How to answer the Job Interview Question: Why are you leaving your current Job?

Sample job interview questions and answers: why are you leaving your current job?

Another very oft asked question during job interviews is “why are you leaving your present job?” a question which has grave consequences if not properly answered.

This question is so important because it tells the prospective employer whether or not you are loyal and have unnecessary expectations from your employers.

For instance if you asked this question and you reply “I am always being bullied and intimidated by my employers and colleagues at work” This kind of answer spoils everything for you because it indicates that you are not easily satisfied even when you have  everything. It could also tell your interviewer that you are a difficult person to relate with. What then should be the right answer?

First consider your interviewer as your present employer, if he had a staff who wanted to leave under what conditions would he be pleased to let him off? Obvious answers could be the need to advance his career, family pressures, emotional challenges/illness or study leave. This means that you answers should also reflect acceptable reasons to want to leave.

For instance, you could answer that your present job does not offer much upward mobility in your career and is not challenging to you. Also that you wish to have more responsibilities such as; management and leadership roles, rather than mere technical duties added to your workload.

Another good answer is that your present job although very good is not what you desire in a professional career. Don’t hesitate to sight examples such as not being allowed to pursue professional training that would improve your skill set.

Wrong answers to this Job interview question

Salary and remuneration should not be reasons why you are leaving your employer. That could mean you are money conscious, greedy and ungrateful.

Of course bad mouthing your present employer is a mistake and a costly one at that if your interviewer happens to know your boss. Bad mouthing your employer could easily make you a traitor and a foul mouthed, hateful ingrate nobody wants to hang out with. If your boss gets wind of how badly you spoke of him, you have no right to feel bad if you are fired.