And there it is. The interview is going great when suddenly the interviewer drops in that question. Your palms get a little wet, your heart skips a beat, and suddenly, every perfectly rehearsed answer has flown out of the window. It’s the landmine question: “Why are you looking to leave your current job?”
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You know the stakes. Well, no one wants to be a sad person. Not too negative at all. It’s because you can’t see what isn’t written. But then again, you really want to be really authentic and to let your ambition shine through, right? This is where it gets really interesting: this question is actually an opportunity. Yep, it’s like that one golden moment to let them know not only what you want to take with you but, most importantly, what you are moving for.
Step by step, let’s break this down.
Why They Ask (and What They’re Really Asking)
So, let’s first get a grip on the motivations behind why this question has become such a ubiquitous part of interviews. An employer is asking this because they are really looking for clues for:
- 1. Your drive: Are you a person looking to grow, or are you bailing at the first whiff of trouble?
- 2. Fit: You just fit very well in a wide range of various types of organizations or fly out of the door again sooner.
- 3. Politics at the workplace: Do you still carry some baggage from the previous job, or are you bailing out with all your baggage?
This is another seeming trap question but proper strategy can surely help you to avoid becoming its victim and walk away carrying all the good stuff.
First things first: Do not ever trash-talk your previous or current employers. You don’t have to be some angel, but don’t be the employee who complains about the boss stealing her lunch money at interview. The last thing you want to present when you walk in for an interview is some whiny complainer. And believe me, if you’ve worked in some pretty messed up situation at work before, I get it. But we have to do better than that for this answer.
Show them you’re positive about the future: present your interviewer with evidence that you are responsible, proactive, and part of the future of the profession. Clean, straightforward, classy.
Building Your Response: A Time-Tested Formula
So here’s your roadmap: you want to give them a professional reason that is positive, fits with your career goals, and properly aligns with the job you’re interviewing for. So here’s a simple formula:
- 1. Accept your situation
- 2. Explain why you’re doing this one thing. Have a positive or growth-oriented reason
- 3. Connect that to this new opportunity
An Example:
I really enjoyed the time spent with my current team in this company and was very much able to learn many things from them. On the same breath, however, in due course of time, I also experienced that I am now poised and ready to face new challenges that would further develop me, especially in the specific area of [specific area relevant to the new job]. And it really ignited this opportunity because of [mention the key reasons why this role is a perfect fit].
You point out that there is no hue of sadness or negativity in that place. You’re pointing out where you are, thanking them for the growth but letting them know that it’s time to spread wings.
Examples of How to Frame Specific Situations
You will want to adapt this a bit based on what kept you resigning. Here are some common reasons and positive ways to frame them:
- No Room for Growth: Perhaps this is one of the biggest reasons why many people want to quit their jobs. It might be that you feel you have matured as much as you are going to in your career, and that is alright. Nobody wants to think of themselves as being stalled. It’s pretty normal to want advancement in one’s career further.
- Example Response: “I learned much in this current role, and so enjoyed the teamwork we established during the past several months. However, I feel that now it is time for me to assume a more mature, responsible role. To me this is a truer opportunity-an opportunity to face new challenges and continue building and growing within a framework of meaning for my long-term career goals.”
Perhaps that is the culture you find offensive in and of itself. The good news is you do not have to create or speak of this as something more involved than it is. Make them aware of what you are looking for in a role.
- Example Response: “Although I’ve loved the experiences that I’ve had at my current company, I wish to work in an environment that is closer aligned with my personal and professional values. I do believe that this role emphasizes collaboration and innovation, which are extremely important to me.”
- Instability of the Company or Changes: Perhaps the company was restructuring or sometime back, there was some merger/ acquisition that changed the field. Suffice it to say for the negative side. Now, here’s how you might write about why you really are stoked for this new role:
- Example Response: “Recently, some changes occurred in the present organization that made me realize this is a period of looking forward to new challenges. I consider this position to be a very stable window of opportunity perfectly meeting my professional ambitions directly. That is why for all those reasons: relocation or personal.
Sometimes, the move is prompted by personal life considerations. Perhaps the company moved, or perhaps you did, and a new set of priorities that need to be negotiated pops into view. It remains professional and circuits back around to fit for the new job.
- Example Response: I’ve been transferred to [city], where, quite honestly, it’s not easy for me to leave my current position; however, this is exciting for me with new opportunities here. Specifically, it’s exciting for me because it puts the icing on the cake with furtherance in my area of expertise and gives opportunity to meaningfully contribute to a team.
HIRE EXPERTS TO HELP YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR NEXT INTERVIEW
As you are writing your answer, there are a couple of things you must avoid.
It pays to keep control over your emotions. Your response must be written in terms as neutral and objective as can be. You may just have been through the worst experience of your life, but it is hardly the moment to lose the plot.
You should not elaborate much on the situation. They are never to know why you want to leave, anyway. Stick to a simple, ready-to-go excuse only.
Don’t lie. Whatever you do, avoid lying about what you are leaving for. And if your interviewer later finds that you have been lying, then it will be a reputation that is going to work against you.
Practice, Practice, Practice
I should say it enough: practice your answer to such a degree that it’s instinctive and effortless. You don’t want to sound like you are reading off cards, yet you don’t want to sound as though you are stumbling over your words, or heaven forbid, freezing on the words and you say nothing. You want to practice in front of a mirror, practice with a friend, and practice until you feel that you are ready to roll out the answer with confidence and smoothness.
Putting it All Together: A Winning Answer
Panic sets in when that dreaded question comes along: “Why do you want to leave your current company?” Well, here’s how a well-prepared answer might sound:
“As I really appreciate the experiences that I have confronted since joining [current company], I had considered extending my stay with them since learning has been immense.” But now, I have realized that it is time to face new challenges to push me into many other directions. In all the things exciting about this position, it provides all possible channels to the specific area of my passion. I was able to research your company, and what is impressive about it is the strategy that your company has taken and is moving forward. It makes my interest in becoming part of this team aspire to go in the same direction.
So, by the end of your writing, you’ve got an interviewer nodding to himself and herself, saying, “Yes, that makes perfect sense!” You thought of it, you’re a professional, and you really want this job-and not just out of having a crummy situation to get out of.
Real-Life Example: A Success Story
I would give you the example of Juan. She was working as an operations executive for five years and doing an excellent job; however, she felt that she did not have anything new from that. Now, an opportunity came knocking at her door to be interviewed by another company. She was ready but would undoubtedly include the inevitable question.
This time, instead of explaining how bored she would be with the job, she re-framed her answer. She talks of competencies she developed, projects she led, and then says she is ready for another kind of adventure once again offered by the new position. Long story short? She aced it and got the job.
Final Thoughts: Your Story, Your Spin
What matters most is that the story stays yours, honest to you but polished enough to show that you’re a professional ready for new challenges. But by the time you present it thus with total confidence, you’re not merely surviving the tricky question-you are using it to shine.
Think about it; these interviews end up more as a match game to get it right for you rather than impressing the interviewer. You got this, right?
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