Why do you want to leave your current job? How to answer 💬

Of course, employers will want to know why you want to leave your current job – especially if you’ve been at a company for less than a year.

Employers want to make sure that you have good reasons to give for leaving a job, and that you aren’t a ‘job hopper’ who’s likely to leave their company in a matter of months.

Don’t let this scare you – there are several good reasons to leave a job.

Whether it’s the nature of the work you didn’t enjoy, the environment you weren’t suited to, or simply that you feel you’ve learnt all you can in the role, there’s nothing wrong about quitting a job.

You should never lie about your reasons – so make sure you’ve got your answer to why you want to leave your current job prepared beforehand.

Given that you are interviewing for a job at their company, a potential employer will also want to find out the things you are looking for in your next venture.

This will help them to better understand who you are as an employee and whether your values align with their company and what the role offers.

You may be thinking of many reasons why you should leave your job, but it’s important to give the interviewer one that shows your interest in their company.

If your reason for wanting to move is that you don’t enjoy the role or you’re not interested in the industry, the employer will want to know what it is that you weren’t suited to.

When you’re leaving a job. reasons for why you want to quit will vary but you should tell the employer honestly so they can see where you want to progress in a new role.

This will also help them decipher whether you’re the right fit for their company.

Interview questions about your career move are also intended to suss out whether you are really looking to change jobs or are just casually seeing what’s out there.

It’s hard to know if and when you should leave your job, and browsing other options is all part of the process of deciding on this.

But if you’re actually trying to figure out how to leave a job and start a new career then you should demonstrate this to the interviewer.

Give solid reasons as to why you want to leave your current job, as avoiding this might indicate to an employer that you aren’t serious about looking for a new job.

The best reasons to leave a company are often ones that focus on your future career, rather than ones that reflect on the problems in your current job.

So, if you haven’t already left the job, you need to have a clear idea of why you want to leave.

Finally, a potential employer will ask “why are you leaving your current job” to know whether you left of your own accord or were asked to leave.

This is especially important if your answer involves leaving a job without notice, as an employer will most likely ask what caused you to do this.

Always be honest about this. If you were let go from your previous job make sure you’ve prepared a strong answer to the question “Why were you fired?”

Your ‘why are you leaving your current role’ answer needs to tell the employer that you understand the reasons behind why you were fired, have resolved any issues and worked on yourself.

It’s also worth learning how to leave a job on good terms if you struggle with this, so you are able to give a positive answer in future interviews.

• I am looking for a new challenge
• I would like more flexibility
• The company values don’t align with my own
• Would like a shorter commute to work
• Would like to relocate
• I want to work in an industry I’m more passionate about
• I don’t think I’m paid my market value
• I think I’ve learned all I can in this role
• Desire to learn more or grow a current skill
• My career progression has stalled
• I would like the ability to work independently more often
• My company is / was restructuring
• The duties of my role have changed or been reduced
• Would like more/ less responsibility
• I need to be closer to home
• Looking for better career prospects
• I want to work for a bigger company
• I’ve been working at my company for a long time and now ready for a change
• I would like to work better hours
• Desire to have a better work/life balance
• I was made redundant