Dear all,
I'm new member here, I hope could meet some experiences HR or company's manger here to answer my questions.
I worked for a shipping company in Geneva aroud 8 years, working at operations desk as a vessel operator and assistant, through my work, I got a great experiences and I worked with some first class trading companies. With my experiences grow, I'm seeking to move to a high position, my boss was very nice with me, until he showed his great interested to me, we then had a private relationships, but after that, I found he is not seriously, he flirted with other colleagues in the company, I suffered with this, and can't work correctly, I told him I want move, in the meanwhile my operation manager was not satisfied with me as well due to some small mistake I made.I told everything to my boss, want he to solve this, and I told him I want stop the private relationship with me, after 2 weeks silience, he frired me and told me that's my wish. So I lost my job, in the meantime I lost my love, this happend year in may. I took nearly a year to step out the depression. Now the thing is I can't find a job. when I got interview, people often asked me why I leave my previous company, I did say i want make my carrer, but this explaination seemes not good.

I still suffer when i answer this questions, yes I want leave the company because I want leave this man, but my idea is to find a job, then quitter the company. However, my boss-which is my lover, gave me a shock, he want to keep his power,his face, thus he fired me without any sign, afterwards, he still want run after me. I can't understand his action..

Now I'm 41, with working experiences, but hard to find a job, I wonder what happend ? because my boss is famous in the shipping area, then nobody want to hire me? should I go back to the school again? Or I've to gave up to do something different?
Should I took legal action at that time? Anyway, it is not important now.

but I'm keen to know how should I reply, when people ask: why you leave your last company?

It seems that it wasn't plain sailing.

Beautifulstone, I would probably tell them the truth (but a much more condensed version than above) but to be honest I am a bit weird like that.

You've almost answered it already:

I've had great experiences and I've worked with some first class trading companies. Now my experience has grown, I'm seeking to move to a high position, and, unfortunately, my previous company didn't offer that.

The tricky bit is the year off for depression. You'll need to find some way to cover that.

She spent a year in the Doldrums?

Reassessing plans for the future and taking a well earned holiday.

If in doubt - Went travelling

Try to claim that you took 1 year travelling around on cargo ships: working 8years in the business from geneva office, i wanted to see how it is really on the field. Now it makes me much better at my job.

I left my first company simply because the new one I wanted to go to, had another dimension of the industry that the old one couldnt offer. I simply told the new company during the interview that I am leaving because I like what they are offering in terms of challenges and further development for my career.

You can try subtley spinning the question from "why did you leave your last company" to "why I want to work for you".

If they question your gap year, I agree with Catalyst: simply say that you went travelling - expanded your horizons and learnt new things about yourself. Good things of course.

__________________
Remember when someone annoys you, it takes 42 muscles to frown, BUT it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and b****-slap the mother-f***er upside the head.

Not forgetting to mention the charity work that you did whilst abroad

Ok, looks like you managed to become 41 till you have the first time that something didn't went all smoothly... guess what: We all have some stuff to explain when some headhunter or employer really look closely at the CV.

The problem for you is not the story why you left the company, the problem is that you are out of the job for a year.

Don't ever say something like "I left the company because I hated my boss"... explain it a little less severe and definitely don't go on a personal level: You worked 8 years for a company, that's by all standards a long time. Explain that you made some steps up, but the last three years or so, your career stalled. In the end did you not see any career path or perspective for you to move on.

You decided to take a break of six months and reconsider where to go with your life. It took you a bit longer and now you are looking for a job.

Why you want to work for a specifc opening? Don't give some generic explanation, explain why the specific role sounds interesting. Yes, even if it is not...

After some really nasty business with a previously employer, I was unemployed for 9 months. Every interview I had, they asked me what I did in those empty months. As many people suggested here, I said I took a short holiday to come around with myself, travel a bit, worked as a freelance artist, and decide what to do with my life, specially considering how difficult my field work is at the moment. They all nodded in agreement, quite obvisouly eager to do somethig similar, and eventually got a new job. What is important is to account positively for those lost months, and show a good curriculum.

Don't give up. Don't straight lie, just make a "colourful truth". Don't mention your relationship to your boss (very bad idea), and don't mention you are unemployed because of a heart-break.

Wish you good luck!

eee - that's clever!

Maybe an internship as a pirate in Somalia?

Tell them that you simply "ceased" to work and simply went on one year sabbat(h)icals