How do you explain a bad situation with your boss to a potential employer?

First of all, you don’t have to say why you are seeking other employment. That has nothing to do with your qualifications for the new job. If you feel you need to day something, you could just say what you’ve said above, it’s a family run business with it’s own approach to running the business, and you would prefer to work elsewhere. Employers are not allowed to divulge why an employee left, or was terminated.

I think you could summarize your situation by saying, “It’s a family-rum business, which takes office politics to a whole different level that I’m not comfortable with.”

You situation sounds horrible.

You need to look for a new job right away.

Do not bring any of this up with a future employer. Do not talk about your former job once you are on a new job. (If you do, your boss will assume that you will do the same thing about their company.)

The most that is likely to happen is as follows:

Potential Employer: “Hmm, I see you were only at your former job for five months, Why did you leave?” (Or the same questions in an application.

You: “It was a small business that did not offer a chance for career development.”

or “There was discussion about a possibly lack of work. I wanted a position in which I could contribute to a company for the long term.”

Never discuss the working conditions, the favoritism. Make sure to keep it from creeping in during an interview if you are asked something like, “Give me an example of how you solved a problem at your previous job”. Practice with a friend. Make sure there is no tone in your voice when you speak of former boss.

Look, the new boss does not know your former boss or care about them. They are evaluating you.

If you discuss any of this, they have no way to tell who is in the right. They could easily brand you (unfairly) as a complainer or troublemaker.

I completely feel or you as I kind of know where you’re coming from. One of my last jobs was one where the boss’s best friend was the person responsible for doing her job before I could do mine and wasn’t doing her job. As I couldn’t publish things that aren’t written yet and provide information I don’t have, I would get backed up asking again and again for information. When asked where it was, I would tell the boss that I hadn’t gotten it and when she went to ask her best friend why I hadn’t gotten it, the response was almost always “That? I gave her that last week. I don’t know what she’s talking about, I think she’s out to get me.” You can imagine where it went from there.

Office politics can be nasty and future employers know this. If you feel the need to say something, just say something like “Office politics mixed with family politics in a family-run business makes for an interesting work environment.” You’re not saying that its bad, you’re just saying that its complicated. Its best to be as diplomatic as possible, whether you feel the need to say anything about it at that point or not.

@hearkat has the best advice. You do not bad mouth anyone at your former employment, ever. Make it about you. “I needed more autonomy” “I am looking for a better chance for advancement”

One time I took a class in family dynamics from a guy getting a divorce.

During a break I told him it was a little difficult to take a class in family dynamics from a guy having problems in that exact area.

I loved his reply: “I may be an expert in eggs, but I still know an omelet when I see one.”

What he is doing is telling the truth. You sound like you can do that quite objectively, too.

If your potential employer asks, first try the vague approach, “Well, it is a family run business and there are a lot of tensions. Not a real good place for an outsider.”

If the potential employer presses you for details, diplomatically explain what you said above about your boss.

Do not mention office politics to a potential employer. One, because office politics exist almost everywhere and it might make them more wary of you, and secondly because you want to make the reason why you are seeking employment elsewhere to focus on your goals, not on the other job. Keep it simple. Whining/bad mouthing is a big no-no. It sends a big impression of you. Don’t go into details. Remember interviewing is about why YOU are perfect for the job, not about bad prior experiences.

never say anything negative about a prior job. keep it focused on positive comments like new challenges, new opportunities, want to work in your own community, want to get into this field, etc. if you are asked to give an example of a problem solving incident, you can give any example of anything and they are not going to verify it (how could they?). you don’t want to give the impression that you are a negative, badmouthing, trifling person. i am not saying you are, but you don’t want to even go near any kind of talk about family, office politics. you don’t owe them an explanation. you want to focus on positivity.

What are you looking for? A place where your talents and work ethic can be appreciated? A place where you can get advancement that is commensurate with your work? A chance to earn more? A place where the workers are all on the same team? A place that recognizes excellence? A place that provides opportunity to make something of yourself?

You need say nothing about what you are getting away from, and everything about what you’re looking for. We all know there are dead end jobs, and that people want to do better. No negativity about your current situation is required.

Your bigger problem will be the 5 months than why you left. If it is just about what you feel is a difference in treatment and you are not in danger of being terminated, just hang in there for a while. In fact make yourself indispensible. It is likely there will be more employment opportunities next year. If you take just any job. you might find you are looking for a 3rd job in less than a year. No matter what the reason that looks very bad, No job will be perfect and making the best of this situation until you have at least a year in teaches you some work and coping skills as well as patience.

When they ask why you’reeaving just say that you feel your skills would be better utilized at THEIR company and quickly change the subject or ask a question about the job or the company.