What to say to prospective new employers?

kiwigirl

Hi All - wonder if someone can given some good advice?

I left my job as I was being bullied, went through solicitor and managed to get an out of court settlement (but I wasn't being bullied? ) and signed a confidentiality agreement.

I've now been sort of head hunted (I hope anyway - company's asked me to for CV more information etc) what would people recommend in me saying about the reason why I left my previous employer?

The company who are interested in me were some of my contractors and my contact has been in past willing to vouch for me when I nearly applied for a job there. I can not tell a prospective new employer that I was bullied as this will brake the agreement, what do people suggest. I have told the agency that my job was being given to other staff and I more or less got redundancy (5 people are now doing my job) whilst I had to sit there and do nothing and then get blamed for things going wrong when I wasn't allowed to attend meetings, do my work. When I phoned the contractor today he has been told by my bosses that I've gone to pastures new with a new job! I'm phoning him in a bit again to pick his brains about the new post.

Any good ideas?

KG

Bun

Hello,

I would say that whilst you enjoyed your job (if you did) you did not find you fitted into that team as well as other places you have worked with previously. Accentuate the job, bits you did well etc, and maybe have some more successful team experience from another job to hand for examples. You cannot be expected to get on with everybody, for some it is bearable, for some it is bullying and you shouldn't put up with it. It takes considerable courage and strength of character to stand up to bullying.I don't know how this will come across but if you can come up with a good example for each time they may question what happened you will look well rounded.

ps. Rereading your post you could mention restructuring etc as a reason for moving on. That covers a multitude of evils.

kiwigirl

Thanks Bun

The mystery continues, I spoke with my contractor and he's been told by someone in the office where I'm applying for the post that I've moved on to pastures new, but can't remember who.

I enjoyed my job until my previous boss went on disciplinary (caused by my bully) and then retired 18 months later, my life was made hell for the last 2 years and I loved the job to start with (nearly 2 years) and in the end hated going in as I was being bullied so much.

I am fortunate in some ways that my contractor will vouch for me, he knew I was being bullied, and I have been told tonight that there are 2 members of staff that knew me within the last 4 years and that I could probably do the job no problems, two of them are based where I would be based if succesful and 1 may even be on interview panel!

I had in excess of 200 evidence to show I was being bullied, which I did via the correct grievance procedure. I'm now quite happy to leave my old colleagues whom didn't support me and the bully to deal with their new boss who doesn't talk to them at all! :T They're upset after 5 weeks, I did 2 years of this treatment and more.

Maybe it is a way out that I can say re-organisation and I will play it by ear at an interview - if I get that far.

Thanks

KG