Navigating Job Interviews After an 8-Month Gap: How to Explain My Career Choices?

I am into Administration and Facility Management with 7.5+ years of experience. I have worked in 3 companies so far, details as below:

1. Two Wheeler Motors: 2.6 years
2. IT Company: 4.8 years
3. NGO Hospital: 8 months

Most recently, I was with an NGO for 8 months. Unfortunately, I lost my job there last April due to funding issues that led to the layoff of 26 employees, including myself. Since last April, I have been unemployed and spent 4 months in my hometown addressing personal matters. It has now been 8 months of being idle. During interviews, I have encountered the following questions:

Interview Questions Encountered

1. Why did you leave the IT company to join the NGO? (I left the company seeking salary and professional growth)
2. Why did you work at the NGO for only 8 months? Is it appropriate to mention the financial challenges faced by the employer?
3. How can we consider you when you have been out of work for 8 months? How should I address this?

I have been struggling to secure a job for the past 2 months due to my 8-month unemployment period. Please advise on what steps I should take to find a new job and how to respond effectively during interviews to address these concerns.

Thank you.

Understanding the Interviewer's Perspective

This is an interesting problem, but for you, of course, it's beyond interesting and of utmost concern. The problem is that there is no correct answer to the questions. What the interviewer is willing to accept depends on each interviewer.

I am going first by the assumption that since they have called you for an interview, they are interested in you as a candidate and not just interested in wasting your and their time.

Answering Common Interview Questions

For the first question: I would say - I worked there for almost 5 years, learned a lot, but the profile was unchanged and therefore lacked challenge. I thought working for an NGO would give a different set of challenges and allow me to grow. Also, the salary they were offering me was much higher. Me not being a developer/programmer would, in any case, not get any further in the software company.

For the second question: I would have liked to work there further, but they were facing a serious financial problem and retrenched most of the people. They asked me to leave as they were not in a position to pay salaries. I understand now that joining there was an error, though I have learned a lot in that profile.

For the third question: Well, I had to take a few months off for a personal problem. But now I am ready to get back to work. As you see, I have worked for 9 years, and there has been no complaint against me. I do not see any problem in working for your organization. I mean, if you take me, you will find I will have no difficulty in executing my duties and delivering to your satisfaction.

Of course, each of the answers needs to be tweaked depending on what you actually did and what the prospective company is looking for.

Best of luck with your next interview.

Regards