How do you answer the “Why did you leave your previous job” question in an interview?
WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR PREVIOUS JOB? This is how you can ace answering this very common job interview and some effective tips.
One of the most common interview questions you’ll face is: Why Did You Leave Your Previous Job?
The reasons are varied and to some, they left under odd circumstances and won’t want to share the whole truth. It could also be you don’t know what to say or has a solid reason but you just want to make sure you in order for you to get the position.
Why does an interviewer ask this?
Your answer to this will help them determine if you are a good fit for their open role. They are trying to know what you are looking for in the next opportunity. In an answer, they seek these three things:
- They want to understand your reason and if this could apply in their organization.
- They want to know if you were fired or not.
- They want to determine what can keep you interested in the role.
In answering this, among the most important things to do is to be clear and concise, never bad mouth or talk bad about your previous company, and finally, be honest without being too detailed. Be short in your answer and be positive.
Some of the best and common answers are:
- “My values no longer align with the company’s mission.”
- “I’d like additional compensation.”
- “The company I worked for went out of business.”
- “I feel undervalued in my current role.”
- “I’m looking for a new challenge.”
- “I want a job with better career growth opportunities.”
- “I had to leave due to family or personal reasons.”
- “I don’t like the hours at my current job.”
- “I decided to relocate to a new city.”
- “I want to change career paths.”
- “I decided to go back to school.”
- “I personality didn’t align with the company culture.”
- “I want to pursue a better opportunity.”
- “I had to leave for health reasons that have since been resolved.”
- “I was laid off/let go.”
- “I wanted to work in a different industry.”
Here are some sample answers from FlexJobs:
for career growth and advancement
“I was eager to advance in my career and independently lead more projects. But with such a small and tight-knit team, the management style wasn’t necessarily set up to support that level of ownership from employees.”
for change of careers
“I realized that my true passion is working as a writer. I’ve always loved the written word but decided to take my career in a different direction after college. Now, I’m ready to pursue a writing career, and I’m particularly excited by the possibility of working with [Company X].”
for those who were fired
“Unfortunately, I was let go from my previous position. I think, ultimately, the job wasn’t a good fit, and I wasn’t able to learn the right skills to do the job to the best of my ability. My boss and I agreed that it was time to move on. I’m looking forward to using my best skills in my next role.”
for those who were laid off
“In my last role, the company suffered some financial hardships and had to eliminate my job, along with many others. I’m grateful for my time in that role, as it gave me the opportunity to increase my knowledge while forging some lifelong bonds with my colleagues.”
If you want some more, here are some dos and don’ts in an interview you must remember to help you get that job.
What can you say about this? Let us know in the comments!