A computer science graduate has sparked a discussion on Reddit after sharing that he was asked to resign from his first job over performance concerns and is now unsure how to explain the exit in future interviews.A man asked Reddit how to explain his job exit to HR after his company asked him to resign. (Representational image/Gemini AI generated)The Reddit user said he is a 2025 Tier 2 CSE graduate who was placed in a startup and worked there for nearly eight months before things took an unexpected turn.(Also read: 'Owner's son joined, I was asked to resign': Employee claims nepotism cost them their job)Graduate shares job dilemmaTaking to Reddit, the user wrote, “I'm a 2025 Tier 2 CSE graduate. I got placed in a decent sized startup and worked there for around 8 months. Unfortunately, I was asked to resign because my performance was considered below expectations.”He added that the company gave him the option to resign voluntarily instead of being terminated on performance grounds. “The company made it clear that if I didn't resign voluntarily, they would terminate me citing performance, so I chose to resign,” he wrote.Now back on the job hunt, the man said he is struggling with what to say when HR professionals ask the common interview question, “Why did you leave your previous company?”He said one possible explanation was the long commute, as he was based in Mumbai and had to travel around “90 to 100 minutes every day” one way. However, he wondered whether that reason would work only for jobs in other cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune or Delhi.The user also pointed out that the commute explanation may not sound convincing if he applies to companies located near his previous workplace in Mumbai. “Given the current job market, I don't have the luxury of rejecting offers based on location; I need to take whichever decent opportunity I get,” he wrote.He further said, “If my reason for quitting isn't good enough, they'll just think it's because I wasn't doing well. That's pretty common around the 9 to 10 month mark. Looking for practical advice from people who've gone through something similar.”(Also read: Founder shares emotional toll of employee resignations: 'I didn't leave bed for 3 days')Take a look here at the post:Reddit users offer adviceThe post was shared with the title, “What reason should I give HR for leaving my previous job after being asked to resign?” It drew a few responses from users who advised him to be careful but not overly defensive during interviews.One user wrote, “Make sure you communicate it adequately.” Another suggested, “Don't lie about something that can easily be questioned later.” A third commented, “Say it was not the right fit and focus on what you learnt.” Another user said, “Keep it short, professional and move the conversation towards your skills.(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)