How should someone give exit interview answers?

Someone who is giving exit interview answers should focus on staying positive, and they should not vent. Staying positive during an exit interview ensures the person in question does not burn any career bridges.

Individuals usually undergo exit interviews when they leave a company. While this may seem like a good opportunity to vent, it is better to deliver positive answers:

• When giving answers, avoid focusing on petty nuances. For example, there is no point in discussing how the office's air conditioning was poor.
• If the interviewer pushes the interviewee for a negative answer, deliver it in the form of constructive criticism.
• Interviewees should avoid making matters personal. This means no airing office grievances or mentioning names.
• It is also a good idea for the interviewee to avoid boasting about his achievements, especially if his accomplishments highlight a colleague's incompetence.
• Interviewees who cannot think of a good reason for leaving their position should avoid lying.

At the end of the interview, the interviewee should ask how he did in his job. This is a good opportunity for him to review his performance in preparation for his next position. In addition, it gives the interviewee the opportunity to see what sort of comments his employer would make should he uses them as a reference.