When asked in an interview “why are you looking for a new job?”
Is it acceptable to say that large layoffs are coming as I recently received an invitation to voluntarily layoff?
How should I manage this type of the question?
Thank you
6 replies (most recent on top)
It is not shameful to mention the layoff. Recruiters and hiring managers are already excited when Q talents are in the market.
Tell the truth. One place you do not want to be caught lying is a job interview.
I would recommend honesty when asked a question but be sure not to whine about the current situation. People like to hire positive problem solvers not complainers.
I would start by saying "looking for a new challenge" and then add that there is uncertainty at current work place without mentioning the voluntary layoff piece.
As the post above says, almost any place that you will interview that is on your radar knows of the impending layoffs. eg: It applies to all the big places in the Bay Area and to all the players in the local geographies of Qualcomm.
Qualcomm is a great place. We have alumni all over. We all will end up concentrating in the dozen or so companies across the USA. The state of Qualcomm is well known. People know that the layoffs are not strictly performance based.
I would not bother. A simple way to word it would be that "Layoffs have been announced and the state of the business has been in constant churn. It has become harder and harder to execute on the product and business priorities. I am looking for a place when I can focus on big problems and my deliverables and not what some remote actor decides with my fate"
Be honest. We all know in the industry that y’all are about to axe a bunch of people. Why lie?