PUBLICATION

Q: I walked off my last job in frustration with a boss who constantly belittled me and ripped apart anything that wasn't his idea. How do I explain not giving two weeks' notice in job interviews?

A: It may be easier than you think. Feeling undervalued or unrecognized at work is one of the main reasons employees quit. "If people are so abused on the job that it hurts them mentally or physically or in their private lives, then walking out is sometimes what they need to do," says Russ Jones, a partner with First Transitions Inc., an outplacement firm.

Potential employers may never know you didn't give notice, so don't bring it up unless you're asked. But you'll need to craft a dispassionate statement to explain why you left. You might say, "My manager and I had very different work styles, and I decided to leave." Also be prepared to answer a follow-up question, says Mr. Jones. One possible response: "My previous supervisor and I had a very open, collaborative relationship. But my latest boss took the opposite approach, and I felt I was working for a different company."

Try to take some responsibility for what happened, adds Christopher Seiwald, president of Perforce Software Inc. "If a candidate says his former boss was a jerk, it sends off alarms," he says. "But if you say, 'I couldn't handle my boss's style' and concede a bit, you'll gain respect."

If you're contacted by an executive recruiter, you'll probably be asked more detailed questions, says Marie Rice, a managing director of the search firm Jay Gaines & Co. Recruiters try to explain potential red flags about candidates to their clients, and most of them try to learn both sides of the story on their own, Ms. Rice notes. So it's important to tell the search executive truthfully, objectively and succinctly what happened.