Do not badmouth your previous employer — ever

Even if your last manager was genuinely terrible, saying so in an interview is one of the fastest ways to lose an offer. Interviewers immediately think: "Will they talk about us this way someday?" Instead, say something like: "I felt I had grown as much as I could in that role and was looking for a new challenge." This is honest, professional, and raises no red flags. Negativity about a past employer is the single most common reason candidates get silently rejected.