15 Good Reasons for Leaving a Job (and How to Explain Them)

In a 2023 report by The Muse, a staggering 75 percent of surveyed workers expressed their intent to seek new job opportunities within the next 12 months. Now, picture the challenge of not just deciding to leave your current position but also having to explain those reasons to your current employers or potential recruiters.

In these scenarios, mastering the art of explaining your career choices becomes a valuable skill—after all, you wouldn't want to be misunderstood or accidentally send any red flags. To navigate this delicate dance, familiarize yourself with the most common reasons for leaving a job and prep ahead with these tips and examples.

Good reasons for leaving a job—and how to explain them 

There are many reasons for leaving a job and seeking a new position—and while job hunting, you'll likely be asked about it. Some of the most common reasons include:

1. Toxic workplace

One of the biggest drivers of job changes in today’s market? Toxic workplaces.

“Covid and Work-From-Home may have reduced the direct impact of a toxic workplace, but with the full-time return to office policies now going back into effect, ‘in person’ daily toxicity has returned,” says Damian Birkel, Founder and Executive Director of Professionals In Transition®, a non-profit organization that helps the unemployed and underemployed find new opportunities. 

“Finding a better way—especially after the dramatic impact Covid had on so many people’s lives is both appropriate and fairly common.” he says.

How to explain during an interview: 

“While I feel like I was able to make a real impact during my time at [insert former company], the culture ultimately wasn’t the right fit. I learned a lot about what I do want in a culture, which includes [insert what you’re looking for in a company culture]. Can you tell me a bit more about the culture at [insert prospective new company]?”

2. Lack of opportunities for professional growth

Another significant driver causing workers to look for new jobs is a lack of opportunities for growth in their current role.

“More and more, the data points to growth and advancement as key drivers of employee retention—even over salary,” says Brian Cho, CEO and founder of career coaching and testing service JobTest.org. “When companies aren't willing to invest in an employee's growth, they're essentially dismissing them as incapable of ever being more than they currently are.”

According to a survey from Pew Research, nearly ⅔ of workers surveyed (63 percent) cited a lack of opportunity for advancement as their reason for leaving a job and looking for a new role.

How to explain during an interview: 

“While I was extremely successful in my role at [insert company], I eventually hit a ceiling—and there was no room for growth. I’m excited to land in a role that offers significant growth opportunities and allows me to continue to grow and contribute to the company in new and different ways.”

3. Layoffs or a company restructure

With layoffs happening virtually every day, it makes sense that this is considered one of the best reasons for leaving a job. However, the impact of layoffs or company restructures extends beyond the actual event. 

Even the threat of an impending layoff can cause employees to look for new opportunities. According to The Muse report, 22 percent cited the possibility of future layoffs as their reason for looking for a new job.

“Reorganization and downsizings bring about a ‘flattening’ of the company, forcing the person to do the job of two or three others,” says Birkel. “There is a limit. At some point a person will say, ‘Enough is enough’—and to regain control of their professional life and begin a job search.”

In fact, in The Muse report, 17 percent reported that recent layoffs or hiring freeze impacted their workload, and the change in workload was causing them to look for a new role.

How to explain during an interview: 

 “When my company went through a reorganization, my position was eliminated. It had nothing to do with performance—and my manager is happy to give a reference and share insights on my work ethic and the contributions I made while in my role.”

4. Changing policies around remote work

The pandemic saw a huge percentage of companies shift to remote work. But as things have gotten back to “normal,” many of those companies are requiring their employees to return to the office, either full or part-time—and “this has been a dealbreaker for many,” says Birkel.

According to The Muse report, 26 percent of workers cited a lack of flexibility and/or changing policies around remote work as their reason for leaving a job and looking for a new position. 

How to explain during an interview: 

“[Insert former company name] recently changed their policies and no longer allow for remote work—and, as such, I’m looking for a new role that offers the flexibility to work from home.”

Additional reasons for leaving a job

While we’ve covered some of the more common reasons to leave a job, there are plenty of other legitimate, valid reasons that people may opt to leave their current role, including:

5. Getting offered a different job

6. Moving to a new area

7. Poor compensation

8. Culture fit

9. Changing careers

10. Going back to school

11. Work-life balance

12. Family obligations

13. Conflict with manager/leadership

14. Starting a new business/going freelance

15. Lack of visibility

Explaining your reasons for leaving a job: Bonus tips

Need more advice on how to tell a potential new job about why you’re leaving your current job (or left a recent role)? Here are some tips to navigate the conversation:

Prepare your responses

Chances are, your interviewer will ask you why you left or are leaving your job. The last thing you want to do is try to come up with a response in the moment.

“You likely have very good reasons for leaving your last job, but without taking time to put those reasons into clear, professional terms, the risk of misinterpretation is high,” says Cho. 

Instead, “compose your thoughts, practice explaining your reasoning to a friend or mentor, or write them down ahead of time,” says Cho. That extra prep will ensure that you know exactly what to say when those questions arise—and that you’re not caught off-guard or respond in a way that could hurt your chances of landing the new role.

Reject the negative

You might be leaving your job because you had a negative experience. And that’s fine—but you don’t want to harp on the negative aspects when talking to a prospective employer.

“Avoid making negative remarks about former colleagues, supervisors, or the company,” says Birkel. “This can reflect poorly on your professionalism. Badmouthing always gets back to the company. It’s only a matter of time.”

Focus on the future

When you’re answering why you left (or are leaving) a job, it requires you to go into the past. However, it’s also important to focus on the future—and not only share why you left (or are leaving) your previous job, but why you’re the right fit for the job you’re interviewing for.

“Demonstrate how working for their company will help them obtain their long-range goals and how a move would also contribute to your personal long-term aspirations,” says Birkel. “Be sure to explain how your unique, differential, advantage meshes with the position you are interviewing for and how you fit.”