Why do you want to leave your Job?

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:46 pm

I'm usually beaten up by this question - what kind of answers other give? Please tell me any whacky caption or a rather serious answer/s which I can use always...

I did not like the answers on Google much.

Ronald Burr · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 8:27 pm

I never wanted to leave my job.

My JOB, however, was unfaithful to ME.

And that left me no choice but to try as best as I can to move on with my life.

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:27 pm

Thanks Ronald, appreciate your reply.

However, what if the next question from interviewer is - To make the things work for you is your duty. If it was not faithful to you - why did you not make it faithful? What if the same thing happens with this job we are offering to you?

superk · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:42 pm

I usually tell them that the current job is not challenging enough, or doesn't offer enough work, or that the current employer doesn't like to promote from within, or offer opportunities for career advancement.

Ronald Burr · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 9:51 pm

Ah - I thought that you were taking about an EXIT interview ( e.g. why do you want to leave THIS job ), not an interview for a new job ( e.g. why do you want to leave THAT job ).

In response to "To make things work is your duty" and "Why did you not make it faithful", my response would be:

I tried valiantly and for a long time, but I could not fulfill my duty to make things work, nor could I make the job faithful, because I was prevented from doing so by management, or by the rules, regulations, restrictions, and practices imposed upon me by that management.

In response to "What if the same thing happens with this job we are offering you", my response would be:

If the same thing happens with this job that you are offering me, I will try just as valiantly, for as long as I am able, to fulfill my duty to make things work. But, truth be known, if my efforts to make things work here are prevented in the same way, then I'm afraid that I will, unfortunately, be facing the same questions again in a future interview.

expat · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 10:22 pm

I didn't want to leave, they fired me

enrico-sorichetti · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 11:28 pm

the question is asked only to make people uncomfortable, they do know !

my response anyway would depend if the reply were be written and kept to <file> or not

I could well reply...
if You do not understand why I want to leave, well...
that' s a h*ll of a good reason not to work for people like You any longer

in a well managed company a <valuable> employee leave should not come unexpected, it is usually preceded by lots of <messages> and any <good> manager would know.

Anuj Dhawan · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 2:06 pm

Thanks Kevin.

dick scherrer · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2010 8:06 pm

A company that plays games instead of conducting a proper interview is not one where i would work. . . And i would tell the interviewer this and excuse myself.

Also, i haven't talked with an HR interviewer for over 40 years - i make sure i'm talking with the hiring manager that i would report to.

Keeping in mind that when an organization is "renting" someone (i.e. me) this is not usually done via HR. . .