Michael Page Logo

Main menu

  • Home
  • NEW - Timesheet
  • Jobs+

    Searching for a job?

    • Job search
    • Submit your CV
    • Salary comparison tool
    • Income tax calculator
    • Featured employers

    Job search advice

    • Job search advice
    • Cover letter and CV advice
    • Growing your career
    • Job interview tips
    • Making your next career move
    • Global opportunities

    Search for jobs

  • Career advice+

    Career advice

    • Being happy at work
    • Career Chats - Podcast
    • Cover letter and CV advice
    • Graduate advice
    • Growing your career
    • Inclusivity Mapper
    • Job interview tips
    • Job search advice
    • Making your next career move
    • Tips for temps

    Salary centre

    • Salary centre
    • Salary advice
    • Salary tools

    Skills centre

    • Skills centre
    • Top 21 skills eBook
    • Top 100 skills tool
    • Skills Checker

    Popular articles

    • Popular articles
    • How to change careers during a pandemic
    • How to answer competency based interview questions
    • Optimising your CV for 2021
    • Top tips for working from home with others
    • Why are transferable skills so important?
  • Recruiting+

    Looking to hire?

    • Recruitment services
    • Request a call back
    • Reasons to partner with us
    • Advertising for candidate attraction
    • Salary benchmarking tool
    • Submit a job spec
    • Client testimonials

    Outsourcing/project recruitment

    • Outsourcing/project recruitment
    • Managed service provisions
    • Project solutions
    • Advisory
    • Outplacement/career transition
    • Future-proofing your talent pool in an uncertain market

    Insights

    • Webinars & events
    • Market analysis
    • Salary Guides
    • Webinars & events

    Management advice

    • Management advice
    • Attraction and recruitment
    • Development and retention
    • Diversity and Inclusion Centre
    • GDPR
    • IR35
    • Run your recruitment processes remotely
    • Upskilling, reskilling, and talent onboarding Ebook

    Recruitment expertise

    • Recruitment expertise
    • Discipline expertise
    • Industry expertise

    Request a call back

  • Work for us+

    Work for us

    • Work for us
    • Why choose us?
    • Your role here
    • Use your skills
    • Apply now
  • About+

    About us

    • About Michael Page
    • Client testimonials
    • Diversity and inclusion
    • News & research
    • Reviews
    • Recruitment services
  • Contact+

    Contact us

    • contact us
    • Find your local office
    • Request a call back
    • Submit a job spec
    • Submit CV
    • Timesheet portal
    • Feedback
  • Job match
Register / Sign in
Saved jobs (0)
Saved jobs (0)
Register / Sign in
Login or Sign up
Search for a job

You are here

Home>Advice>Career advice>Making your next career move>Explaining the reason for leaving your current job

Explaining the reason for leaving your current job

Explaining the reason for leaving your current job

Here’s the question, “Why do you want to leave your current job?" It's one of the most common interview questions, yet it often leaves candidates stumped. While it may seem like an opportunity to be dismissive against your current employer, this is highly unlikely to paint you in a good light. Planning a persuasive, positive response can go a long way to highlighting your suitability for the new role.

What does the interviewer want to find out?

As with many interview questions, it can be helpful to consider what the interviewer really wants to learn when asking why you want to leave your current job. To put it another way, they could be asking: "Why are you looking for a new role?" In this context, it has much more to do with the positives afforded by a new job, rather than any negativity you may feel about your current position.

Why it's important to avoid negativity

Just because your interviewer wants to get to know you, that doesn't mean they're your friend. Remember that you're not venting in the pub after a hard day in the office, you're trying to impress a hiring manager. Launching into a tirade about grievances with your boss or employer – broken promises, sleights on your ability, lack of respect – will only paint you as someone who likes to complain. Who's to say you won't be the same at another company?

Examples of positive reasons for leaving a job

Fortunately, there are plenty of reasons for leaving a job that can be explained in a manner that paints you in a positive light. Consider the following:

  • I want to learn more
  • I feel like I'm ready to take on more responsibility
  • I believe I've progressed as far as I can in my current role
  • I need a change of environment to motivate me
  • I want to develop a new skill that isn't required in my current job
  • I don't feel like my current role is challenging me anymore


It's sensible to prepare a couple of answers to this question because people often leave jobs through a combination of factors. Your interviewer may ask for additional reasons.

How to structure your answer

Answering this question gives you the opportunity to show off how much you know about your potential new employer and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position. Give your reason for leaving, then explain how this makes the new job particularly appealing. 

For example:

"My biggest reason for leaving is that I'm ready to take on more responsibility. I want to manage a team, but there are no leadership positions available at my current employer. I enjoy delivering training sessions and upskilling junior employees. It's something I do a lot in my current role, and I've received lots of positive feedback, but I could do this even more effectively if I had my own team. I know you're looking for someone to lead a small team of graduates and I'm really excited about the prospect of helping them to develop."

If you’re searching for more advice to ace your next interview? Check out our Job Interview Tips content hub. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to one of our specialist recruitment consultants please get in touch today.

Previous article
Resignation letter templates
Resignation letter templates
Read article
Next article
Soft Skills: what are they and why do they matter?
Soft Skills: what are they and why do they matter?
Read article

Sign up to receive job alerts

We will let you know when any new !keyword jobs are available. | We will let you know when any new !keyword jobs in !location are available.| Create an account to enable features like one click apply, and set up more than 5 job alerts

Topics

  • Career advice
  • Management advice
  • Salary centre
  • Insights

Tags

Changing jobs

 

 

 

Download our 100 in-demand skills for 2020

 

100 in demand skills

 

Simplify your job search by downloading our new App

 

Download Our App Download Our App

 

Tweets from @michaelpag

Michael Page Logo
Candidate Relevancy gauge

Job Match

Try our smart new tool to find your perfect job

Upload your CV Upload your CV
  • Follow us on FacebookFollow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on LinkedInFollow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on TwitterFollow us on Twitter
  • Watch us on YouTubeWatch us on YouTube

General

  • Site map
  • Site terms
  • Work for us
  • Feedback
  • Accessibility
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Employee rights
  • Cookies
  • Modern Slavery Statement
  • Privacy policy
  • Complaints policy
  • Country/Region

About Michael Page

  • Investors site
  • PageGroup corporate site
  • Page Executive
  • Page Personnel
  • Page Talent
  • Page Outsourcing

Search for jobs

  • Accounting
  • Audit & Advisory
  • Banking & Financial Services
  • Compliance
  • Construction
  • Consultancy, Strategy & Change
  • Digital
  • Engineering & Manufacturing
  • Executive Search
  • Facilities Management
  • Fashion
  • Health, Safety & Environment
  • Healthcare
  • Hospitality & Leisure
  • Human Resources
  • Insurance
  • Legal
  • Life Sciences
  • Logistics
  • Marketing & Agency
  • Not for Profit
  • Policy
  • Procurement & Supply Chain
  • Property
  • Public Sector
  • Retail
  • Sales
  • Tax
  • Technology
  • Treasury

Mobile applications

Download Our App Download Our App

Employers

  • Request a call back
  • Submit a job spec
  • Our offices

Awards

Reviews

Feefo logo

 

Accreditation

Michael Page is part of the PageGroup. Michael Page is a trading name of Michael Page International Recruitment Limited. Registered in England No. 04130921 Registered Office:
Page House, 1 Dashwood Lang Road, Addlestone, Weybridge, Surrey, KT15 2QW