Some of the common ways interviewers inquire about previous jobs include:
What did you most like and dislike about your previous position?What did you enjoy most in your last role?What did you dislike about your last role?What were the best and worst aspects of your last employer?
What the Interviewer Really Wants to Know
By asking about your feelings toward a previous job, a hiring committee often isn’t that interested in the list of actual likes or dislikes you can provide. Rather, they’re trying to judge your character by listening to the tone and attitude with which you respond to a tricky question. Details of your likes and dislikes can also reveal whether you’ll be a good fit culturally at the company at hand.
How to Answer Questions About Your Previous Job
The best strategy to use in this case is to focus on the positives of your previous job, and to talk about how your experiences there have prepared you to assume a progressive and challenging new role with a different employer. You don’t want the interviewer to think you’ll also speak negatively about this job or the company should you eventually decide to move on after they hire you. You also don’t want to provide them with the impression that you’re a complainer, hold grudges, or are difficult to work with. If the interviewer presses you to say something negative—or if you feel that your answer will not be complete without a nod toward the negative aspects—keep it focused on tasks, situations, or company structure, and not on people. Bonus points if it’s something that will be easier at the new company. For example: “I often found myself frustrated by the limitations of our content management system—it was slow and also prone to crashing. That’s why I was so relieved to hear you say that ABC Company’s had recently been updated.”
Examples of the Best Answers
Review these examples of answers to questions about what you liked, and what you didn’t, about your last job. Why It Works: This answer is so revealing! Personal connections are clearly a priority for this candidate. This honest-seeming response says a lot about the candidate’s values as an employee. Plus, the overall tone is really positive. Why It Works: Seeking more challenging work makes a candidate seem like a hard worker. This person also seems quite loyal (After being there for so many years). That’s a good thing, since employers can be wary of hiring people who won’t stick around. Why It Works: This answer keeps the focus on the positive aspects of the previous job. In a situation where the new role offers leadership opportunities, this answer will make a candidate appear a strong fit. Why It Works: This answer focuses on a negative structural aspect, making it clear why this job would be a better fit.
Tips for Giving the Best Answer
Display positive energy. Your skills matter a lot, but employers are also looking for candidates who have enthusiasm, dedication, and energy. Avoid complaining in your response. Instead, focus on good experiences at your current (or former) employer. Mention positives that demonstrate your culture-fit or skills. Your mention of a positive aspect of your former job should ideally advance your candidacy. If what you liked was free bagels on Thursdays, that may be honest, but it does not show you’re a good fit for the job at hand. End on a positive note: Start off by mentioning a positive. Then mention the negative and try to pivot back around to something positive. You can do that by talking about how you managed the aspect you disliked, or by making a connection to the job you’re interviewing for. Focus on tasks over people: This is not the time to complain about coworkers or your manager. Instead, talk about structural problems or characteristics of the company, unavailable opportunities, or tasks that were frustrating.
What Not to Say
Don’t bad-mouth an employer or your peers. When an interviewing committee sees that you refuse to bad-mouth your previous employer, they’ll trust that you’ll offer the same respect and loyalty to them if you become their new employee. Don’t choose a negative aspect that isn’t common in the industry. Mention a dislike that’s present at the company you’re interviewing with, and you could disqualify yourself as a candidate. Be honest. As you can see, you want to be strategic in your response. But make sure also to be genuine. If you truly loved your job let that shine through, and be specific about what made it so great. And if an aspect was frustrating, do mention it—without letting it overpower your response.
Possible Follow-Up Questions
Being asked what you liked and disliked about your former employer isn’t the only question where you may have to tread carefully during a job interview. Here are other common interview questions and answers that an interviewer will ask not only to learn more about your skills and work background, but also to measure your personality and positivity:
What was the most/least rewarding at your last job? - Best Answers Why are you leaving your job? - Best Answers How is our company better than your present employer? - Best Answers
FOCUS ON WHAT OVER WHO. Avoid bad-mouthing the company or its employees when you’re discussing what you didn’t like about a job. SHOW YOUR FIT WITH THE COMPANY/JOB. When you talk about both the positive and negative aspects of previous roles, you have an opportunity to further your case as a candidate. Take advantage!
