When you’re interviewing for your next job there are a few questions that will be unavoidable. You will absolutely be asked to discuss your previous employment history. There are good and better ways to have this discussion so it is important to be prepared before the interview.

Here are some helpful tips that can improve your answers to these common interview questions.

Be positive.

The absolute first rule of interviewing is to never speak poorly about your previous job. Don’t talk about how much you hated having to be there at seven o’clock in the morning. Don’t say you didn’t get along with your co-workers. Don’t complain about micro-management. Even if any or all of these things are true, mentioning them in an interview raises all kinds of red flags for potential employers. Instead, be positive about your experiences and focus on what you learned.

Be prepared.

When you discuss your previous employer you need to have all of your facts straight and ducks in a row. You have to assume that the potential employer will contact everyone you’ve worked with in the past, even though they will only contact a couple. You need to make sure your information is consistent. You don’t have to have exact figures for how much money you’ve saved but have a reasonable ball park guess that can be verified.

Be concise.

You want to strike a reasonable balance between sharing too much and sharing too little. You don’t have to go through great detail of everything you’ve ever done for a past employer. Just hit the highlights. However, not saying enough is also a red flag for employers so provide at least some narrative for what you did in the past.

Be honest.

Finally, it is also extremely important that you do not lie about your past experience in any way. Of course, lots of people will exaggerate their abilities to make themselves appear more marketable but only do this if you can back them up. Otherwise, getting caught in a lie over your previous experience will be the best way to eliminate your chances for a job offer.

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