If you're interviewing while in a position, the first job interview questions you'll hear is, "Why are you leaving your current job?"
Why are you leaving your current job?
There are some big mistakes that job offers can cost you when answering, so this question shouldn't be taken lightly.
Some other formulas
There are many formulas for the question “Why are you leaving your current job?”, depending on the interlocutor who asks, including:
- Why do you want to change your job?
- Why do you want to leave your current job?
- Why are you leaving your current job?
Why does the interviewer ask you this question?
Hiring managers want to know why you are leaving so they can learn more about what is important to you in the job and how to handle unwanted situations.
How to prepare for the answer
You obviously want to be honest in the interview. You are leaving your job for a reason. But you should do your best to avoid being negative.
Focus on what you have to look forward to, not what you leave behind.
To give you an idea of what I mean, here are some fairly straightforward reasons behind your job search and how to translate them into tactful responses:
- Desire to learn.
- Desire to take on more responsibility.
- Desire to take on less responsibility.
- Desire to move.
- Desire to change a profession.
- Desire to acquire a new skill or develop an existing skill.
- Desire for a shorter commute to work.
- Desire to improve work-life balance.
Don't be negative about your current job or employer. According to many sources, the number one reason most people voluntarily leave one position for another is a bad manager or supervisor.
There could be a range of reasons why you might want to leave this job, but most of them are likely to be related to poor management or a bad supervisor.
Examples of answering the question
By asking your interviewer, “Why are you leaving your current job?” Some of the answers you can provide for specific situations include:
One of the things that made things more difficult was that I wanted a platform where I could share my thoughts and offer ways to improve myself.
I am interested in learning more about customer relations, and this position provides an opportunity to build on my existing areas of expertise and increase my customer service skills.
I enjoy working as part of a team and am looking for an opportunity to work on an interesting project. This job is part of a team working on a great project, and I would like to join this business.
I have enjoyed working with a wide range of people at my current employer, but this opportunity at this company fits perfectly in the direction I want to take in my career.
I have learned a lot in my current job, but am interested in working for [Employer Name] based on the great things I learned about this organization.
This job was a great experience, but growth is limited because the company is relatively young. So, to continue growing, I need to look elsewhere, and working on this opportunity seems very interesting to me now.
See: What Motivates You? - Interview Question