Me, too. I’ve asked interviewers what they like about working for the organization, what they liked about the city (when it involved relocating), how they would describe the workplace culture, what are the most challenging parts of working for the organization in their experience. Sometimes people seemed surprised,…

If the gig became available because someone moved on, it’s also okay to ask follow-up questions about why that person’s no longer in the position.

I don’t see why not if you want to mention that as a reason for moving, just hope the interviewer isn’t from the same city and still likes it.

She said, condescendingly

Agreed. The “let me walk you through this” response sounds to me like “I’ll speak slowly for you, idiot.”

You’ve learned an important life lesson. When people tell you verbally they value something (e.g., honesty) sometimes they don’t.

You come up with an alternative, before you get there. Money always works. The commute, more interesting work, whatever. No need to drag your still current boss through the mud.

That may not be the reason they passed, but I would not use euphemisms to describe the current work situation. The best candidates are ones motivated enough to leave when the salary is stagnant and the work environment isn’t good. Tell them how long you stuck with it and what you did to try to change things. If they…

Here’s a better idea: If your present job is so complex you can’t explain it in a couple sentences, take a few minutes today to develop a brief, cogent job description. Consult colleagues, your HR records, the Internet and your mom if you need to.

I was going to say “The IT Director had an issue?” then I realized, the odds are good that the director was never an IT guy, which would explain why they were able to rise up. If I told that exact statement to a senior IT guy, or pretty much anyone who had been one, it would have been understood without issue.

Question. And this actually happened to me, but it worked out for the best. I had a really crappy job situation going on. Went on an interview, kind of laid back atmosphere, just me and the director of IT in his office. He pulls the “so why are you looking for a new job?” card. But also tells me to be honest. Ok, so I…