Career Resources

Career Resources

Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?

Posted September 2, 2013 & filed under Uncategorized

Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?

It’s the million dollar question on every hiring manager’s mind: why are you leaving your current job? You may have many reasons (your pay, your boss, the office environment, a mound of uninspiring projects, etc.) but you never want to give your raw, unfiltered response. All of your complaints may have total validity but you want to be smart when you give your answer. So, here are the things you should and shouldn’t talk about when asked why you are leaving your job.

Money? No.

Even if you’re basically being paid in acorns and pats-on-the-back, you never want to cite money as your primary reason for leaving. It unintentionally gives off the impression that you’re the type of person who follows the teachings of Gordon Gecko by wearing your greed on your sleeve. Avoid talking about money in any response. Ever.

A Bad Boss or Bad Coworkers? No.

The airing of grievances should be saved for Festivus, not a job interview. If you’ve had a bad experience with a boss or with coworkers, you want to keep tight-lipped about the conflict. Let’s say you’re 100% blame free of any hostilities, the hiring manager will still be thinking about your involvement (it takes two chemicals to start a reaction). In the eyes of a potential employer, your response is an admission of guilt in having contributed to workplace discord, which could easily spread to the company if you are allowed to join the team. No one wants to hire a negative Nancy.

Growth Opportunities? Yes

This is one of the best reasons to give. Like any job interview response, you want to remain positive, so you shouldn’t wallow in the dead end conditions of your job. This should be an opportunity to show how your ambitions are always pushing you to move forward beyond any obstacles. Give examples of how you worked hard to create your own path to growth: any skills, projects, or responsibilities you took on to forward your career. That way, it doesn’t look like you give up easily on either a job or your dreams.

Sample Response

A good response would go something like this:

Well, working at my previous job provided me with a great technical foundation. I learned a great deal, faced some unique challenges, and worked with diverse people. Now, I want to be able to bring those skills to a company that can help me further pursue my career goals and advance in exciting new directions.

That should be the gist of your response. You can have it be a bit longer (as you add your own personal details) but you want your answer to discuss how the past will bring you to a rewarding future.

by James Walsh

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