4 ms·

Even if your previous employer was utter shit, there's almost no way to talk badly about them without sounding like an asshole. In that situation, your best bet

Even if your previous employer was utter shit, there's almost no way to talk badly about them without sounding like an asshole. In that situation, your best bet is to spin it in a positive light. Leave in the fact that you did 90% of the work but refrain from talking about how bad management was. Talking bad about the previous management does not help you in any way. Even if you left the job because of it, you're better off saying you left "to learn new technologies or whatever, rather than saying it was bad management. Saying it was bad management leaves the possibility open that you could have been the problem. So rather than take a risk on you, an employer may choose to go with someone who says they worked well with everyone at their previous company.

dfraser992 13y ago
Yeah, I know. Even though there were 3 people in the company, including me, and I managed myself... It was a brute force lesson in office politics, it seems. At least I've graduated from the Clueless level now. This code of omerta in the business world allows the unscrupulous to thrive. The person who introduced me to the CEO finally told me some stories about when they had been a co-worker with them, that if I'd been told from the outset, I'd never have gone to work for the CEO or at least would have had a lawyer on speed dial. But my friend had the same "don't speak bad about people" theory.. Interviews require following a different script. But the Internet has different rules... See my forthcoming blog. Gossip does play an important role in communities; it is a back channel for info that social niceties or conventions prevent from being disseminated. But it is an unreliable channel too, hence the connotations about "gossip". Bottom line, I did not do the due diligence I should have, and ignored the warning signs I was picking up about how unethical the people I was working for were. So I see my responsibility clearly. I only offer up my story for others to use as observational learning.
- insickness 13y ago
  Sorry for the late response. To clarify, I meant that you shouldn't talk bad about your employer at an interview. If you're starting a blog, you may want to consider writing it under a pseudonym--at least if you do plan to ever try to get employed by another person or company. Employers almost always Google prospective employees these days and online criticism of an employer would probably be ten times worse than speaking bad about that previous employer at an interview. I know people in this situation and it's not good. And yes, I agree, finding out about previous employers is great. Check out Glassdoor.com. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good for what it is.

dfraser992 13y ago

Yeah, I know. Even though there were 3 people in the company, including me, and I managed myself... It was a brute force lesson in office politics, it seems. At least I've graduated from the Clueless level now. This code of omerta in the business world allows the unscrupulous to thrive. The person who introduced me to the CEO finally told me some stories about when they had been a co-worker with them, that if I'd been told from the outset, I'd never have gone to work for the CEO or at least would have had a lawyer on speed dial. But my friend had the same "don't speak bad about people" theory.. Interviews require following a different script. But the Internet has different rules... See my forthcoming blog. Gossip does play an important role in communities; it is a back channel for info that social niceties or conventions prevent from being disseminated. But it is an unreliable channel too, hence the connotations about "gossip". Bottom line, I did not do the due diligence I should have, and ignored the warning signs I was picking up about how unethical the people I was working for were. So I see my responsibility clearly. I only offer up my story for others to use as observational learning.

insickness 13y ago
Sorry for the late response. To clarify, I meant that you shouldn't talk bad about your employer at an interview. If you're starting a blog, you may want to consider writing it under a pseudonym--at least if you do plan to ever try to get employed by another person or company. Employers almost always Google prospective employees these days and online criticism of an employer would probably be ten times worse than speaking bad about that previous employer at an interview. I know people in this situation and it's not good. And yes, I agree, finding out about previous employers is great. Check out Glassdoor.com. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good for what it is.