Why do you want to leave your Current Job? 15 Best Interview Answers
When you are being interviewed for a job, you will probably be asked, “Why do you want to leave your current job?”
The answer you give to this question is very important as it can actually decide whether you get the job or not, so you need to be careful of what you say.
Sometimes, an employee may decide to leave his/her position not because he/she has achieved what they hoped to achieve with a company, but probably because they feel unappreciated.
If your reasons for leaving your current job are not well expressed, the interviewer will assume similar occurrence if they employ you.
The new prospective employer wants to be sure that you are quitting your job for the right reasons.
And that is why you need to study how to come up with the best answers to this interview question and align with the employer’s expectation.
If you were asked to leave at your previous job place, what could be the actual reasons for it? What would you tell the interviewer who wants to know?
You need to make sure your reasons for leaving your current job should be on a positive note and not negative, and it should reflect on the growth and progress of the company you are interviewing with.
Never use this question as an opportunity to lay complaints about your current or previous employer, because this will definitely make you look unprofessionally.
Instead, you should explain areas in which you like to be more challenged; give appropriate reasons for your move, or explain your need for new tasks, which the new company can provide the opportunity for you to handle.
You need to concentrate more on the positive aspects of your leaving and on what you can offer professionally to the new company.
Here are 15 best example answers to the question, “Why do you want to leave your current job?” that most interviewers usually ask:
1. Everything that was available in my previous position was achieved professionally through personal efforts, and I feel that in order to keep my personal and professional improvement intact, I should make a move onto a new company with more room for growth.
2. For the three years I have been at my company, I have learned a lot from working with some amazing sales people.
I have labored very tirelessly all through a sales manager’s position for 1 year and 6 months, and our profits suddenly increased since I introduced a new marketing strategy. But now I’ve come to realize how much I need some new challenges.
This position really appeals to me because it gives me the ability to lead a bigger team and sell more innovative products.
3. I’d really love to be part of product development and participate in the overall process of the project, and from all indication, this is the place where I can prove this.
4. I believe I am a better worker in an organization with a solid vision to mentoring and developing executives, where there is a valued perception of fidelity on both sides and a norm that encourages career development and growth.
5. It was time to go – It took me a great deal of learning, but then the learning dramatically diminished and it was time for me to take another step in my career.
6. I spent many happy years working for Choice Ltd and received many good reviews over the years from customers and project managers alike, but I recently started thinking about which way to channel my life and I prompted for a change.
I got fascinated by your ad because I see a chance for me to take on new challenges such as distribution and marketing.
7. Throughout my stay with the company, I’ve had the opportunity to develop my sales skills which I used for managing an incredible team that has consistently beaten its targets by up to thirty percent every 5 months under my supervision.
After I have achieved what I set out to do, I feel that the skills and experience I have obtained have helped me a lot in my career. I’m ready to tackle bigger challenges in a manner that best describes my role.
This job in particular really appeals to me, as it will enable me to use my existing skills to build my courage toward leading a more active team, while using my strategic planning skills to help the company beat targets across a wider product range.
8. The only reason I would leave my current position is for something significantly profitable and after reading the duties and tasks for the job, this position offers it.
This role has more responsibility, and there is nothing I find as challenging as working in another environment which I am sure I can meet.
In addition, it would be foolish to look down on this opportunity of working in a company with such a strong reputation as yours. I think this role creates a marvelous opportunity where I can excel in my career.
9. I like to keep busy and work hard on projects, but there are some minor distractions that would not allow me to be as productive as I’d like to be, so I made up my mind to seek a new position.
10. I have learnt many things from my current organization but I feel changes are necessary for any one who wants to improve their experience, skill and knowledge in order to grow personally and professionally.
So I believe that this place can provide the best facilities needed for learning, and I will try as much as I can to prove myself.
11. I have had much experience from my last job and now want a more challenging job that will enable me to use my skills to assist clients.
12. I would like to dedicate myself to a company with the zeal to grow, and a company that is willing to help their employees attain greater heights of success.
13. The structure of the department made it unlikely that I could carry on with what I initially thought was a long term position. I was allowed to leave for a place where I would work with self-confidence and self-esteem.
14. I think I have grown up with my last employer as much as I could. I want to advance and I’m sure that it can be possible with a new employer. They permitted me to go, and I left to look for a new place of work.
15. Recently, I realized that the energy and goals with the leadership team differ from my own plans. I am now searching for a company that can better match my own values and interests.
Because I love the mission of my company I don’t want to think of leaving my job, but I think it is only right that I do what my profession needs in order to succeed.
Conclusion
What the hiring manager is trying to figure out about you when he asks why you want to quite your present job is whether you are leaving the job because you are offered another position at another company, or that you just woke up one day and decided to leave in order to pursue your dream.
Being negative in your answer about your present employer, or saying the new job pays more and that is why you are leaving will not score you well with the interviewer. In fact, it could deprive you of the chance of winning the job.
In order to be safe in the interview, try to make known a desire for greater responsibility or opportunity to use talents that have never been used before.
Being positive in your answer will be the best option in this situation, rather than giving a weak answer that indicates a mindset of lack of interest in the new role after you have been employed.
Did you find our examples of answers to the “Why do you want to leave your current job?” interview question useful? Let’s know what you think by making a comment in the box below.