Interview question

SPM1959

Advice needed.

Currently working but not enjoying the job. Have another interview lined up and know I will be asked the standard question - why do you want to leave your current role?

Don't want to be negative, which would be my honest answer. How best should I answer this question? Any tips appreciated.

Michael D Not Higgins

Are you changing industry or field of work? What is it about the new job that'll be better than your current one? Focus on the positive differences in your answers.

SPM1959

It's a change of industry but a very similar role. I'm only in my current role a few short months too.

jive

I currently enjoy my role at present. In particular, I enjoy <insert items related to the role that you are going for e.g. working in a team>. I take satisfaction in the fact that the decisions I make are vital to the running and success of the business. While I take great satisfaction from my job at present, I have always wanted to work in <new industry> as it is an area that interests me, it is a field in which I am knowledgeable and it presents a variety of new challenges which I know that I will enjoy and be successful in overcoming. <elaborate on potential new challenges, address ways in which you can overcome them / present some information which shows you are very knowledgeable about the area in which you are moving your career and why it appeals to you>.

The key is to relate what you currently enjoy to your new role. Identify why you think you are better suited to the new role and why you want to move into a new industry.

cml387

And if you can't learn all that off, just say that the job you're applying for really interests you and that it's something you really wanted to do.

jive

cml387 wrote: »

And if you can't learn all that off, just say that the job you're applying for really interests you and that it's something you really wanted to do.

I know you didn't mean that literally but just a point on this - don't actually learn anything off other than maybe your 'about yourself' to open the interview and settle your nerves. Learning things off makes people sound robotic and it can be difficult to build up a rapport with the interviewer if you just continually spiel off ready made answers

my teapot is orange

Firstly, I think they are more likely to frame it as a positive question. "Why do you want to come work for us?" rather than "why do you want to leave your current employer?". The latter question, implying that if you're leaving it must be because you are unhappy with them, is a bit rude in my opinion but I wouldn't rule it out either.

If they do frame it negatively, just say you really enjoy the role but you want you want to do it in another industry. You are grateful to have had the opportunities you did to discover how much you liked it and to build the relevant skills there and you want to go to the new industry and the new company for X, Y, Z reasons.

Remember to present it like your change of job is based on pull rather than push factors. You are quite happy and this is all positive stuff.

SPM1959

Turned out to be a nightmare question for me.

The interviewer just couldn't understand why I wanted to leave after a few months and kept probing. Tried my best not to but after a few minutes of probing I probably started to sound negative.

More practice needed for that question the next time I'm interviewed.