Beware of that career landmine question

 

MONEY & CAREERS By Paul Kariuki

 When Njoroge Ng'ang'a, a media personality who has hosted breakfast shows with different media stations, is asked the same question, he knows how to navigate around it well.

"Usually, when I leave one organization, it's not about job dissatisfaction but to take new challenges elsewhere. I usually leave on good terms with the employer as I may need their referral or recall me back in the future. If the hiring organizations ask why I left, the answer is always I left the position so flesh blood would take over and grow in their career," he says.

He runs a media business in Nakuru where potential hires seeking work have given some of the reasons, among others, as to why they left employment was because they were dissatisfied with the terms of the pay or had supervisors whom they considered bad managers.

"Usually, these potential hires end up underselling their worth as the terms of pay where they're seeking employment may be different than what they were enjoying under their former employer,” he says.

To this end, he counsels that it's better to know what the potential employer is paying those in similar job positions to the one you're applying for. This can be done through networking with insiders in the organization or researching to avoid embarrassing themselves. "It's better not to reveal how it was with your former employer. If you disclose the secrets of others, do you think your potential employer can trust you?" he poses.?