Are you looking for a reason for your job change to give to your boss or a future employer? Should you be careful what you say? When moving to a new position and applying for a new job, one of the things you need to answer is why you are leaving or have left a job.
Your boss may want to know why you’re leaving, and future employers will want to know why you left.
Before you begin your job search, think about what you’re going to say so that your reason aligns with your applications and your interview responses.
What you should know before you leave a job
If you leave your current position and move to a new position or are about to take an online job, your current and future boss will likely want to know the reasons for leaving your job.
Your current boss is interested in knowing the reason for leaving your job, while the future boss wants to know the reasons for leaving your previous employment and may be able to use this to determine your suitability for the future job.
Deciding how to answer this question can be difficult. There are many valid reasons why you might want to quit a job.
And while your potential new employer will understand your desire to make the move, they’ll still want to know your reasons.
Keep in mind that an interviewer can ask this question in many different ways, but your answer should still be roughly the same.
Here are some variations you might come across:
- What made you quit your last job?
- What prompted you to look for a new job?
- You only worked (number of days/weeks/months) for your last employer. Why?
- Why did you leave your last employer?
How to answer the question
How you answer this question depends on your current work situation.
For example, if you’re currently employed and want to quit your job, you’ll deal with it a little differently (and may find the question easier) than if you’ve already left your previous position and are unemployed.
That’s because many employers fear that leaving a job before you’ve found a new job portends a serious problem, and will be on the lookout for answers that point to real problems.
Regardless of your current situation, it is possible to craft an effective response that will make the right impression on prospective employers, demonstrating not only your ethics and ambitions but also your knowledge of the company and how it belongs together.
What are the reasons to leave a job?
There are legitimate reasons why a person may leave their job and look to another company for a new opportunity.
The candidate should aim to provide genuine reasons as to why they are looking for a new job. Here are some of the reasons why you should give up employment:
1. Career change
It’s common for employees to move between jobs and careers during their working lives as they try to find jobs that will allow them to develop and expand their skills.
The job change can be from one industry to another or in line with the courses they have taken at college.
An employee may also give a change of career as a reason for termination if they leave employment to return to school for further training in a different area.
An employer will likely view the career change positively and give the employee an opportunity to develop their skills.
2. Looking for professional growth
Depending on the organizational structure of the company, some careers offer more growth opportunities than others. This means that an employee may stay in the same position for a long time and the work process becomes boring.
When it is difficult to change departments or move up the ranks, an employee may feel a growing desire to move to a new company that offers greater opportunities for advancement and changing roles.
3. Organizational restructuring
During tough economic times, most companies tend to take specific measures to minimize their expenses in order to weather the economic downturn.
Part of the effort to deal with economic hardship may involve laying off some employees whose services may not be needed during the recovery period.
The reduction in headcount decreases the overall morale and productivity of the team as the reduced number of employees has to fill the roles of the other laid-off employees, which increases employee turnover.
4. Better Opportunity
The emergence of a new opportunity to work in a different work environment, earn better compensation, or receive a more challenging work process is another good reason to leave the workplace.
It is reasonable for any employee to choose a new opportunity that offers better conditions than their current job.
Additionally, the opportunity to work with some of the largest companies in the industry allows employees to experience a more challenging environment, possibly a better work culture, and sometimes better pay.
However, some employers may see an employee as overly money-minded if the only reason for changing jobs is for a raise. The reason should be combined with another reason, e.g. professional growth, a new work environment, or a career change.
5. Health reasons
An employee may also resign from employment for health reasons and the need for a flexible schedule that allows them to attend doctor’s appointments.
This reason may also apply when an employee has to care for a sick family member and the employee is forced to leave employment to become the primary caregiver.
Pregnant women can also give up work as their due date approaches to take on full-time parenting until the children can fend for themselves.
This means that they will be absent for a longer period of time and the employer will have to find a replacement sooner so that the company’s activities are not affected.
If the worker is looking to return to work, he/she should indicate that circumstances have changed so that he/she can now focus on the new job.
6. You don’t enjoy the work
An employer will be impressed by your motivation to find a job you enjoy and find fulfillment. Because only a satisfied employee is a productive one. Just make sure you don’t blame your employer for your lack of joy.
7. Personal Reasons
Family and health always come first and are good reasons to give up your job. However, remember that you do not have to disclose your health problems or disabilities to your employer if you do not want to. So be as vague as you like.
8. You have decided to pursue other goals
Alternative goals can be a complete career change or a return to school to gain further qualifications
These reasons are acceptable, but make sure you are always focused on your professional development.
For example, if you left your last job to travel the world, focus on your discovery of different cultures and the life lessons you learned along the way.
9. You are self-employed or work part-time and are looking for full-time employment
Whatever the reason for being self-employed or working part-time, a potential employer will be interested in your decision to return to full-time employment.
To keep them satisfied, always give positive reasons for the return.
10. You have completed additional training
People often leave their jobs to go back to school and earn a degree or other qualifications. This is another good reason, as long as your answer explains how that decision helped your career development.
11. You want more flexibility
Maybe you work irregularly and are looking for a more traditional nine-to-five job. Or maybe you have family commitments that require a flexible employer.
This reason needs to be worded carefully so you don’t sound unreliable. For job applications:
- Make sure you understand the employer’s need for an engaged employee.
- Emphasize your ability to manage your time well.
- Emphasize that you will not shy away from responsibility: but ensuring you can balance the demands of your job and your personal life.
12. You’re unhappy at work
Whatever the cause of your job dissatisfaction, it’s important to identify it and work through what it means before the interview. Vaguely telling an interviewer that you’re unhappy can make you seem listless and unreliable.
A good answer to this question is clear and turns the negative into a positive. Focus on showing your own agency and awareness, not someone being acted upon.
13. You have been offered a better opportunity
Unless you’re job-hopping every few months, it’s never a bad thing to leave a job for a better opportunity at another company.
14. The drive to your current place of work is too long or you are asked to change locations
A reputable employer knows that a good work-life balance is essential for happy and productive employees.
15. Breaking the Law
No employer would be interested in hiring an employee with a criminal record.
If the reasons for the arrest are understandable, you should tell the recruiter the truth about the circumstances of the arrest, as he might find this out when conducting background checks on the candidates.
16. Terrible boss
Some employees may try to put down their former bosses when asked about their former employer.
Such reasons will deter the recruiters as there is a possibility that the employee will also put them down on another hire in the future.
Applicants should avoid bad-mouthing their former bosses, as this puts them in a negative light.
17. You have been fired
Remember, you don’t have to tell an employer that you’ve been fired from a previous job. However, if you are asked directly in an interview how your previous employment ended, it can be difficult to avoid the topic.
Sometimes honesty is the best option, but it always puts a positive spin on the situation.
Things to avoid saying when leaving a job
In addition to the top reasons above, here are some things not to say:
- Don’t criticize your employer. Being critical of your past or current company, boss, or co-worker not only looks unprofessional, but makes the interviewer wonder if you will be just as critical of their company if you get the job — which may result in them being will think twice before offering you the job.
- Don’t get defensive. Your interviewer is just trying to get a sense of what kind of employee you might be.
- Avoid using unprofessional words like “boring,” “annoying,” or “boring” to describe a previous job.
- Avoid using company policy as a reason for termination. It can be taken as a criticism of your previous employer.
- Do not give vague answers as you will sound unsure of your motivation and therefore your interest in the job in question. There can be many reasons why you might want to go, but give two or three positive reasons that you can tailor and relate to the role you are applying for.
Conclusion
The decision to quit a job should not be taken lightly. While there are good reasons to quit a job, there are equally valid reasons not to quit a job.
If you do decide that the reasons to leave outweigh any incentives you need to have to stay, then a willingness to present your decision positively is essential.
You now have the tools to articulate your own reasons sufficiently, but here are some key points to remember as you proceed:
- Keep your answer short and direct. The more detail you provide, the more space you give the interviewer to ask potentially awkward questions.
- Never disparage your employer.
- Focus on what you’ve learned instead of beating about what you’ve lost.
- Make sure your response is consistent across your application, interview, and when telling your current employer that you want to quit.
- Most importantly, be honest but positive.
References
- 10 Good Reasons for Leaving a Job (On Application) – WikiJob
- Reasons for Leaving – Corporate Finance Institute
- The Best (and Worst) Reasons for Leaving a Job – Thebalancecareers
- 10 Good Reasons for Leaving a Job | SNHU
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