One common job interview question is "Why did you leave your last job?" Answering this question may not come easy to some, especially if they were terminated or laid off.

Liz Ryan, a Forbes contributor, gave some advice on how to respond to such questions. You can find them below.

No growth opportunity. You do not need to say that you were laid off or you were terminated because it might lead your job interviewer to think that you did something wrong. One can say instead that there was no more additional learning for you.

"The firm that I previously worked for does not offer any advancement in [career, field, etc.]. That's why I decided to leave and look for a company that can do so."

Change in focus. If there was an acquisition that took place in your former employment, you can mention that the firm has changed its focus and you wanted to leave as it was no longer something that you agreed with.

You can also say that you have had a change in interests. "I wanted to try something new."

No more job openings. "I wanted to try out a new position but the company did not have any openings for [position that you want]. That's why I started looking for another job and found this company."

Change in mission. An acquired firm can find its mission and vision changing. If this had happened in your previous employment, you can reply with "I wanted to look for a company whose mission is something that I agree with or complements my future career path."

With these kinds of answers, there would be no need to say outright that you were terminated or laid off, or that you resigned. To read more answers to job interview questions, read the full article by Liz Ryan here.