How to avoid bad mouthing previous employer while discussing mistakes that previous employers made?












5














I had a recent interview with a CTO of a company, and while I feel that my interview went well, I also feel that I may have come across as bad mouthing my previous employer.



In the interview, I discussed the technology stack that my previous company was working with, and talked about how I felt the technology was "past it", and I felt how the technology I will be working with at this new company will be more current.



I also discussed how I felt that the new company I will be working at is more "adaptive" with the constant shifts in technology, and how I felt that the previous company I worked that seemed "slow to sense shifts in technology", and always "enter the market at the wrong time". I also said that because of these mistakes that I felt the previous employer made, I'd like work at this new company, where I felt the CTO/CEO will be more adaptive to technology changes, and won't make the mistakes that my previous employer made.



I know that to not sound like I am bad mouthing my previous employers, I need to ensure to focus on the company I am interviewing at, instead of focusing on previous companies' mistakes. My question is how do I discuss these kind of mistakes that my previous employer made, without sounding like I am bad mouthing them?










share|improve this question






















  • fwiw, from your description it doesn't sound like you were really bad-mouthing your previous employer -- your criticisms were objective and business-focused, rather than personal. I've heard much, much worse.
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:32












  • Not sure it's a duplicate but check out workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9312/…
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:33
















5














I had a recent interview with a CTO of a company, and while I feel that my interview went well, I also feel that I may have come across as bad mouthing my previous employer.



In the interview, I discussed the technology stack that my previous company was working with, and talked about how I felt the technology was "past it", and I felt how the technology I will be working with at this new company will be more current.



I also discussed how I felt that the new company I will be working at is more "adaptive" with the constant shifts in technology, and how I felt that the previous company I worked that seemed "slow to sense shifts in technology", and always "enter the market at the wrong time". I also said that because of these mistakes that I felt the previous employer made, I'd like work at this new company, where I felt the CTO/CEO will be more adaptive to technology changes, and won't make the mistakes that my previous employer made.



I know that to not sound like I am bad mouthing my previous employers, I need to ensure to focus on the company I am interviewing at, instead of focusing on previous companies' mistakes. My question is how do I discuss these kind of mistakes that my previous employer made, without sounding like I am bad mouthing them?










share|improve this question






















  • fwiw, from your description it doesn't sound like you were really bad-mouthing your previous employer -- your criticisms were objective and business-focused, rather than personal. I've heard much, much worse.
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:32












  • Not sure it's a duplicate but check out workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9312/…
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:33














5












5








5


1





I had a recent interview with a CTO of a company, and while I feel that my interview went well, I also feel that I may have come across as bad mouthing my previous employer.



In the interview, I discussed the technology stack that my previous company was working with, and talked about how I felt the technology was "past it", and I felt how the technology I will be working with at this new company will be more current.



I also discussed how I felt that the new company I will be working at is more "adaptive" with the constant shifts in technology, and how I felt that the previous company I worked that seemed "slow to sense shifts in technology", and always "enter the market at the wrong time". I also said that because of these mistakes that I felt the previous employer made, I'd like work at this new company, where I felt the CTO/CEO will be more adaptive to technology changes, and won't make the mistakes that my previous employer made.



I know that to not sound like I am bad mouthing my previous employers, I need to ensure to focus on the company I am interviewing at, instead of focusing on previous companies' mistakes. My question is how do I discuss these kind of mistakes that my previous employer made, without sounding like I am bad mouthing them?










share|improve this question













I had a recent interview with a CTO of a company, and while I feel that my interview went well, I also feel that I may have come across as bad mouthing my previous employer.



In the interview, I discussed the technology stack that my previous company was working with, and talked about how I felt the technology was "past it", and I felt how the technology I will be working with at this new company will be more current.



I also discussed how I felt that the new company I will be working at is more "adaptive" with the constant shifts in technology, and how I felt that the previous company I worked that seemed "slow to sense shifts in technology", and always "enter the market at the wrong time". I also said that because of these mistakes that I felt the previous employer made, I'd like work at this new company, where I felt the CTO/CEO will be more adaptive to technology changes, and won't make the mistakes that my previous employer made.



I know that to not sound like I am bad mouthing my previous employers, I need to ensure to focus on the company I am interviewing at, instead of focusing on previous companies' mistakes. My question is how do I discuss these kind of mistakes that my previous employer made, without sounding like I am bad mouthing them?







interviewing






share|improve this question













share|improve this question











share|improve this question




share|improve this question










asked Aug 21 '17 at 6:11









Mantracker

395




395












  • fwiw, from your description it doesn't sound like you were really bad-mouthing your previous employer -- your criticisms were objective and business-focused, rather than personal. I've heard much, much worse.
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:32












  • Not sure it's a duplicate but check out workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9312/…
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:33


















  • fwiw, from your description it doesn't sound like you were really bad-mouthing your previous employer -- your criticisms were objective and business-focused, rather than personal. I've heard much, much worse.
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:32












  • Not sure it's a duplicate but check out workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9312/…
    – mcknz
    Aug 21 '17 at 19:33
















fwiw, from your description it doesn't sound like you were really bad-mouthing your previous employer -- your criticisms were objective and business-focused, rather than personal. I've heard much, much worse.
– mcknz
Aug 21 '17 at 19:32






fwiw, from your description it doesn't sound like you were really bad-mouthing your previous employer -- your criticisms were objective and business-focused, rather than personal. I've heard much, much worse.
– mcknz
Aug 21 '17 at 19:32














Not sure it's a duplicate but check out workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9312/…
– mcknz
Aug 21 '17 at 19:33




Not sure it's a duplicate but check out workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9312/…
– mcknz
Aug 21 '17 at 19:33










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















14














Don't discuss (business) mistakes your previous employer made. Period.



Pointing out previous mistakes is bad-mouthing, so no amount of sugarcoating will get away from that.



Like you said, focus on the positive of the company you're interviewing at.



State any positive of the new company in absolute terms instead of comparing it to the old company.



Try to avoid discussing things which you can't phrase in terms of a positive.



For example:




"Why do you want to leave your current job?"

I want to work with the latest technologies - {new company} is currently working with X, Y and Z and that really interests me.



You seem very "adaptive" to the constant shifts in technology and that sounds exciting.




If this leads to a follow-up question (on their part) bringing up the old company (or if this comes up in them asking about your past experiences), stick to the facts and try to come up with something positive to say:




"So {old company} doesn't work with the latest technologies?"

Not really. We're currently working with A, B and C. B actually keeps up surprisingly well compared to the latest technologies in terms of efficiency, considering its age.




You can again try to circle back to expressing excitement over what the new company is doing, if doing so makes sense.





"Enter the market at the wrong time" doesn't seem like something you can put a positive spin on. That seems very subjective in the moment and, unless you're upper management, I'm not sure why this is something you're even concerning yourself with (although it's a different story if they're well on their way to bankruptcy). Perhaps I'm just misunderstanding what you mean by that.






share|improve this answer































    3














    Your answer: don't speak negatively about your previous employer. you will only come off as an arrogant, foul mouthed, disgruntled ex-employee. Put a positive spin on things instead.






    share|improve this answer

















    • 2




      Does discussing technology mistakes that previous employers made make me come acroos as arrogant though? Does it feel as though I would be scapegoating?
      – Mantracker
      Aug 21 '17 at 6:43










    • I guess my question is, is it still bad mouthing if I am being as objective as possible, and not saying "my boss is an idiot", or saying anything toxic about my previous employer?
      – Mantracker
      Aug 21 '17 at 6:48












    • @Mantracker this definitely depends on the person that is interviewing you. A programmer most likely wouldn't see this as a negative thing if you're objectively criticize, but a HR person might see it so
      – Mafii
      Aug 21 '17 at 6:59










    • I guess I just need to make sure to really put a positive light on things when I discuss stuff like this. I just didn't want to come off as a complainer when I said the things I said with the CTO
      – Mantracker
      Aug 21 '17 at 7:09





















    1














    Consider the words you use to express the problems. If you say something like,




    At my last place, they were stuck on XYZ methodology and it was a royal pain to live with,




    you might be interpreted as negative and condescending.



    You might have better results and come across as more thoughtful and open minded if you expressed the same idea along the lines of,




    There can be some challenges that come with XYZ methodology that I'd like to see whether I can help avoid in the future. Some of these challenges are...




    Of course, it could be a methodology, a technology, a business practice, or anything else. Try to be less accusatory and more cooperative in the words you choose to use. Practice saying them before each interview.






    share|improve this answer































      0














      "I would like to grow my career in a slightly different direction; I like how your company does X, Y, and Z, and think this approach is a good fit for me."






      share|improve this answer








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        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes








        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        14














        Don't discuss (business) mistakes your previous employer made. Period.



        Pointing out previous mistakes is bad-mouthing, so no amount of sugarcoating will get away from that.



        Like you said, focus on the positive of the company you're interviewing at.



        State any positive of the new company in absolute terms instead of comparing it to the old company.



        Try to avoid discussing things which you can't phrase in terms of a positive.



        For example:




        "Why do you want to leave your current job?"

        I want to work with the latest technologies - {new company} is currently working with X, Y and Z and that really interests me.



        You seem very "adaptive" to the constant shifts in technology and that sounds exciting.




        If this leads to a follow-up question (on their part) bringing up the old company (or if this comes up in them asking about your past experiences), stick to the facts and try to come up with something positive to say:




        "So {old company} doesn't work with the latest technologies?"

        Not really. We're currently working with A, B and C. B actually keeps up surprisingly well compared to the latest technologies in terms of efficiency, considering its age.




        You can again try to circle back to expressing excitement over what the new company is doing, if doing so makes sense.





        "Enter the market at the wrong time" doesn't seem like something you can put a positive spin on. That seems very subjective in the moment and, unless you're upper management, I'm not sure why this is something you're even concerning yourself with (although it's a different story if they're well on their way to bankruptcy). Perhaps I'm just misunderstanding what you mean by that.






        share|improve this answer




























          14














          Don't discuss (business) mistakes your previous employer made. Period.



          Pointing out previous mistakes is bad-mouthing, so no amount of sugarcoating will get away from that.



          Like you said, focus on the positive of the company you're interviewing at.



          State any positive of the new company in absolute terms instead of comparing it to the old company.



          Try to avoid discussing things which you can't phrase in terms of a positive.



          For example:




          "Why do you want to leave your current job?"

          I want to work with the latest technologies - {new company} is currently working with X, Y and Z and that really interests me.



          You seem very "adaptive" to the constant shifts in technology and that sounds exciting.




          If this leads to a follow-up question (on their part) bringing up the old company (or if this comes up in them asking about your past experiences), stick to the facts and try to come up with something positive to say:




          "So {old company} doesn't work with the latest technologies?"

          Not really. We're currently working with A, B and C. B actually keeps up surprisingly well compared to the latest technologies in terms of efficiency, considering its age.




          You can again try to circle back to expressing excitement over what the new company is doing, if doing so makes sense.





          "Enter the market at the wrong time" doesn't seem like something you can put a positive spin on. That seems very subjective in the moment and, unless you're upper management, I'm not sure why this is something you're even concerning yourself with (although it's a different story if they're well on their way to bankruptcy). Perhaps I'm just misunderstanding what you mean by that.






          share|improve this answer


























            14












            14








            14






            Don't discuss (business) mistakes your previous employer made. Period.



            Pointing out previous mistakes is bad-mouthing, so no amount of sugarcoating will get away from that.



            Like you said, focus on the positive of the company you're interviewing at.



            State any positive of the new company in absolute terms instead of comparing it to the old company.



            Try to avoid discussing things which you can't phrase in terms of a positive.



            For example:




            "Why do you want to leave your current job?"

            I want to work with the latest technologies - {new company} is currently working with X, Y and Z and that really interests me.



            You seem very "adaptive" to the constant shifts in technology and that sounds exciting.




            If this leads to a follow-up question (on their part) bringing up the old company (or if this comes up in them asking about your past experiences), stick to the facts and try to come up with something positive to say:




            "So {old company} doesn't work with the latest technologies?"

            Not really. We're currently working with A, B and C. B actually keeps up surprisingly well compared to the latest technologies in terms of efficiency, considering its age.




            You can again try to circle back to expressing excitement over what the new company is doing, if doing so makes sense.





            "Enter the market at the wrong time" doesn't seem like something you can put a positive spin on. That seems very subjective in the moment and, unless you're upper management, I'm not sure why this is something you're even concerning yourself with (although it's a different story if they're well on their way to bankruptcy). Perhaps I'm just misunderstanding what you mean by that.






            share|improve this answer














            Don't discuss (business) mistakes your previous employer made. Period.



            Pointing out previous mistakes is bad-mouthing, so no amount of sugarcoating will get away from that.



            Like you said, focus on the positive of the company you're interviewing at.



            State any positive of the new company in absolute terms instead of comparing it to the old company.



            Try to avoid discussing things which you can't phrase in terms of a positive.



            For example:




            "Why do you want to leave your current job?"

            I want to work with the latest technologies - {new company} is currently working with X, Y and Z and that really interests me.



            You seem very "adaptive" to the constant shifts in technology and that sounds exciting.




            If this leads to a follow-up question (on their part) bringing up the old company (or if this comes up in them asking about your past experiences), stick to the facts and try to come up with something positive to say:




            "So {old company} doesn't work with the latest technologies?"

            Not really. We're currently working with A, B and C. B actually keeps up surprisingly well compared to the latest technologies in terms of efficiency, considering its age.




            You can again try to circle back to expressing excitement over what the new company is doing, if doing so makes sense.





            "Enter the market at the wrong time" doesn't seem like something you can put a positive spin on. That seems very subjective in the moment and, unless you're upper management, I'm not sure why this is something you're even concerning yourself with (although it's a different story if they're well on their way to bankruptcy). Perhaps I'm just misunderstanding what you mean by that.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited Aug 21 '17 at 14:56

























            answered Aug 21 '17 at 7:24









            Dukeling

            9,56832549




            9,56832549

























                3














                Your answer: don't speak negatively about your previous employer. you will only come off as an arrogant, foul mouthed, disgruntled ex-employee. Put a positive spin on things instead.






                share|improve this answer

















                • 2




                  Does discussing technology mistakes that previous employers made make me come acroos as arrogant though? Does it feel as though I would be scapegoating?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:43










                • I guess my question is, is it still bad mouthing if I am being as objective as possible, and not saying "my boss is an idiot", or saying anything toxic about my previous employer?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:48












                • @Mantracker this definitely depends on the person that is interviewing you. A programmer most likely wouldn't see this as a negative thing if you're objectively criticize, but a HR person might see it so
                  – Mafii
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:59










                • I guess I just need to make sure to really put a positive light on things when I discuss stuff like this. I just didn't want to come off as a complainer when I said the things I said with the CTO
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 7:09


















                3














                Your answer: don't speak negatively about your previous employer. you will only come off as an arrogant, foul mouthed, disgruntled ex-employee. Put a positive spin on things instead.






                share|improve this answer

















                • 2




                  Does discussing technology mistakes that previous employers made make me come acroos as arrogant though? Does it feel as though I would be scapegoating?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:43










                • I guess my question is, is it still bad mouthing if I am being as objective as possible, and not saying "my boss is an idiot", or saying anything toxic about my previous employer?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:48












                • @Mantracker this definitely depends on the person that is interviewing you. A programmer most likely wouldn't see this as a negative thing if you're objectively criticize, but a HR person might see it so
                  – Mafii
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:59










                • I guess I just need to make sure to really put a positive light on things when I discuss stuff like this. I just didn't want to come off as a complainer when I said the things I said with the CTO
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 7:09
















                3












                3








                3






                Your answer: don't speak negatively about your previous employer. you will only come off as an arrogant, foul mouthed, disgruntled ex-employee. Put a positive spin on things instead.






                share|improve this answer












                Your answer: don't speak negatively about your previous employer. you will only come off as an arrogant, foul mouthed, disgruntled ex-employee. Put a positive spin on things instead.







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Aug 21 '17 at 6:21









                Biff Martin

                392




                392








                • 2




                  Does discussing technology mistakes that previous employers made make me come acroos as arrogant though? Does it feel as though I would be scapegoating?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:43










                • I guess my question is, is it still bad mouthing if I am being as objective as possible, and not saying "my boss is an idiot", or saying anything toxic about my previous employer?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:48












                • @Mantracker this definitely depends on the person that is interviewing you. A programmer most likely wouldn't see this as a negative thing if you're objectively criticize, but a HR person might see it so
                  – Mafii
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:59










                • I guess I just need to make sure to really put a positive light on things when I discuss stuff like this. I just didn't want to come off as a complainer when I said the things I said with the CTO
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 7:09
















                • 2




                  Does discussing technology mistakes that previous employers made make me come acroos as arrogant though? Does it feel as though I would be scapegoating?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:43










                • I guess my question is, is it still bad mouthing if I am being as objective as possible, and not saying "my boss is an idiot", or saying anything toxic about my previous employer?
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:48












                • @Mantracker this definitely depends on the person that is interviewing you. A programmer most likely wouldn't see this as a negative thing if you're objectively criticize, but a HR person might see it so
                  – Mafii
                  Aug 21 '17 at 6:59










                • I guess I just need to make sure to really put a positive light on things when I discuss stuff like this. I just didn't want to come off as a complainer when I said the things I said with the CTO
                  – Mantracker
                  Aug 21 '17 at 7:09










                2




                2




                Does discussing technology mistakes that previous employers made make me come acroos as arrogant though? Does it feel as though I would be scapegoating?
                – Mantracker
                Aug 21 '17 at 6:43




                Does discussing technology mistakes that previous employers made make me come acroos as arrogant though? Does it feel as though I would be scapegoating?
                – Mantracker
                Aug 21 '17 at 6:43












                I guess my question is, is it still bad mouthing if I am being as objective as possible, and not saying "my boss is an idiot", or saying anything toxic about my previous employer?
                – Mantracker
                Aug 21 '17 at 6:48






                I guess my question is, is it still bad mouthing if I am being as objective as possible, and not saying "my boss is an idiot", or saying anything toxic about my previous employer?
                – Mantracker
                Aug 21 '17 at 6:48














                @Mantracker this definitely depends on the person that is interviewing you. A programmer most likely wouldn't see this as a negative thing if you're objectively criticize, but a HR person might see it so
                – Mafii
                Aug 21 '17 at 6:59




                @Mantracker this definitely depends on the person that is interviewing you. A programmer most likely wouldn't see this as a negative thing if you're objectively criticize, but a HR person might see it so
                – Mafii
                Aug 21 '17 at 6:59












                I guess I just need to make sure to really put a positive light on things when I discuss stuff like this. I just didn't want to come off as a complainer when I said the things I said with the CTO
                – Mantracker
                Aug 21 '17 at 7:09






                I guess I just need to make sure to really put a positive light on things when I discuss stuff like this. I just didn't want to come off as a complainer when I said the things I said with the CTO
                – Mantracker
                Aug 21 '17 at 7:09













                1














                Consider the words you use to express the problems. If you say something like,




                At my last place, they were stuck on XYZ methodology and it was a royal pain to live with,




                you might be interpreted as negative and condescending.



                You might have better results and come across as more thoughtful and open minded if you expressed the same idea along the lines of,




                There can be some challenges that come with XYZ methodology that I'd like to see whether I can help avoid in the future. Some of these challenges are...




                Of course, it could be a methodology, a technology, a business practice, or anything else. Try to be less accusatory and more cooperative in the words you choose to use. Practice saying them before each interview.






                share|improve this answer




























                  1














                  Consider the words you use to express the problems. If you say something like,




                  At my last place, they were stuck on XYZ methodology and it was a royal pain to live with,




                  you might be interpreted as negative and condescending.



                  You might have better results and come across as more thoughtful and open minded if you expressed the same idea along the lines of,




                  There can be some challenges that come with XYZ methodology that I'd like to see whether I can help avoid in the future. Some of these challenges are...




                  Of course, it could be a methodology, a technology, a business practice, or anything else. Try to be less accusatory and more cooperative in the words you choose to use. Practice saying them before each interview.






                  share|improve this answer


























                    1












                    1








                    1






                    Consider the words you use to express the problems. If you say something like,




                    At my last place, they were stuck on XYZ methodology and it was a royal pain to live with,




                    you might be interpreted as negative and condescending.



                    You might have better results and come across as more thoughtful and open minded if you expressed the same idea along the lines of,




                    There can be some challenges that come with XYZ methodology that I'd like to see whether I can help avoid in the future. Some of these challenges are...




                    Of course, it could be a methodology, a technology, a business practice, or anything else. Try to be less accusatory and more cooperative in the words you choose to use. Practice saying them before each interview.






                    share|improve this answer














                    Consider the words you use to express the problems. If you say something like,




                    At my last place, they were stuck on XYZ methodology and it was a royal pain to live with,




                    you might be interpreted as negative and condescending.



                    You might have better results and come across as more thoughtful and open minded if you expressed the same idea along the lines of,




                    There can be some challenges that come with XYZ methodology that I'd like to see whether I can help avoid in the future. Some of these challenges are...




                    Of course, it could be a methodology, a technology, a business practice, or anything else. Try to be less accusatory and more cooperative in the words you choose to use. Practice saying them before each interview.







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                    edited 6 hours ago

























                    answered 6 hours ago









                    Kent A.

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                            "I would like to grow my career in a slightly different direction; I like how your company does X, Y, and Z, and think this approach is a good fit for me."






                            share|improve this answer








                            New contributor




                            Amy Barnes is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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                            "I would like to grow my career in a slightly different direction; I like how your company does X, Y, and Z, and think this approach is a good fit for me."







                            share|improve this answer








                            New contributor




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                            answered 6 hours ago









                            Amy Barnes

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