There are several ways to answer this question, so take time before your interview to prepare a thoughtful answer that will give your interviewer confidence about the decision to hire you. By clicking any link on this page, you are giving your consent for us to use cookies. Even if negative experiences have informed your decision to leave a job, it’s extremely important to find a positive way to explain your desire to move on. Take some time to prepare your answer and follow these guidelines: If you were let go:“In retrospect, I understand my former employer and I had different expectations about what success meant in my role. The information on this site is provided as a courtesy. This role is in line with my skills and abilities, and the direction I’d like my career to take.”, If you were laid off:“Unfortunately I was impacted by a company restructuring that resulted in a loss of 15% of our employees. Perhaps you left your job due to long hours and impossible deadlines. Understand your work values: Recruiters may use your reason for leaving a job to determine your work ethic. Plus Sample Answers! Indeed is not a career or legal advisor and does not guarantee job interviews or offers. Best Example Answers For Each “Leaving Your Job” Scenario. Try explaining this with a response based on skills and opportunities you’re seeking: “I’ve learned a lot in my current role, but I’m looking for an opportunity that provides more challenges as I continue developing my skills and abilities.”, “While I’ve gained important skills in my experience with this role, like communication and time management, I want to focus more on honing my leadership and writing skills. © 2021 Robert Half International Inc. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans. Rather than planning an overly contrived response, try viewing the question as an opportunity to demonstrate your work ethic and desire to grow. What do you like about your position? I’m excited about this position because it exemplifies the parts of my past work I enjoyed the most and will position me in the direction I’ve always wanted to pursue in my career.”. For what reason? To find out if you’re a good employee or a bad employee. Reasons are provided, but the answer is still concise. The point here is to convey to the interviewer that you are not leaving because you are mad, tired, bored, overworked, underpaid, or job hopping, just that you are leaving your job because… Best answer to Why Do You Want to Leave Your Job – what are good reasons. It’s important to me to work for a company that values my ownership of my schedule and allows for flexibility when appropriate.”. Perhaps you’re looking to leave your job because you simply have a better choice. This is a reality for many people and can understandably be cause for anxiety when it comes time to explain why you’re looking for a job. Wanting to develop your skills is a sign of employee engagement and adds extra value to a company, making it an admirable quality rather than a liability. In Interviews, Share Good Reasons for Leaving a Job Employers want to understand your reason for leaving to make a career move. 4. Being tactful Your motivation to leave your current job is one thing but answering interview question about it is another thing. So, saying anything obnoxious might hamper your chance of working with them again. By explaining your career development plan and outlining your ultimate end goal, you can demonstrate your drive and commitment. Good reasons for leaving a job There are many reasons you can and should explain why you’re looking for a new opportunity. These are just a few of many valid reasons you should explore new opportunities. After you’ve thoughtfully listed out your reasons for leaving a job, the next step is to consider how an interviewer might interpret your answer. List of reasons for leaving a job . Relocation — Sometimes a good answer to why you’re leaving your current job is as simple as the desire or need to relocate. Be clear on your reasons, plan your response and continue directing the conversation toward why you’re the best person for the job. It might also be challenging to change teams or departments if you’re looking to grow in a different direction. The amount of work you do matters a lot. Some reasons for leaving a job include “additional responsibility, increased pay, and relocation,” says Kyle Elliott, a San Francisco–based career coach and founder of CaffeinatedKyle.com, a career advice site. That means at some point during the interview process, you’re going to get the question, “So, why are you leaving your current job?” Obviously, you want to be honest in an interview. Remember to give examples of the kinds of skills you wanted to build on and tangible ways you’d like to go about doing it. He also makes it clear that he can provide a glowing reference from the job to back up his claim. Be truthful without going into unnecessary detail, Explain what you learned from the situation, Direct the interviewer toward why you’re a good fit for the position, How to Explain Your Reasons for Leaving a Job (With Examples), How to Explain Employment Gaps in an Interview, How to Know When It Is Time to Leave a Job. Leaving to advance your career is a common reason and this won’t be the first time the interviewer has heard it. As professionals grow in the workplace, there is a natural flow from one job to the next as people seek out new learning opportunities, career development, new environments and other factors. This reason for wanting to leave likely comes from dissatisfaction with the work you’re doing in your current role. You don’t feel challenged or fulfilled at your current job. This shows your level of investment, your problem-solving skills and how you gave a serious effort to being a team player in the face of a challenge. Your best bet is to keep your answer short. Try to answer diplomatically even when stating negative facts for leaving the job. The "Reason for Leaving" answer has to make sense for your situation. The last thing you want to do is give any possible employer any reason at all to question hiring you. The mission of your company to serve underrepresented communities is something I’m excited to work on.”, “I’ve been working on my communication and collaboration skills when it comes to facilitating large, complex projects. 5. The desire to move to a new level in your career is a common reason for leaving a job. Read Robert Half's tips on quickly finding skilled seasonal employees. It can show what your long-term career plan is and what you want to get out of a new role. If you can, try to avoid particularly personal reasons for leaving a job and keep your answer professional. Along with answering common interview questions about your weaknesses or why you want the job, “What’s your reason for leaving your current job?” is one of those challenging questions that require you to prepare an answer beforehand. Whether you want to go back to school, change industries or pivot what you’re working on, changing careers is a great example of why you may want a new job: “I’m looking for a new opportunity that doesn’t exist at my current company where I can develop and expand my account management skills.”. Harder Questions Question 1: Are you saying that you were fired? If you do not phrase your explanation carefully, you might appear lazy or unmotivated, which is off-putting to employers. Ok, so now you know there are good ways and bad ways to handle this question. Craft your clear answer ahead of time, choose your wording carefully, and you will be able to give a professional answer. I’m excited that this role provides more opportunities to grow those skills.”. The precise reason you are leaving will reveal a lot about your personality. For example, you may be looking for a new job because of a recent life change such as a marriage or move—these are not the reasons you should lead within the interview. ", Your values no longer align with the company mission, The company you worked for went out of business, You feel undervalued in your current role, You want a job with better career growth opportunities, You had to leave due to family or personal reasons, You don’t like the hours at your current job, Your personality didn’t align with the company culture, You had to leave for health reasons that have since been resolved, You wanted to work in a different industry. Prepare ahead of time and you will have aced this interview question! I learned a lot, and I’m excited about the opportunity to bring that maturity to my next job. Is your team facing a spike in workload? Are you passionate about your company’s mission? If you decide it needs to be addressed, try framing it in a way that focuses on the larger topic of incentives and your motivation to take on challenging work that comes with big rewards: “I’m motivated by a lot of factors, and client satisfaction, as well as peer and manager approval, are at the top of the list. Your interviewer will want to know if you quit your job on a whim or if you put some thought into it. It also helps them get a better idea about you personally to see if you’re a good fit for the company. Read More: How to Explain Employment Gaps in an Interview. Here are a few examples of reasons that might not present well in an interview, and a few alternatives if any of the following are on your list: There are positives and negatives in every company, including the one you’re interviewing for. Indeed, employees can easily become burned out at work if they’re consistently logging 12-hour days or working every weekend. Job Interview Question: Why Did You Leave Your Job (When You Were Fired)? If you’re unsure about what your answer may communicate to interviewers, try to get feedback on your reasons from trusted friends or mentors. Any interview focuses on the question “What is the reason for leaving current job ” if you’re trying for a new one. This question can make the most seasoned interviewee squirm a little because of the first word; why. Now, let's talk through some specific examples for different scenarios! A career change — Wanting to change careers doesn’t make you fickle. This website uses cookies to improve user experience. You should select reasons that stand out as professional rather than personal. The commitments I make to my managers and colleagues mean a lot to me, and I plan my days around following through on those commitments efficiently. Many professionals want to relocate to their home city/ town after staying away … Better work–life balance — On the face of it, this may feel like a negative answer. Here’s an example of how someone in this situation might explain why they’re leaving: “I love my role and coworkers, but I’ve come to a point where there are no longer growth opportunities on my team. For example, instead of,
“I don’t like my manager. When answering this question, you don’t need to go into all the details. Secure your reference in advance ” it’s understandable to have a moment (or two) of trepidation and uncertainty. This answer makes it clear that the candidate lost his job for reasons beyond his control. Instead, give an answer that positions you as a responsible and mature professional who knows how to manage your time well: “I know that I do my best work when I have a healthy balance between work and life. For example, saying “I wasn’t being challenged enough” will send the … But compensation is also a motivator for me and I’m excited about the opportunity to sell a product I’m passionate about, exceed my targets and celebrate when I’ve surpassed my goals.”. Your interviewer has likely left a job in their past, so they will be able to understand your position. 2 Practice your interview responses several days before your interview until you're comfortable giving effective, truthful responses to virtually any question the recruiter or hiring manager poses. Here's how to respond. What About Salary? 10 years? Focus on reasons and answers that are relatable and readily understood as positive. Keep your answer focused and short, and move the conversation back towards why you are excited about the opportunities ahead of you. Here are some tips for how to discuss your reasons for leaving a job, an explanation of why employers ask the question and how not to answer it. If you’re unemployed, be honest about that situation as well. Take time to write down all the reasons you’re looking for a new opportunity. Be sure to know what kind of reason you want to give and realize that this question is definitely going to come up. Does your current situation align with these answers? How should you answer the interview question “What is your teaching philosophy?” Here are several tips and examples to help you prepare. Constructing a truthful, diplomatic and sensical RFL is a real thing a job seeker must do to advance in the interview process. Though it’s important to fully answer your interviewer’s question in explaining why you want to leave your job, keep your response to around one or two sentences. It can serve as an indicator that you’re dedicated to finding interesting and meaningful work. Taking the time to formulate a positive answer to why you’re leaving your job will help you approach an upcoming job interview with confidence. If they get in contact with your previous employer to confirm start dates, salary range or get a reference, this could hurt your chances of getting the offer if you’ve provided different information. You’re leaving your job for a reason. When answering why you are leaving your job, you’d be careful not to harm your chances of getting hired – Certain things need not be revealed to interviewers. Common reasons for leaving a job What are your relationships like with coworkers? By Beth Colley. If this is the case, explain why you’re making the move, what skills you can offer the company and what you feel are the benefits of a new job and location. Possible Answers: Actually I left involuntarily, being let go with cause, an unfortunate situation since my overall performance was just fine and I have a number of very positive references. For instance, you cannot say you left because you want a career change when you're interviewing for the same job. Try to maintain a balance between honesty and politeness when answering this question. He explains that it was a matter of seniority and not performance. What do you dislike? This can be a challenging question to answer. 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