Why are you leaving your Job

oulu

What is the best answer to give when asked by possiable future employer's or agencies to why you want to leave your current job, thanks

DublinWriter

oulu wrote:

What is the best answer to give when asked by possiable future employer's or agencies to why you want to leave your current job, thanks

Couple of stock answers to this, but the golden rule is never mention money.

1. I feel I am limited in my current position and am feeling stifled in my ability to grow my skills.

2. I feel like I have reached the limit the growth/promotional opportunities within my present position.

3. My present company make the third-reich look like the OAP committee of my local musical society. They are a soul-crushing multinational entity who not only seek to convert me to the dark side, but wish to enslave the entire human race with their substandard products and/or services. The company logo incorporates a blood-red pentagle and at the very least I wish to find a job that doesn't want to make me have a shower and/or self-harm after I come home.

Our man in Havana

LOL @ number 3, it's so true but you could never say it in an interview.

sambora

I love Number 3 and Im so tempted to use it on Job Application forms!!

Huggles

The other golden rule here is not to bitch about your current employer, its a huge turn off for an interviewer to hear you rip your boss and colleagues apart.

daveg

Never ever bitch about a current employer. It'll turn prospective employers off. Here's all you need to say:

I am looking to move for a new challange/

Thats it. If they say how would you rate your current rmployer say they are an excellent employer and have afforded me great experience.

leeroybrown

I'm reminded of an interview described to me by someone where when asked why they wanted to change jobs the candidate replied that they didn't like their co-workers and didn't get along well with them. Needless to say they didn't get the job...

It's always comes across better to be leaving for good/positive reasons. Ultimately most of these questions wouldn't make a difference if the candidates all had good interview technique but many people seem to trip over them.

DublinWriter

daveg wrote:

Never ever bitch about a current employer. It'll turn prospective employers off.

Excellent advice - avoid negativity in general.

But it always makes me laugh when a HR bod has asked me in an interview "What are your worst faults?". Yeah, ohhh, let's see, I work too hard, I'm pretty spineless when looking for a pay rise and I never fart in public.

daveg

DublinWriter wrote:

"What are your worst faults?"

This can be asked in a few different ways. They may say what would your boss say your weakpoints are ect.

Always answer this question by turning a negative into a positive. For instance in my current role I was held back for some time as my qualifications were for a different technology. I've since gone back to college to further my qualifications in the feild I'm now working in (training). Therefore I always say my lack of qualifications in the training field was my weakest point. Not having the theory behind training inpacted on my role so I have since gone back to college to get my degree. Not only have you given them a weakpoint but youve turned it into a positive and shown that you are motivated.

BTW dont say "I found that public speaking was a weakpoint so I attended a toast masters course".

Red Alert

Why do employers bother with this cherade when we all just tell lies anyway?

leeroybrown

Red Alert wrote:

Why do employers bother with this cherade when we all just tell lies anyway?

Questions like this measure our ability to massage the truth in a convincing fashion. Not everyone can do this and quite a few people still manage to trip over these questions (see my anecdote above).

I also think it's important that the employer gives the candidate a chance to lie about something like this. If you give someone a job and later find that they misled you you might be in a stronger position than if you didn't give them a chance.

daveg

It gives them a chance to see how you perform under pressure.

Stephen

Is there anything wrong with being honest and telling them you're leaving your present job because they don't pay you enough?

DublinWriter

Stephen wrote:

Is there anything wrong with being honest and telling them you're leaving your present job because they don't pay you enough?

Depends on the job really.

Personally I wouldn't, as it makes you sound very mercenary.

Stephen

Well, say you dress it up with flowery language like their rate of pay is not competitive with others in the same market or something?

the_syco

Stephen wrote:

Well, say you dress it up with flowery language like their rate of pay is not competitive with others in the same market or something?

Mentioning pay is generally a bad idea, as it leads to questions about loyalty. Also, they don'twan to loose you in 3 months cos you found a better paying job.

Red Alert

what's so wrong with the "I'll work my ass off for you and I want money" mercenary attitude?

because frankly it's got to the stage where places like Tesco ask 16 year olds who want a part time job for a year this kind of stupid question.

AdNet

how about...
"because after my last pay cut you owe me, till now €7k"

anyway - 2nd option is best for me...

Eoin

daveg wrote: »

Never ever bitch about a current employer. It'll turn prospective employers off. Here's all you need to say:

I am looking to move for a new challange/

Thats it. If they say how would you rate your current rmployer say they are an excellent employer and have afforded me great experience.

Good advice, and of course talk about why you want the job you're applying for. Concentrate on what's attracting you to this role, not what's pushing you from the current one.

Irish_Elect_Eng

Red Alert wrote: »

Why do employers bother with this cherade when we all just tell lies anyway?

Person that is the best liar wins :-) Vital skill in sales and marketing :-)

Irish_Elect_Eng

oulu wrote: »

What is the best answer to give when asked by possiable future employer's or agencies to why you want to leave your current job, thanks

This is a great question to be asked...

Why? ...Because it give you the opportunity to flatter your interviewer and your prospective employer.

"My decision to change companies is not a story about where I am coming from, it is about where I want to be! I want to come and work for your company because......I've heard that ......wonderful opportunities....career progression....love your products...top employer..best place to work...my friends work her and love it.....etc.. but I am sure you know all theis after all you work here.

Don't bother mentioning your current job in your answer unless you have a very specific career related reason for making the transition.

Your interviewer wants to know that you WANT to work for them, not just that you have some personal or career reason and you are applying to every job-op on the internet. Remember that they chose to work there and by showing a desire to work there you are establishing a common bond with your interviewer and validating ther decision to work for the company.