How To Answer Interview Questions About Why You’re Leaving Your Current Job

Searching for a new job while you still have one puts you at an advantage—but interviewers will want to know why you’re looking for something new. Ideally, you’re leaving your current job only because you found out about this one that you’re interviewing for, that will provide you with career advancement or other opportunities. You hate to leave where you are now because it’s fantastic and you love working there, but you can’t pass up this chance. Related: Answering Behavioral Interview Questions Regarding High-Stress Situations If you are interviewing for a position that is essentially a lateral move, this can be a touchier answer. In many cases, people don’t leave their jobs for positive reasons—something has happened to drive them away. If this is what’s happening for you, be very careful with how you phrase your answer. You never want to say anything negative in a job interview, because what will come across to your interviewer is that YOU are negative, rather than your situation. Any reason you give is best if it’s more neutral than negative. It should be a factor in your old job that won’t be a part of this new one—but also something that you aren’t angry about. Your attitude should be more like, “It is what it is,” and you aren’t taking it personally. For instance: