How to Answer, “Why Are you Leaving Your Current Job?” in an Interview

One of the best ways to prepare for an interview is to anticipate and practice responding to common interview questions, like “tell me about yourself” and “what is your biggest weakness”.

As you prepare for your next job interview, here is another question to consider: why are you leaving your current job?

Why do employers ask why you are leaving your current job?

It is a fair question.

When you get down to it, recruiters and hiring managers ask this question to learn more about what is important to you in a job and how you handle undesirable situations.

Further still, this question can reveal whether a candidate is simply bored, not being challenged, struggles with authority, etc. And based on a candidate’s response, the interviewer can evaluate the likelihood a candidate may encounter the same problems in this new role.

How to answer why are you leaving your current job

Now that we understand the why, it is time to address the how to answer why you are leaving your current job.

There are three simple keys to remember when giving your “why are you leaving your current job” answer.

First, be clear about your reasons for leaving. There are lots of legitimate, positive reasons you may be leaving your current employer, such as:

• I would like additional compensation.
• The company I was working for is no longer in business.
• I felt undervalued and underappreciated in my former role.
• I want a new career with better growth opportunities.
• I moved to a new city.

Second, be brief and to the point. You want to fully answer the interview question, but you do not need to provide your whole life story or go into too much detail.

Third, always remember to be positive.  You may have despised your previous employer, manager, and co-workers.  That detest may be the very reason you are leaving.  But that does not mean you should insult and disparage your previous place of employment.  So remain positive when answering.

Why are you leaving your current job sample answers

Here are a few “why are you leaving your current job” sample answers you can use to craft your own:

• After several years in my last position, I am looking to grow in a larger company where I can contribute and develop in a team-oriented environment.
• I just relocated to this area to be closer to family and left my previous position as part of the move.
• I decided that my previous role was not the direction I wanted to go in my career. While I appreciate the time spent with my current employer, they do not currently have the opportunities in the direction I would like to head.