Katie Roberts Career Consulting

The next instalment in our ‘How to answer’ series looks at the question “Why are you leaving your current job?”. Some people dread being asked this question, but you should prepare for it since it’s commonly asked. While it’s easy to list the things you don’t like about your current role, the most effective response focuses on the positives and uses the question as an opportunity to explain why you’re perfect for the job.

This is a commonly asked question – and one that many people are unsure how to answer. The top thing to keep in mind is to make it positive yet honest. Your response should focus on the fact that you are seeking new or greater opportunities, responsibilities and/or challenges. If you’re trying to secure a role in a different industry, you should mention that and the reasons why.

If you were involved in a redundancy, say so. It’s best to be honest and simply say something like, “Unfortunately the company undertook a complete restructure and as a result of that my position was made redundant.”

Try framing your answer around the following positive reasons for moving on:

• Seeking new challenges.
• Desire to learn – gain new or grow existing skills and expertise.
• Desire to take on more responsibility.
• Changing career and/or industry.
• Looking for better career growth opportunities.
• Using recently completed study in a different area.
• Company restructure changed your job focus and now it doesn’t align with your interests.
• A need or desire to relocate.
• Desire for a shorter commute to work.

When responding, be enthusiastic, gloss over negatives and use the question as an opportunity to talk about the company you’re interviewing with. Show your knowledge and understanding about the role, the company, its customers and the market. For example, “I’ve learnt a lot about XYZ at [current/former organisation] and I’d like to now extend that at a company like [new organisation]. I know [new organisation] is moving into new markets, and that really interests me since I have spent a lot of time building expertise in that area. I’d like to leverage that while increasing my understanding of …”

You could also use the question as an opportunity to demonstrate specific interest in this role by saying something like: “I’ve enjoyed working on some really interesting projects with a great team in my current role, but this new opportunity aligns perfectly with the direction I’d like to take my career in.”

Remember: answer the “Why are you leaving your current job?” question in a positive way. Be honest but look to the future. Work out a response that includes something about the role you’re going for, the market it’s in, and/or possibly the company direction. Use it as an opportunity to talk about your previous accomplishments and how you hope to build on them in the future.

Do you struggle with answering questions like this during interviews? If you’d like some help preparing for a job interview, so you can build your confidence and increase your success rate, take a look at our Interview Training and Coaching Services.