"Reason for leaving" on application form?

Supercell

I'm filling out an application form at the moment and am struggling how to politely put why I quit a mind numbing job for a more interesting one.

Was thinking of putting - Better pay, more mentally stimulating.

Does that sound bad?

I really am afraid of dissing a previous employer as that's a pretty big no no.

Karoma

more mentally stimulating.

"I'm looking for something a bit more challenging...<insert optional specifics re: how this role meets the criteria>"

Better pay

"...and rewarding."

kerry4sam

Supercell wrote: »

... why I quit a mind numbing job for a more interesting one.
Was thinking of putting - Better pay, more mentally stimulating.
Does that sound bad?
I really am afraid of dissing a previous employer as that's a pretty big no no.

You could say that you want to try something new; to add to your skills-base and experience something new in a different environment.

Yeah definitely don't say anything bad about previous employer but outline some of the skills you learned there and wanted to expand on elsewhere

snellers

a safe one could be' career progression' . Even if it isn;t necessarily a big leap forward if asked you could say that the employer didn;t have many opportunities within the workplace to go any further and you felt a new challenge was needed (so went to the other as offered better opportunities)

Supercell

Thanks guys, have it worded more nicely now.

Snellers, nice sig

ven0m

I don't understand the absolute shyness or guilt people have with saying they left for more money.

IT IS BUSINESS. THE POINT OF BUSINESS IS MAKING MONEY. YOU WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO MAKE THEM MONEY SO YOU CAN MAKE MONEY.

The whole being made to feel guilty about more money thing is sickening considering in alot of cases, if you screw up it gets put back on you how you cost the company money.

Employment is a financial transaction. Companies have no guilt about the money they make, so neither should you.

I always get asked why I left my answer is "I'm in business to make money like you, & I wanted more money - they couldn't give it to me."

ixus

Supercell wrote: »

more mentally stimulating.

Does that sound bad?

What other kind of stimulation could you refer to in a job?:p

Career progression/ more challenging/stimulating or a change in role is the default setting on these type questions.

Just be prepared to answer questions on what you put down.

Pigletlover

ven0m wrote: »

I don't understand the absolute shyness or guilt people have with saying they left for more money.

IT IS BUSINESS. THE POINT OF BUSINESS IS MAKING MONEY. YOU WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO MAKE THEM MONEY SO YOU CAN MAKE MONEY.

Personally, I don't think it looks good to say you are leaving a job simply because of money. You don't want a potential employer to think you will up and leave if you get an offer of a few extra quid.

BurnsCarpenter

ven0m wrote: »

I always get asked why I left my answer is "I'm in business to make money like you, & I wanted more money - they couldn't give it to me."

Sounds a bit mercenary to me. And a little offensive to the interviewer.

ven0m

BurnsCarpenter wrote: »

Sounds a bit mercenary to me. And a little offensive to the interviewer.

What exactly do you think a job is then? Something to pass the time? You're hired by someone to make them money. A spade is a spade, & no matter how funky a color you paint it, it's still a spade. I've never had this problem & any interview I've done where I've been like this, I've gotten the job I wanted.

Pigletlover wrote: »

Personally, I don't think it looks good to say you are leaving a job simply because of money. You don't want a potential employer to think you will up and leave if you get an offer of a few extra quid.

Company owners if someone turns around & goes "I'll give you a shedload of cash for your company", you don't see them going "eh, no cos it'll look bad" ..... c'mon ..... it's economics, or does that not apply??


I see too many people with jobs who act like they're indentured servants, miserable & never grasping why they can't move up the chain when they could instead understand they're employees being PAID to do a job that makes someone else up the ladder alot of money which in turn makes the the company owner(s) money ........

'offensive' .... pphhfffff ......... you wouldn't be saying that if you were being paid a bucketload of cash because you were making a company a bucketload of cash .....

Serafijn

That's fine for sales or a similar commission-based role. The more money-motivated you are, the more money you'll make for the company.

For other roles though it's very different. As a previous poster said, you don't want them to think you'll be off at the first waft of a higher salary, but then again, if you are and that's your pure motivator, then it probably isn't the right job for you anyway.

I personally would never recommend anyone to say they left a job due to the money. Of course money is a factor, it's always a factor and because of that it goes without saying. There's always other factors which affect your reasons for leaving/staying in a job that pays poorly. Eg good/bad manager, convenient location, enjoy dealing with the public, hate all the admin etc. These are the factors to focus on.

I would rather be in a job paying 30% less and be 100% happier. But that's just me

As a word of advice to the OP, something along the lines of 'Seeking a more rewarding/challenging opportunity'. It doesn't have to be extensive so keep it vague!

ven0m

Serafijn wrote: »

There's always other factors which affect your reasons for leaving/staying in a job that pays poorly. Eg good/bad manager, convenient location, enjoy dealing with the public, hate all the admin etc. These are the factors to focus on.

Hating admin could be construed as lazy ....

Bad manager - bad mouthing your current/previous employer ...... ungreatfulness

the list is endless. Most people move for money, if you move for money say it - because regardless of what you or anyone else says, you work so you can get paid - not to kill time in your day ......

BurnsCarpenter

ven0m wrote: »

'offensive' .... pphhfffff ......... you wouldn't be saying that if you were being paid a bucketload of cash because you were making a company a bucketload of cash .....

It's presumptuous to tell an interviewer that their primary motivation is making as much money as possible.
Might be the case for most people but it's still not appropriate for an interview.

ven0m

BurnsCarpenter wrote: »

It's presumptuous to tell an interviewer that their primary motivation is making as much money as possible.
Might be the case for most people but it's still not appropriate for an interview.

So are they killing time in their day too???

BurnsCarpenter

ven0m wrote: »

So are they killing time in their day too???

Um......yes?

ven0m

BurnsCarpenter wrote: »

Um......yes?

Only a handful of people on this planet work to kill time ..... Steve Jobs, Richard Branson (although - I don't think he ever worked, always about play with him LOL), Bill Gates ....... nuff said .....


The point I was getting at is that no-one goes into business to kill time in their day (unless your abso-freaking-lutely stinking rich & wierd!!!!) - they go into business to make more money because working for someone else won't realise an idea and or make them enough money.

Business is entirely about money. Dancing around that premise sugar coating it is needless, especially when the truth sticks out like a sore thumb.

Help make your company rich by meeting your targets - you're a rock star

Cost them a ton of money - you're a problem

either way - comes down to money, but I think it highlights my point well enough. A little less corporate b.s. & more reality achieves more, & gives more clarity between all parties.

I mean - a career path is nothing more than a way to get paid doing something you like ...... would people be so keen on said path without the money??? I think not ;-)

snellers

do you not think there is a danger of them thinking the person will leave again if a better paid opportunity comes up?

as someone who has interviewed and employed many people over the years I wouldn't discount someone who said 'money' but at the same time my attitude to them would probably be wary and I might look for negatives during the interview process I might not have done otherwise. (for the simple reason that I would believe that they would have little or no loyalty to my company)

yes we are all here to make money but at the same time there are soooo many other ways you could avoid having to state it I don;t see why someone would. - I can;t think of any situation where an interviewer would think positively of that answer.

Recruitment costs time and money (in some cases a lot of money, in particular if using a recruitment agency) - an employer wants to think that someone joining will want to stay - purely money centric individuals looking for work don't promote that (IMO)

ven0m

snellers wrote: »

do you not think there is a danger of them thinking the person will leave again if a better paid opportunity comes up?

as someone who has interviewed and employed many people over the years I wouldn't discount someone who said 'money' but at the same time my attitude to them would probably be wary and I might look for negatives during the interview process I might not have done otherwise. (for the simple reason that I would believe that they would have little or no loyalty to my company)

yes we are all here to make money but at the same time there are soooo many other ways you could avoid having to state it I don;t see why someone would. - I can;t think of any situation where an interviewer would think positively of that answer.

Recruitment costs time and money (in some cases a lot of money, in particular if using a recruitment agency) - an employer wants to think that someone joining will want to stay - purely money centric individuals looking for work don't promote that (IMO)

It's a given that anyone can/could leave at any time for more money rather than asking their boss for more money. It is also reflected in where Ireland ranks in terms of employer expenditure per employee on training. It would appear Irish employers suffer from the 'why should I spend money training someone who could go work for the competition'?


Everyone is money centric .... so don't give me that old chestnut. If I told you tomorrow you were being paid 10k less a year, try telling me you'd accept that ........

business is about money, otherwise we'd be all star trekking it right now in an ideal world where we pursue personal betterment, without money or commerce & bartered.

Also - you seem to forget we live in a time where people are less likely to stay in companies for the same lengths of time we as a society would have 20 years ago. The average time spent working for a company now is a heck of alot less than it used to be, especially amongst young people whose very lives are pretty much tied to how much money thy can get with out of control costs of living & house prices.

People in general to refrain from confrontation in this country & would sooner change jobs for more money than ask their current employers for more money - try telling me that's not true .......

on the point f how it could be viewed positively?

easy.

"this person wants to make their bonuses, & targets etc & will wrk hard to get ahead with financial incentives already there. If they meet their targets, I'll meet my own & asa company f everyone does, we all do better."

I've managed several teams in several large global & multinational companies, & had ridiculously low attrition rates on my teams compared to collegues & everyone on my teams nearly always made bonus' & I made their working environment way more relaxed & stress free than my 'alleged more learned collegues' where my people got paid, had a relatively stress free time in work & I had static team members who usually ended up progressing quickly in the companies.

I've never failed in this area, & people couldn't have made the performance bonus's I helped them earn in competitors because of silly people who lack a basic understanding of people mangement vs service deivery & target delivery.