One of the questions that is typically asked in an interview is “Why are you leaving your job?” or “Why did you leave your job?” Review these suggestions on how best to response to meet your particular situation. Be direct and focus your interview answer on the future, especially if your leaving wasn’t under the best of circumstances.
This question is among the most basic in interviewing. It’s also one of the tricky Questions that may ask in the interview, as an interviewee can be eliminated from consideration with a poorly apprehended response.
The main issue with this question, as with all interview questions, is to maintain a positive common beliefs – even if the reason for leaving that last position was due to job performance, poor fit, career change situations, money, politics, boredom, personality conflict, or any of the usual reasons. Even when the job move is intended to add a countersign or challenge, an acceptable reason for changing jobs, it’s difficult to make yourself look good when you’re suggesting that the last position was problematic in any way at all.
A great way, then, to remember to keep this issue as positive as possible, is a new commandment: “Thou shalt never speak ill of thy former employer!” Many clients have interpreted this to mean that an interviewee shouldn’t discard that former job because prospective employers might think you’d do that with them, too. That could be true, but the real problem in presenting a negative situation is creating the impression that the applicant is some kind of malcontent. Negatives always have some kind of unwanted effect on interviewers, even if the story is perfectly understandable, even if the interviewer sympathizes with the tragic circumstances.
It is strongly suggested that the answer to this question should be prepared well in advance of any self-marketing, especially interviewing. It’s also advisable to make sure that you’re keeping the prospective employer’s interests ahead of your own in the interview..
Of course, the above presents a generalized common beliefs, and ignores some of the more individual and personal issues in dealing with this difficult interview question. We’ll take some of those up in future columns, and on the Interviewing bulletin board.
Your answer should always be based on real reason you left ,here are some best answer to why did you leave your job.
As someone that interviews many people for different positions, I would have to say that the truth is definitely the best route to go. What you can say is that your previous position no longer challenged you and therefore was no longer enjoyable. That the company was not allowing you to grow within the company and that that was something you hoped for.
- First and foremost, answer truthfully while at the same time not talking about the company or staff in a negative light. Of course, your answer should also be based on the real reason you left, but put a positive impact on it.
- There isn’t room for growth with my current employer and I’m ready to move on to a new challenge.
- I found myself bored with the work and looking for more challenges. I am an excellent employee and I didn’t want my unhappiness to have any impact on the job I was doing for my employer.
- This position seemed like an excellent match for my skills and experience and I am not able to fully utilize them in my present job.
- I recently received my degree and I want to utilize my educational background in my next position.
- I’m relocating to this area due to family circumstances and left my previous position in order to make the move.
- After several years in my last position, I’m looking for an company where I can contribute and grow in a team-oriented environment.
- To be honest, I wasn’t considering a move, but, I saw this job posting and was intrigued by the position and the company. It sounds like an exciting opportunity and an ideal match with my qualifications.
- I’ve decided that is not the direction I want to go in my career and my current employer has no opportunities in the direction I’d like to head.
- I am seeking a position with a stable company with room for growth and opportunity for advancement.
- It depends on why you left your last job. Make it sound as positive as possible though. If you resubmit your question with more detail, I’ll be able to help you better. Put the reason you are no longer at your last job in your question.
- My Current Project will be over and I am looking for a new challenge. I have been with my current company for two and half years and don’t find the work as interesting as I once did. I am looking for a company where I can take on new challenges and learn new things with a possible career path.
- You should always address an interview question with honesty. However, you should also always try to frame your honest answer in the most positive way possible.
- you might say that your prior work didn’t allow you to grow professionally or intellectually and didn’t offer advancement opportunity.
- Always keep in mind that your interviewer is looking for a positive, motivated, hardworking candidate. No potential employer wants to hear your gripe about a prior boss or talk poorly about a previous employer. She or he wants to hear about your potential at the position you are seeking.
- You typically leave a job because you are unsatisfied with some aspect of your job. Most of the times, it is salary or opportunities. So how do you word it better for the interviewer? “I see better opportunities in your company because of the XYZ reasons.” (You need to study up about the company and look into challenges you can solve for the new company.)
- And lastly never criticize your last company that may imprint bad impression on interviewee.
Prepare answers to typical job interview questions, like this one, in advance. Practice your responses so you sound positive, and clear, about your circumstances and your goals for the future.
