Reader Walks Off Job and Seeks Advice

A reader writes:

I walked off a job after 3.5 years due to politcal and racial discrimination and ethics. Everything was fine there until my boss asked me to lie about some results and I refused. Things got worse from that point on... my old boss tried to set me up to fail constantly and didn't succeed. Then he piled more wotk on me than others on purpose; I accomplished it. The owners of the company sent derogatory e-mails to me about politics and race. One Christmas party, one of the completly insulted my wife. It continued to build over a year. During that time I continued to look for other jobs with little success due to ressession. Finally he belittled me publicly in a meeting and completely discredited my work and I screamed I quit and walked out the door.

I decided not to sue or go to the EEOC as it would just make things more difficult to find a job later on. In addition I was free... or am? I currently have a contract job that I found a few months after leaving this job. The contract is almost up and now I am looking for other work. What do I say in an interview? The last time I danced around the questions but told the recruiter straight up. He told them that others whom had worked at this company said the same thing. The business has a bad reputation; however I was the only one to quit in this fashion.

How do I answer this in an interview?

Where to begin? I'll sum up past advice and then open it up to others to add their expertise.

You walked off a job and there really isn't a way to sugar coat this at all. You have to disclose this in an interview and when doing so, be prepared to address a question that may be largely unspoken, "what makes me think that he won't do the same if I hire him here?"

Your job is to convince me that you would not. What I am looking for is any positive action you may have taken after the "heat of the moment" passed and you regained your cool. I am looking for actions that show a sense of responsibility, initiative, and professionalism in the face of adversity. I am going to consider your answers, your honesty, your accomplishments, your references and your work record in making a hiring decision.

Walking off the job is definitely a hurdle to overcome; prepare yourself well.  

Job seekers, HR pros, hiring managers, what advice do you have? 

StrengthsFinder, Me and SHRM

I don't do conferences. This is not a belief, a position, or a rallying cry. It just is what it is. I attended a SHRM Annual Conference a few years back and enjoyed it but when I look at my days to decide how to spend my time, conferences (huge HR conferences) don't make it to the top of my list.

Checking out StrenghtsFinder 2.0, I discover I have a relator theme and, in simple terms, that means I am pulled toward people I already know. I can buy that. I am more of a one-on-one kind of a girl, groups of 11,000 make me antsy, and I simply don't like people telling me how to do what I already know how to do. Reconcile that with 10 years in the military - ha!

I don't have time for slick.

So, when I said I don't do conferences, that was only partially correct. There are conferences I do hope to attend like HR Technology Conference, BlogHer '11 and anything to do with women and leadership to learn more about these areas. It's not the same for HR. I know HR and don't want to spend my time listening to speakers who repackage what I know (albeit in an engaging, poised, and entertaining way) and redeliver that back me. It's not about the speakers, it's about me and where I find value. 

I like to think, I am fascinated by ideas (courtesy of themes of intellection and ideation) and have visions of grandeur. StrengthsFinder 2.0 describes the two as "exercising the 'muscles' of your brain and stretching them in multiple directions" and making connections, or discovering "a new perspective on familiar challenges," respectively. This is exhilarating to me. Not exhilarating like the first Airborne jump out of a perfectly good aircraft . . . but you get my drift.

I have all the time in the world to noodle.

Give me a cup of coffee, comfy couch, and group of colleagues with a question to ponder like whether or not HR can be trusted, the intersection of personal and HR credibility, or why HR pros can't successfully carry a "conference high" back into their organizations to impact change and I am hooked.

Hook, line and sinker.