One of the most common questions during an interview is “Why did you leave your previous job?”
This interview question is meant to determine whether you are a flight risk or a candidate who will stick around and support the company’s goals.
What reason for leaving a job you give, can make or break your chances of getting a shortlist. Recruiters read into this answer, so it’s important to be prepared and portray yourself as a dependable employee.
Everyone has various situations and varied motives for leaving their jobs. So, making a list of the reasons before your interview can greatly help you.
Why do Interviewers Want to Know the Reason for your Job Change
There are many reasons why the interviewer put up this question. They are the ones who will decide your future in the company.
So they will be prone to the thought that if you quit your job without a good cause, it’s likely that you’ll behave similarly if they give you the job.
Interviewers ask this question to gather the following information:
- If you were fired: This is one thing that companies make sure of before hiring someone. Being fired is a red flag for most recruiters. This is the first reason the interviewer asks this question to get to know that you were fired or left the job on your own.
- Is your reason reasonable: The interviewer wants to know whether the reason for your job change is reasonable or not. The interviewer wants to know if you left because of unreasonable situations and if that will be tolerable for them.
- Your value in the job: The interviewer may put up this question to know your values and ambitions. In case you left your job because you exceeded it or were undervalued, it displays that you want to take on additional duties and tasks. Interviewers may also try to determine if you remained actually an underperformer.
How to Answer this Question
- Get to the Point: Don’t jumble up your sentences that will make you look nervous and try to give a short reason. Short does not mean in 2 or 3 words it means at least a sentence or two.
- Be Positive: Try to give a positive statement, and do not use negative words even if you have had a bad experience in your last job. Make an effort to portray yourself as a problem-solver who can handle challenging circumstances. This will show your positive attitude and your professionalism.
- Do not lie: Do not lie at the time of your interview because you never know, your interviewer may contact your previous company and collect information from there. Any inconsistency in the data casts doubt on your credibility and reduces your chances of landing a job. Therefore, be sincere in your responses.
- Write down the reasons: If you’re unclear, ask yourself this question “Why did I leave my job?” then pen down all the likely reasons you remember. Choose one or two main explanations for each task once you have an understanding of the potential causes. Make sure the justifications you select are appropriate and convincing.
Best Possible Reasons you can Mention
- Reason when you don’t like the job: This is when you want to change your job because you’re bored or your position is not according to your skills. If you want a change in your job then state a reason based on skills and opportunities.
“I left my earlier position since I realized that it was not a decent fit for my skills and goals. Although the organization was excellent, the job did not present me with enough opportunities to completely hone my talents and abilities.”
- Reason when you want higher pay: You could be leaving your job because your last company did not pay you in accordance with your work and talent. Mention this reason in such a way that touches on the more general issues of rewards and motivation for accepting difficult tasks.
“I love to do challenging tasks and my job is my priority. At my last job, I felt that I wasn’t being compensated fairly for my work. No matter what happened, I always strived to complete my tasks on time. Working in your company will give me exposure to different opportunities and even be able to fulfill my financial needs.”
- Reason when you don’t like your company: If you’re leaving your job because you don’t like your company, do not ever mention any bad thing or negative sentences in your reason. Try to be polite and talk about positive things and good experiences you’ve had.
“My previous company has provided me with a lot of opportunities and I’ve had a wonderful experience there but recently I realized my true calling is to work in a diverse field. I want to make a greater social impact.
Key Takeaways
- Keep this thing in mind that an interviewer is a professional and wants to know the fair reason for your job change. Do not use unprofessional language.
- You should be honest, professional, and positive with your replies. Try not to dodge anything and prepare beforehand for any kind of follow-up questions.
- Make sure you’re pointing out the reason for your job change in such a way that it won’t sound vague.
