How to answer the interview question 'why are you looking to leave your current employer'

Question

I am struggling to find the right response to this question. It's tough when you're leaving a company where technically there are other opportunities, but you just don't want to be there anymore. Also remembering the golden rule of never saying anything negative about your current firm. Aside from talking about how terrific the company you're interviewing with is, what else do you say?

Amy Fortney, PMP · Answer

When I was asked that question in one of my last roles, I didn't share the standard answer everyone gives about seeking personal career growth, etc. That answer is too 'pat' these days. I honestly cringe when others give to me because, honestly, everyone is seeking advancement, greater responsibility, and higher pay.

I told them the truth. 'I like my company but the leadership roles above me are likely to be occupied for some time to come because the capable leaders who fill those seats have been at the company for 15 and 20 years respectively. As a result, I am looking outside the company for a role with greater responsibility and a more defined path for advancement.'

Meg · Answer

Is there anything about why 'you just don't want to be there anymore' that you could share? Often the negatives that are pushing you to consider outside employment can also be framed as opportunities. A bad manager could be framed as looking for 'more mentorship in certain skills', or 'more autonomy', depending on the manager. A good hiring manager will appreciate specifics here because specifics help them figure out if they can give you what you need.

Anonymous · Answer

There isn't any one size fits all answer to this.  You definitely want to avoid bad mouthing your current company, and I agree that you shouldn't just talk up the new company.  Your answer needs to be true to you.

When I was job hunting last year, I found it helpful to write down all the reasons that I wanted to leave my job.  After writing this list (there were a lot and most were negative), I ranked them based on how much they impacted my decision to leave.  For the top 5 I wrote why this reason mattered to me, and what I was looking for in a new position (not specific to a new company just in general).  When writing why it was important to me and what I was looking for, it tended to automatically turn from a negative into a positive.

For each company I interviewed with, I looked at these 5 reasons and picked 2-3 (I wanted to have choices in case I forgot my answer to one of them in the moment) and figured out how the new company helped me with what I was looking for.

I know that it's a lot of work initially, but it helps keep the answer authentic and it lets you tailor it to each company you interview with.

I hope this helps! Good luck with your interviews :)

Kylie Mojaddidi · Answer

This is a great question! I think sticking as close to the honest answer is the best route to take here. It won't feel like a lie and you'll leave the conversation feeling better about that.

I think there's a stigma that if you're looking to leave, it's because of something negative. I think that's a stereotype we need to start eliminating. Looking to advance your career shouldn't pigeon hole you and you can share that when you interview!

I'd recommend trying to keep your responses to one of the following though:

GROWTH - I have a growth mindset. I've experienced fantastic growth where I am today and have learned from the best. Now that I've learned what I have, I realize I'm hungry to expand my knowledge base even further and I know I could learn a great deal about XX and YY with your company, and that's important to me.

CHANGE - We're experiencing a true first in terms of our careers, and given that time I've had to reflect on what I want and I'm ready for a change. Having said that, I know I'd bring XX, YY and ZZ to your organization based on my current experience which has set me up well for XX role.

CAREER ALIGNMENT - Given the circumstances, I've been able to re-evaluate where I see myself in 3-5 years, and I think XX company and XX role fit my career goals better than where I'm at today and I believe in taking positive steps to meet my goals, even if it feels a bit risky in today's environment. I'll always take a risk on myself when I believe it'll have a positive impact.

I hope these help!

Cindy Onyekwelu · Answer

Say there was no more to grow

Anonymous · Answer

What's the real reason that you're leaving? You can find a positive spin to put on that, but there must be a reason. Identify that and then develop the verbiage instead of trying to finesse an answer first.

Orlagh Costello · Answer

'I feel I've achieved all I can achieve in my current position and I was looking around for a new challenge when this opportunity presented itself. It looks really exciting and I feel I can add a great deal of value here'.  If they pursue for more detail, 'As I said, I feel I've achieved all I can achieve in , and the role would benefit from a fresh pair of eyes to take the team to the next level.' :)

patty quan · Answer

I think it depends on the situation, the reason you're leaving, the new role you're being hired for, who you're speaking to, etc. Using those reasons, you should tailor a response, but of course not throwing your current company under. When I interview others, I always find 'standard' responses a little questionable to why they are really leaving, since anyone can google those standard responses. It's always nicer to hear that the candidate had a thorough thought process and was able to apply it against their own life or experiences, even if the end message is the same.

For example, maybe you didn't apply to the position, even though you wanted to leave (referral or LinkedIn recruiter). The current company isn't treating you well. The new company has a fantastic position with the responsibilities that you want. You could probably say something along the lines of 'I didn't plan on leaving, but X reached out to me on LinkedIn. X responsibilities at your company sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. It relates like 'this' to my own experience at my current company, but I want to expand this knowledge and the JD seems perfect for that.'

Another example could be that you're finally ready to leave after 4 years of being at the same company. But you're looking into a role that perhaps is lateral, instead of 'up.' So you start applying to job that fit this criteria. Nothing is wrong with your current company, but you're now looking at jobs that might interest you more. You could say... 'I'm looking to expand myself in X field/knowledge/etc. I feel like I've learned a lot in my current role, and I think I could use X skill in this role that you have open. It's something that I could add under my belt to get to my long term goal of being in X position'

In general, I believe interview questions are something that one could tailor to the role, and possibly even to the person you're speaking with and what you already spoke about. An authentic response is always more heard than a standard response!

Juanita James · Answer

I would say that the reason for leaving my current employer because I have learned all I can there and its time for me to move on or I've outgrown the position I'm in and for a position that will challenge me to be better.

Erin · Answer

Just state you are exploring new opportunities. Usually no additional questions are asked by a recruiter as that should be enough. If they do, mention that you want additional growth opportunities.

How to answer the interview question "why are you looking to leave your current employer"

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