What Are Your Reasons For Leaving?

It’s a question that always comes up and it always surprises me how badly prepared most candidates are for it. You are always going to be asked why you are leaving your current job (or your last one if you are unemployed). When it’s a straight forward reason, retrenchment or the company relocating for example, the issue is quickly dealt with and the interviewer moves on satisfied. However, in many cases the candidate gives a vague answer and when they do it sets off alarms bells for the person on the other side of the table.I’m finding at the moment that lots of people are moving for ‘growth’. In practically every case I find that I need to delve deeper into what this means and in most cases I find that the candidate just hasn’t thought through their answer. What do they mean by growth? What exactly are they looking for? Have they discussed this with their manager? What many of the candidates don’t seem to realise is that this is a big issue to most employers. They hate recruiting; it’s expensive and time consuming and disruptive. They are looking for someone who is going to be stable and, most importantly, there for a while. If they think that you are a bit flaky and might decide you aren’t getting enough ‘growth’ and leave, they won’t take the risk. So think through your reasons for leaving your job and don’t be vague. Analyse the reasons why you are unhappy and present them in a business like way that sounds credible and professional. Don’t say that you are looking for growth when in fact you are moving because you hate your boss, or you need more money or the job just bores you stupid. Be specific and present well thought out reasons for the fact that you are looking around. Make sure that you have explored all the possibilities at your current employer and that leaving is a last resort. If the interviewer suspects you are hiding something or just haven’t really thought through why you are moving it will put a huge doubt in their mind as to your employability.