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Anonymous
10/26/20 at 8:03PM UTC
in
Career

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

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?

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Anonymous
10/28/20 at 8:15PM UTC
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.
Anonymous
10/27/20 at 11:09PM UTC
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 :)
Laura Nichols
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40
10/28/20 at 2:37AM UTC
Thank you so much for this incredibly helpful and thoughtful post - I will do exactly this, it sounds like a great mental exercise too!
Orlagh Costello
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1.18k
Engineering Manager for food manufacturing site
10/27/20 at 1:34PM UTC
"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
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33
CPA
10/27/20 at 2:56AM UTC
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
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204
Black Librarian in BKLYN, NY
10/26/20 at 11:21PM UTC
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.
Kylie Mojaddidi
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42
Helping challenger brands make an impact
10/26/20 at 10:08PM UTC
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
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18
Software Engineer in San Antonio
10/26/20 at 10:03PM UTC
Say there was no more to grow
Amy Fortney, PMP
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2.19k
Business Strategist & Fractional COO. Doer.
10/26/20 at 9:49PM UTC (Edited)
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."
Mandy Trouten
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765
Everything at www.mariese-skincare.com
10/26/20 at 10:02PM UTC
To be fair, though, there's nothing even remotely negative about your response. People often use "pat" responses--1. because companies insist on asking an entirely pointless/nosy question and 2. because most people leave their current job b/c of faulty management in their current job--something you generally can't say in a job interview b/c hiring managers are unrealistically sensitive about answers having to do with poor management in other companies and, thus, will decide that you shouldn't be hired.
Amy Fortney, PMP
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2.19k
Business Strategist & Fractional COO. Doer.
10/26/20 at 11:52PM UTC
Actually, not everyone thought so. "So you didn't want to approach your employer about other avenues?" was a question I got more than once. Which is really saying, "So if we don't have something more for you when you want it, you'll leave?" And it isn't the worst question to ask. Watching a person's body language and listening for the quality of their answers to a common question is almost just as important as the reason itself. The #1 reason people leave their jobs is because they don't feel engaged or recognized. That's not necessarily the same thing as bad management or having one bad manager. Some companies just don't have much in the way of EQ or have a cultural imbalance between their perception of the quality of their opportunity and how their people actually regard it. Everyone has a very loose and broad definition of bad management. Until they are managers.
Mandy Trouten
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765
Everything at www.mariese-skincare.com
10/27/20 at 1:15AM UTC
"Everyone has a very loose and broad definition of bad management. Until they are managers." On the contrary, my standard of a good manager is simply someone who is good at his/her job, doesn't mind doing everyday crew jobs, and doesn't think s/he is above the rest of us. We don't have to be friends; we just have to get along professionally and s/he has to actually have the qualifications to be a manager. Then again, my experience is primarily in fast food--where I had a few managers who were mind-blowingly arrogant, a few racists, and a few others who lacked the technical experience/quality to be good managers. One had the attitude that how she wanted to do things in any given moment should override corporate standards and the standards of the owners, even at the cost of providing extremely bad customer service. At least 2 others literally came in from non-restaurant jobs and may or may not have had any fast food experience. One of those 2 would go cry outside and chain-smoke whenever we got even moderately busy. Meanwhile, at both of those jobs, I was on excellent terms with upper management and had nearly every manager's keycode, so I didn't have to call them for coupons. I was on similarly good terms with 2 of the upper managers at my last fast food job--minus the keycodes b/c that job was in the kitchen. I realize that there are, in fact, people who perceive good and bad management in terms of their own feelings; but, my standards have always been professional in nature and usually in line with those of the upper managers.
Meg
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41
Product Manager in San Francisco
10/26/20 at 9:32PM UTC
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.
Erin
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28
Senior Operations and HR Leader
10/26/20 at 9:14PM UTC
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.

You're invited.

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