WEBVTT - After a job mismatch in my previous role, how do I frame answers for my next interview?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome back to our Ask Me Anything segment where Gerald

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<v Speaker 1>and I take on a work-related question that you have

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<v Speaker 1>sent to us. Now today's question was sent in by

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<v Speaker 1>a listener who I'll call Xavier. He says he's in

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<v Speaker 1>his twenties and has just resigned from a job. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>initially he thought he was not the right person for

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<v Speaker 1>the job, but after stating his intention to leave,

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<v Speaker 1>And he told his manager the interactions were a bit disappointing. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>it sounded like Xavier was not sure whether he was

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<v Speaker 1>set up for success in the first place. OK, let

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<v Speaker 1>me give you an example of what he said. I

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<v Speaker 1>knew that I was the first official hire for the position,

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<v Speaker 1>but I was also saddened to hear from my manager

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<v Speaker 1>that they knew from the start that having a less

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<v Speaker 1>experienced individual like myself was not going to work out.

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<v Speaker 1>And that the higher ups wanted someone like myself on

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<v Speaker 1>board because I was much less experienced and therefore would

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<v Speaker 1>not command as high a salary. Yeah, so Xavier is

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<v Speaker 1>now searching for jobs, OK, and he wonders if he

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<v Speaker 1>should disclose what he went through in his next job interview.

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<v Speaker 1>If asked for his reasons for leaving, should he say

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<v Speaker 1>what he went through? Will it hurt his chances of

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<v Speaker 1>getting a job? Wow.

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<v Speaker 2>So sounds like there's actually a few things happening here, right?

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<v Speaker 2>The first one is, of course, Xavier and his feelings

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<v Speaker 2>about how he has departed from the last job, and

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<v Speaker 2>this has a lot to do with how he feels

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<v Speaker 2>that

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<v Speaker 2>He was set up for failure, right? I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>probably quite confusing for Xavier because when you get into

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<v Speaker 2>a job first and then you thought that you're the

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<v Speaker 2>best person hired, and in Xavier's case, he probably thought

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<v Speaker 2>there was a case and then when things didn't work

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<v Speaker 2>out and he wanted to resign and the boss told him, uh,

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<v Speaker 2>actually we kind of know that you're going to fail. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>can

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<v Speaker 1>you imagine.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, and

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<v Speaker 2>and then we only got you in because you know

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<v Speaker 2>you were cheaper. OK, OK, so I can imagine Xavier

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<v Speaker 2>and we can imagine how it's very confusing for him, right?

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<v Speaker 2>And this definitely would um dent his confidence for the

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<v Speaker 2>future job interviews, especially if he has to ask, he

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<v Speaker 2>has to tell people like why he he wanted to

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<v Speaker 2>resign without a job. Yeah, yeah. So I think this

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<v Speaker 2>being a very confusing time for Xavier. Xavier would probably

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<v Speaker 2>need to

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<v Speaker 2>Find some closure or some way of thinking or reframing

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<v Speaker 2>this situation so that it doesn't get carried forward to

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<v Speaker 2>the future. I think there can be a lot of resentment,

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of disappointment, help with the previous job, and

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<v Speaker 2>this can actually easily show in the next job. During

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<v Speaker 2>the interview when employers, the HR, they are sniffing for

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<v Speaker 2>anything that is not.

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<v Speaker 2>Proper, they were probe a little bit more, a little

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<v Speaker 2>bit more, and then it gets out. So Xavier has

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<v Speaker 2>to really come to terms with this situation first. If

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<v Speaker 2>you were in Xavier's suit, what

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<v Speaker 2>would you do?

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, you know what, it's true, the psychological part is

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<v Speaker 1>going to be very difficult, but also at the same time, OK,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a very half glass full kind of person.

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<v Speaker 1>So I think the first thing I would do after

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<v Speaker 1>I have licked my wounds and tell myself it's not me,

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<v Speaker 1>it's them.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I think that's not me,

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<v Speaker 1>it's them. I think it would be to also see

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<v Speaker 1>that actually, even if I was the only person for

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<v Speaker 1>that role, even though less experienced, cheap, but you know what,

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<v Speaker 1>there must be something in me that the employer found

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<v Speaker 1>that I was hireable. Otherwise they could have just kept

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<v Speaker 1>the position open.

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<v Speaker 1>So maybe I will need to reflect back on all

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<v Speaker 1>the things that I've done and ask myself, what is

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<v Speaker 1>it that I can bring to the next job role?

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<v Speaker 1>Are there transferable skills? Are there things that I would

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<v Speaker 1>consider my strengths.

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<v Speaker 2>You

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<v Speaker 2>brought up a really important point, right, that it's it's them,

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<v Speaker 2>not you.

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<v Speaker 2>And you were picked for the job as the best

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<v Speaker 2>possible hire at that price at that point of time.

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<v Speaker 2>So I think these are positives, the silver linings that

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<v Speaker 2>Xavier can take along with him. I think Xavier has

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<v Speaker 2>to remember that he was doing a job that was

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<v Speaker 2>scoped to a higher level, more experienced. He was trusted

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<v Speaker 2>with kind of responsibility.

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<v Speaker 2>And this is something that Xaia can probably take forward

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<v Speaker 2>to the next employer to share that, you know what,

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<v Speaker 2>I was doing a job that was for someone that

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<v Speaker 2>was a lot more experienced. I learned a lot from it.

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<v Speaker 2>I realized that I needed to find something else.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah and I can take on more. I have proven

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<v Speaker 1>that I can take on more, so that's why I'm

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<v Speaker 1>applying for this job.

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<v Speaker 2>I also like to think that from Xavier's perspective, why

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<v Speaker 2>would the boss tell Xavier, you know, this,

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<v Speaker 1>that is such a low.

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<v Speaker 2>Whether it low move or is it, could it be

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<v Speaker 2>because they actually have quite an open relationship, like good communication,

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<v Speaker 2>they trust each other to say the

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<v Speaker 1>boss trust him I don't know Xavier,

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<v Speaker 2>could be that the supervisor really said that to maybe

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<v Speaker 2>make Xavier feel that it's not you, it's actually us.

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<v Speaker 2>We did a mistake, so I'm I'm trying to do

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<v Speaker 2>something good by telling you that, but of course it

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<v Speaker 2>has that the other unintended effect on Xavier, which is

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<v Speaker 2>why why Xavier wrote in.

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<v Speaker 2>So I do think that open communication could be something

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<v Speaker 2>that's also of a silver lining to show that you

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<v Speaker 2>know what those things didn't work out, you still could

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<v Speaker 2>get along with the people in your company.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, Xavier, I I hope that your situation becomes better

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<v Speaker 1>and both of us are really sorry that you were

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<v Speaker 1>put in this position, but like we have been talking

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<v Speaker 1>about here, I think there are silver linings in this situation.

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<v Speaker 1>You can use some of these as you approach your

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<v Speaker 1>next job interview. Don't let this one setback affect you.

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<v Speaker 1>So if like Xavier, you have a work-related question, do

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<v Speaker 1>write into us. We are at CNA podcasts at Mediacorp.com.sg.

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<v Speaker 1>We're also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, me, Listen, and YouTube

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<v Speaker 1>where a video

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<v Speaker 1>Version of this is at. The team behind the Work

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<v Speaker 1>It podcast is Janaini Johari, Joanne Chan, Saya Win, Alison Jenner,

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<v Speaker 1>Shahzad Dalilia and Christina Robert. Video by Hanida Amin. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>Gerald and I'm Tiffany. Have a great work week ahead

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<v Speaker 1>and don't let anybody tell you you are not good enough.