Chuck48

I recently resigned from my previous job, and I have an interview lined up. Since I resigned without having another job--which I have never done before--I'm sure they'll ask my reason. Truthfully, I felt like the stresses of the jobs and the gossip were exacerbating my alcoholism, and I wanted to put my health first. Since then, I've spent a lot of time focusing on recovery, and it seems to be working.

I almost always promote 100% honesty, but in this case, I don't think a potential employer needs to know. Would "personal issues unrelated to the job" sound O.K.? I was missing work more than usual, but I was still getting everything done. My resignation was 100% voluntary.

Help, please!

Ali2013

How long ago did you resign?

Chuck48

Two weeks ago

Dave42001

Keep it simple.. You resigned for health issues.. You don't need to disclose anything else.. Good luck with the new gig!!!

noanxtime

I think your 'personal issues' would be fine. Frankly, 100% honesty is great, when warranted. By leaving out any 'gory details' even if they weren't 'gory', is fine. It's really none of their business especially if it has no bearing on your performance and credibility. We are all human.
I am too on the job hunt. My last job was pretty much a gamble which I accepted the offer half knowing it was going to be a recipe for disaster. My leaving was not unexpected only in the fact that it happened a few weeks sooner than expected. My answer is that "it was a mutual agreement" - which is not a lie and I have my former manager (who just got let go last week) to back me up.
I have become a little jaded about interviews. No more do I find myself fearing these kinds of questions knowing full well that they have no bearing on my success as a good employee they should be proud to hire.

Mizzuno

It sounds like you needed personal time. It is perfectly acceptable to say that you decided to take some time off from working to focus on other things in your life. This is the truth. You needed a change of scenery. There is no harm in that. I think that it is commendable for you to look after yourself and to take the appropriate steps for your health. Good job!

Ali2013

Agree with Mizzuno.

I would not use the words "health" or "personal issues."
Leaves too much up to the imagination. They will wonder if
your health or personal issues will affect you again.

Personal time to get things done around the house or time to look for another job would suffice.

Darkplace2013

Say "I resigned because I found that the job did not stimulate me enough. Every job I've previously had I've given it 100% and I felt that because my heart wasn't in it, it would be unfair to my employer to continue working in that field."

Chuck48

That's exactly what I've been thinking.

fantail

I think if you go too far in the direction of "unrelated to the job" then you risk them worrying that you're unreliable.

Whenever I have to lie by omission, I try to compensate by giving some truth in other areas. In this case, for example, think about the differences between the old job and the new one and highlight those as contributing to your move. E.g. "I'd been working in public health for several years and decided I'd like to take some time off and look for opportunities in the private sector." or "I was working for a large company and wanted to find a smaller organization." Something that has the message of "I was looking for you!"

I think it's similar to dating. When I meet someone new, I definitely do not want to hear "my ex was a psychopath." But I'd also be a little concerned if he said "My ex was wonderful and we were very happy together, but then I got stressed out for unrelated reasons so I ended it."

wanttobepure

One possibility is to say you are looking for more of a challenge. i.e. you didn't find the previous job challenging enough.

Wastinglife

I have been in your position a few times. I resigned once (before they could fire me) and i got fired twice in the last 5 years. All were due to my alcoholism. The jobs i got fired at were very short-lived so I don't even put them on my resume. After I resigned, I told the interviewer that I felt I had achieved all i could at said company and that I felt I needed to move on. I wanted to devote my energy into job-hunting instead of trying to do it while 'on the clock' at said company. They thought that was perfectly fine.

DryRoastJim

Yeah! What he said! Flip it. You felt that your skills were being under utilized and that you want a new challenge. Don't seem arrogant or anything, just that "you want a challenge". Perfect answer!

Threshold

Two weeks ago? Tell them you resigned because you were ready for a change and wanted to be totally free to job search. If you'd been out of work for two years....they might need a better explanation, but being out of work for two weeks really requires very little explanation at all.

Zebra1275

You could say you needed to tend to the health care needs of a family member.

You are a member of your own family, aren't you?

MeFree

I took all my vacation days to do outpatient treatment. However, I have had two employees come to me with similar questions and what I advised them was to reply"unable to work due to a self limted medical condition which has since been resolved" one of the new employers called me and I confirmed her statement. The other one never called, but both got their new jobs. HIPAA is a beautiful thing...use it Good luck!!!!

sugarbear1

Sometimes it's just not a good fit.

Keep searching for your job, it will happen!