Unless you’re in your first job reading this, odds are you’ve resigned at least once. Odds are stronger you know people who have resigned. However! If you and everyone you know is perfectly happy with work, this blog is not for you. (Move on! Go celebrate twilight sparkle month with My Little Pony.)
Here are some real reasons we’ve gathered for why people have quit their jobs:
- ‘My boss was an alcoholic, completely unstable. She wanted off-sites all the time so she could get wasted. The only thing worse than her drunken hyperactivity? Her mean hangovers.’
- ‘The culture was so toxic. It was sexist AF and the cronyism was unreal. One year, all the guys got bonuses and I, the girl on the team, was given a shopping voucher. WTAF?’
- ‘’My boss was the biggest narcissist I have ever met. If the conversation wasn’t about how great he was, he got visibly bored. If he was wrong and you pointed it out he would double down and turn vicious.’
We’ve all heard some variation of the above right? But in interviews, where the interviewers MUST know that candidates leave bosses, not companies, no one ever expects the truth. Instead you hear:
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For the alcoholic:‘X is such a visionary! Really inspirational. I loved working with her and she taught me so much. The only thing is, I want to go to the next level and I feel I can take the knowledge from X and apply it somewhere new.’
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For the toxic culture:‘Well, it’s a fairly intense environment and the company is successful for a reason. The team structures there are super. But, now I’m keen to see how other structures within different companies work especially now I have a bit more experience.’
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**For the narcissist:**‘What can I say? He lives and breathes the brand! We joke that it’s his baby! But, I feel because he’s so close to it, it’s sometimes hard make strong changes so I’d like to feel more ownership in my new role.’
All perfectly fine, if slightly milquetoast, answers. We wonder what would happen if you ever said the truth:
- ‘She was batshit crazy and a mean drunk. Why couldn’t she drink and dial a disinterested ex like the rest of the planet? She’s put me off alcohol for life!’
2. ‘They might as well have had a sign saying ‘no girls allowed!’ It was a f**king boys club!’
3. He should only hire sycophants who walk around carrying big mirrors. I’ve never met anyone who loved himself more! Absolute disaster as a boss.’’
WE think there should be a middle ground where you can come close to the truth without making yourself look like a problematic hire. But, since we know NO ONE who’s actually been truthful about departures we don’t know if this would work…
We’d love to cast the net wider and see what you think?
Comments appreciated!