion on the action plan I ask them the dreaded question: So, why did you leave your last job? (or of those wanting a job change: Why a change?). The answer should be simple and non-defensive. But, in more cases than not most clients go through lengthy explanation of what happened; why the company does not know what it is doing; how their boss blindsided them, despite their stellar reviews; and how surprised they were when they were walked out without any notice. If I were a hiring manager conducting an interview I would be left scratching my head after listening to their story. Not a good first impression!
So, why does this happen, and why is a good exit statement so important if you are out and are looking for a new job?
Let us first begin with why does this happen?
Being out of work is still a matter of shame and defeat for some, but it should not be. We all know that over 90% of the workforce is in a job working—so being out makes some feel like a victim minority. After all, our self worth and identity are tied with our work and how people—and we, ourselves—see our worth. When, suddenly, we lose that identity it makes us wonder about our own worth and our defenses go up. We become vulnerable.
Having been laid-off three times in my own life I know this feeling first hand. So, when the inevitable question pops up, in most cases, at the beginning of a job interview, your spontaneous response to it vitiates your attempts to redeem yourself. This can happen because subconsciously you want the interviewer to feel sorry for you. This state of our mind is called subsception. In most cases the defensive and judgmental answer points the blame outwardly, not that the questioner is seeking to find the villain in this drama: Despite my heroic efforts to save the product the company refused to do simple things I asked to get us back in the market; I warned them that their strategy was misguided, but they went ahead anyway and failed, etc., which is why I’m now paying this price!
Now, for the second part of the question: What is a good exit statement?
A good exit statement is a positive, non-defensive response that is cogent, concise, and compelling without making any judgment: After realizing that we could not agree on the product’s message, I thought it best to part ways and I resigned; As the new management took over operations I realized that their values were different from mine, so we decided to part ways. Here, in the first reason the first-person pronoun “I” is the subject, while in the second “we.” This is because you want to make sure who preempted the action. It is OK to carefully state the driving force behind the change by accurately portraying what happened.
Why is a short statement that is accurately presented a good strategy? Regardless of what the official line of reference check is with any company people know each other and all they have to do is to talk to the persons in the know. The official, often recorded, message typically says, Jim Smith was employed at Tisco from July 2005 to September 2013. So, you want to make sure that the unofficial version matches your Exit Statement to the extent that it is true and consistent with what goes around sub rosa.
The other thing about an Exit Statement is how it is delivered. If you say that with confidence and quickly move on to what you are looking for in your next job the interviewers will not typically linger over dissecting it. So, you must learn how to manage not just what you say, but also how you deliver it—with the right body language—and move on to the topic of interest to you both. The body-language part includes, looking the person right in their eyes, smiling, and delivering your response.
So, here are some bad and good and examples of Exit Statements, respectively:
For those out and looking for a job:
Bad: Our previous company started putting a lot of emphasis on politics. I am a top performer, but refuse to give into politics. This new boss who came recently did not bother to even look at my stellar record and performance reviews. So, when a colleague of mine badmouthed me to her behind my back, before I knew it, I was asked to resign and was walked out the door. I am now going to sue them!
Good: As has been in the media, Tisco is aggressively cutting headcount. During the last restructuring my name was on the list as they decided to move the entire operation overseas. Now I am looking for a leadership position in a customer-facing role.
For those looking for a change:
Bad (Actually, quite terrible!): I have worked at ABC for the past 10 years and I have given everything to make them rich. I have no life. I have learned a lot and now in my next job I am going to take it easy and enjoy life and have a better work-life balance. Your location is also very close to my home, so I can come and go as I please and have time with my family.
Good: After 10 years at ABC I need to look at new areas for contribution and growth. Your company has recently announced a new initiative to improve customer experience. This is an area of my expertise, and, being a user of your products and services I have some new ideas on how you could quickly improve customers’ experience. This is exciting to me!
The last thing you want to do is to leave the delivery of your Exit Statement to chance. So, give it some thought and practice how you want to sound in an interview, so that you are able to move forward to the more important parts of the selection process.
Good luck!