When I was working as an intern the company was into a group called PSI Seminars.
They are also into Tony Robbins.
When I didn’t finish PSI Basic everything changed. I had no future there.
How can I explain to a future potential employer that my last employer was in a cult without looking unprofessional?
I highly think they are going to throw me under the bus if used as a reference.
You don’t, you say thay you left because you felt that the company culture was too unprofessional for you
You worked there as an intern? In your field, do people expect to move from intern to full-time employee? If not, “the internship ended.”
You can just check yourself if they are going to throw you under the bus. Call up and pretend to be some other business doing a reference check on you. If they tell you anything defaming, sue. If you are somewhere with one-party consent, record the call.
I am going to go against the grain of conventional advice and say you should just outline it like you did here. I have been in the position of hiring people before. I much prefer to know the real reason why someone left a company. Granted, if someone says “my boss was an asshole”, I would probably just see that as likely making excuses. But, if someone says “I left because I was subjected to verbal and emotional harassment by my boss, and if you want me to provide specific examples I can do so”, that’s actually information I would prefer to know. I think your situation falls into that later example for sure.
The idea that you should never speak ill of a former employer regardless of the circumstances IMO is bad advice.
Maybe for small time employers, but I feel like big companies don’t care because there’s too many applicants. As in, between two equal candidates, they’ll take the one that sounds “unproblematic.”
In general it really does depend on the interviewer. I was honest and open about how my new manager at my last job fucked over the team and myself, with specific details, and it led to good conversations during the interview process for the place I’m at now.
Yes, I think my advice applies more to an interview than something you would put down on paper on a questionnaire.
That is refreshing to hear. Thanks.
A lot of places don’t actually do real references. They will say that you worked there and give no opinions on you as a worker, because they don’t want to risk getting sued for you not getting the job. Not sure if that helps you worry less. As far as the cultiness, I wouldn’t mention it. I’d come up with a more BS excuse that flatters the potential employer without insulting the previous one. Unfortunately, I’ve been a SAHM for too long and can’t think of any examples for you…
Step 1: probe what they think of Tony Robbins
