As absurd as this article might sound, it will most likely be the most helpful information for you when interviewing for a new job.
When it comes to leaving your current job and going on to a new one, your current and future employers will most certainly want to know why you’re leaving or left your current or past job. 10 reasons for leaving a job
The current employer will be curious as to why you left your work, whereas the prospective employer will be curious about why you left your former job and may use that information to assess your suitability for the new position.
Typically, aspirants will be asked to explain their reasons for leaving their current position on job applications or during face-to-face interviews. 10 reasons for leaving a job
Before beginning their job search, job seekers should figure out how to convey their reasons for leaving their present or last position so that the reasons are consistent from those supplied to the current employer to those stated during job applications and interviews.
So, why do you want to leave your job?
This is a tough interview question and it can be difficult to figure out a response to this interview question. There is indeed a myriad of reasons why you might decide to quit your work. Even if your possible potential employer understands your wish to move on, they will want to know why you are leaving.
Remember that an interviewer might approach this question in a variety of ways, but your response should be consistent. Here are some examples of possible variations:
- What made you quit your last job?
- What made you start looking for a new job? 10 reasons for leaving a job
- You only worked for an x number of days/weeks/months for your last employer. Why?
- What made you secede from your previous employer?
The “why did you leave your last job” interview question a harder for:
- The Career Changer
- The Job Hopper
- The Long-term Unemployed
Whatever the case may be, there are optimal solutions for every type of job seeker.
Why Would Interviewers Want To Know That You’re Switching Jobs?
Prospective employers often inquire about the reason for the job change in order to understand the following details:
Did You Leave Your Previous Job on Your Own?
An interviewer wants to know whether you left the job of your own volition and personal reasons or because your boss asked you to.
If the resignation was forced, the interviewer would want to know if it was due to any disciplinary action, underperformance, or other conditions such as cost reduction, merger, company restructuring, or others.
Whether Or Not You Have A Good Rapport With Your Old Employer
Another reason to ask “why are you considering a job change?” is to see if you have strong working connections with your former company. 10 reasons for leaving a job
It may reflect favorably on your professionalism, attitude, and interpersonal skills if you maintained a positive relationship with your former employer and are on speaking terms with them.
On the other hand, including your company in your recommendations is almost certain to make a good impression on the interviewer.
Whether You Are Responsible Or Impulsive?
Employers may be hesitant to recruit you for a position that needs more responsibility and maturity if you unexpectedly left your previous work to pursue your passion.
If you resigned from your job because you outgrew it and were under-utilized, on the other hand, it shows that you want to take on more tasks and challenges. Interviewers may also attempt to determine if you were truly under-utilized. 10 reasons for leaving a job
To help you answer the question, “What made you leave your last job?” professionally, we have curated a list of 10 reasons for leaving a job.
10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
There are reasonable grounds for a person to leave their current job and seek employment with a different organization.
The candidate should make an effort to explain why they are seeking a new job.
Here are a few salient points for quitting your job:
Organizational Restructuring
The first of the 10 reasons for leaving a job would be organizational restructuring. During times of economic adversity, most firms will take steps to reduce their spending in order to weather the storm.
Some employees whose services may not be necessary during the recovery period may be laid off as part of the attempt to deal with the economic difficulties.
Cutting the number of employees affects the team’s overall morale and productivity because fewer individuals are required to fill the jobs of other employees who have been laid off, resulting in increased employee turnover. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
2. Better Opportunity
Another one of the 10 reasons for leaving a job is the advent of a new opportunity to work in a different work environment, earn more pay, or have a more demanding work process.
Any employee has the right to look for a new job that offers better terms than their current one.
Additionally, working for some of the industry’s major organizations provides employees with a more demanding environment, maybe a better work culture, and occasionally greater pay.
However, if the primary reason for changing employment is to raise the salary, some employers may regard the employee as being too focused on money.
The rationale should be combined with another factor, such as professional advancement- or some may call it career growth, to find a new challenge, a new work environment, or change in career paths.
3. Career Change
The third on the list of 10 reasons for leaving a job is a change in career. Employees frequently switch professions and careers throughout their lives as they look for opportunities to expand and develop their talents. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
The career switch could be from one industry to a different industry, or it could be related to the courses they took in college.
When an individual is leaving a job to return to school for higher training in a different sector, they may also mention a career change as a reason for leaving.
This was traditionally frowned upon in past generations. Today, however, hiring managers may place a high value on individuals who have proved their ability to perform in a variety of professions while also learning new abilities. An employer will most likely consider the career change as a positive decision that will allow the employee to further enhance his or her skill set.
Changing careers is an excellent method to broaden your skillset. It’s a compelling argument to part ways amicably with your current employer.
4. Career Growth
Depending on the organizational structure of the company, certain jobs offer greater prospects for advancement than others.
This implies that an employee may remain in the same position for an extended period of time, and the job process may become monotonous. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
If it is difficult to transfer departments in the same company, an employee may develop a strong desire to shift to a new business with increased prospects for a more senior position or as we call it- a promotion and different job responsibilities.
5. Health Issues
This is another one of the 10 reasons for leaving a job. Employees may also leave their jobs for health reasons, such as the necessity for a flexible schedule to attend doctor’s appointments. This justification could also apply if an employee needs to care for a sick family member and is compelled to leave work to do so. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
When their due date approaches, expectant mothers may decide to leave their jobs and devote their time to full-time parenting until their children are able to care for themselves.
It means they will be gone for a longer period of time, and the employer will need to find a replacement sooner rather than later to ensure that the assets are not disrupted.
If the employee wants to return to work, he or she must first apply for a job.
6. Freelancer Looking For Full-Time Job Opportunities
It’s a little different being a freelancer. You’re usually hired for a certain project and then free to accept other employment once that project is over.
In this scenario, a simple “Completion of Freelance Assignment” on a job application is totally fine.
If you’re asked this question at an interview, you can elaborate on that simple response. For example:
“As a freelancer, my contract lasts only as long as it takes me to complete the task at hand. I’m currently seeking to work with a company that will allow me to put my professional experience and skillsets to good use in a long-term, mutually advantageous professional partnership.”
7. You’ve Been Fired
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. Yes, you’ve been fired. You’re not alone, believe me.
Some of the world’s best and most powerful people have been fired. “You’re nobody unless you’ve been fired at least once,” as they say in Hollywood. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
Unfortunately, some employers perceive getting fired as a red flag, regardless of the “valid” reasons, thus stating “I was fired” in an interview or on an application is not a good idea.
REMEMBER NOT TO LIE! However, there are ways to respond to this question without either tanking or slamming your former employer.
DO NOT BAD-MOUTH YOUR FORMER EMPLOYER IN ANY WAY.
I’ll repeat it once more… DO NOT BADMOUTH YOUR FORMER EMPLOYER.
Doesn’t matter if you were kept in the most deplorable conditions possible, where you were underpaid, forced to suffer humiliating scenarios, and had a clown come into your room every three hours and kick you in the gut…
DO NOT TALK BADLY ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS EMPLOYER.
The world is a very tiny place. You never know who knows who. Furthermore, any prospective employer will be curious as to what you will say about them in the future or the next time you apply for a job.
If you were dismissed for poor performance, make sure to include any extenuating factors, but don’t blame everyone else.
Take responsibility for your mistakes, but make sure to transform them into assets by demonstrating how much you’ve progressed since then. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
Maintain a neutral tone in your responses, free of any hostility or defensiveness. An example would be:
“Despite the fact that I was employed, it became evident as time went on that what was expected of me and what I was hired to perform were two completely different things. I was let go when it became evident that they wanted someone with greater experience. Although I was devastated at the time, I now see this as an opportunity to take my career in a new direction and thus further my education.”
Last but not least, a word regarding your job interview. As previously stated, you must ensure that you understand how to properly structure a job interview question
8. Corporate Culture
Next in the series of 10 reasons for leaving a job comes corporate culture. Beyond director managerial aspects, the overall company culture has a significant impact on its retention strategy.
Employees value a workplace where management is friendly, communication is open, the direction is clear, and executives are regarded and approachable. So, if your workplace does not satisfy these factors, corporate culture makes a good reason for quitting your job.
9. Unmatched Work Hours
Another reason in the list of 10 reasons for leaving a job would be unparalleled work hours. There are a lot of reasons why you may no longer be satisfied with your present working hours. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
Perhaps you were compelled to work weekends when you didn’t want to, and you can’t give up every weekend to the workplace.
Maybe your requirements have altered since you started the work.
In either case, if you can’t work out a schedule with your current employer, it might be time to look for another job.
10. You Are Relocating
The fact that you’ve moved to a new city is one of the most well-founded in the list of 10 reasons for leaving a job.
When you apply for the job, attempt to explain how moving to this place can help you achieve your career goals and ambitions.
These were some reasons for the job hoppers and the career changers. But what about those of you who have been unemployed, especially for over 6 months?
Unemployment Benefits
You’re in trouble if you’ve been unemployed for six to nine months. And the longer you’ve been unemployed, the less appealing you are to hiring managers.
But the good news is that you’ll be attending the interview! That indicates you’ve already conquered half of the war.
You must now persuade the interviewer that you are not a high-risk applicant. That your unemployment has nothing to do with your ability to work.
Here’s what you’ll have to do to explain why you left your last job so long ago:
- Avoid lying about yourself and making yourself a victim.
- Concentrate on the things you accomplished while unemployed.
- Then turn the topic back to why you’re the best candidate for the position.
You may always use the excuse of a “poor economy.”
What are the benefits of your long work gap, you ask? You get to learn and explore a thousand little things to help you in the workspace in the future!
For instance, learning a language during your gap will be of tremendous use if you’re looking forward to good pay as a call center worker.
Here is an example of the best way to reason your unemployment period:
“My departure from my work seven years ago, when the company downsized. I took advantage of the opportunity to start a family, and I’ve been raising my daughter for the past five years. I also maintained a small online shop during that time where I sold furniture that I refurbished in my spare time. On Etsy and eBay, I also sell furniture. I’ve learned a lot from this experience! I now have the necessary skills to work on furniture. In addition, I am well-versed in online marketing, sales, and customer support. I also maintain a blog for my website, which receives about 1,000 unique visitors every day.”
The candidate mentions downsizing in response to the job interview question “why did you quit your last job.” You must answer short. Likewise, he does not get into the finer points of the situation. Instead, he shifts his focus to his activities as a stay-at-home parent.
He then goes on to discuss how he has managed to stay productive. You are not required to run an online business. You may always discuss the skills you acquired while raising a child.
Finally, he gives a brief description of his new skill set before quoting a figure. Numbers are an excellent tool to demonstrate your accomplishments.
A bad way to do the same would be:
“My last job was terminated when the company went bankrupt. For the past two years, I’ve been unemployed. Regrettably, no one appears to be hiring. Except for spending time with my kids and playing Flowerville on Facebook, I haven’t done much in the interval. However, I believe I deserved the holiday. I’d worked for much of my life and this was the first time I’d ever taken a proper vacation.”
It’s preferable not to inform the interviewer that you haven’t done anything in the last two years. Even if it is truthful. You did not eat Cheetos while watching Judge Judy until your fingertips went orange. No, you were a contributing member of society.
Tips And Mistakes To Avoid During Your Job Interview
After studying the top 10 reasons for leaving a job, the following are some ways you can and must not answer the question (which are also suited to different scenarios)
Case 1: Your Boss Had Unrealistic Job Expectations
What not to say: “My boss expects me to perform an exorbitant amount of work.”
The right way: “I have the notion that my manager does not value my work or recognize the scope of my responsibilities.”
Case 2: You Hated Your Employer
What not to say: “I’m quitting because my boss is a jerk.”
The right way: “My present management and I have opposing viewpoints on how to best achieve our objectives, and this is making it tough for me to succeed.”
Case 3: You Were Not Promoted
What not to say: “I quit because they didn’t grant me a promotion.”
The right way: “I missed out on a promotion chance, and a big part of why I wanted that position was because I’m searching for a new challenge. As a result, I resolved to look for a career that would provide me with that challenge.”
There are many good reasons to leave your current work, and we’ve covered only 10 reasons for leaving a job which is more prevalent, in this article.
To summarize, you can prepare for this question by doing the following:
- Having a response prepared
- Telling the truth in a concise manner
- Putting a positive spin on your response and connecting it to your overall career objectives
When Not To Quit Your Current Job
It is totally acceptable to quit your current job. But make sure you are totally sure of it and are not doing so at the wrong time.
Below are some points to consider before quitting a job. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
You should never dismiss when…
Out of dispute
You despise your boss and were particularly enraged today. Never leave a job in a rage. Don’t do anything that may cause your existing employer or coworkers to lose faith in you.
Know that they will be your references for future jobs, and that mature and professional exits will be appreciated, respected, and remembered. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
Without Money
Ask yourself, “Can I afford it?” before quitting. Examine your financial situation and assess your wealth in terms of the number of days you can go without receiving a fresh source of income. 10 Reasons For Leaving A Job
Remind yourself why you need the money, be grateful for what you have, and keep your head up while you build financial leverage.
Now go get your dream job that is a good fit for you!
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