One of the most popular job interview questions is “why did you resign from your earlier job?”
And quite rightly so!
If you quit your last work without a worthwhile purpose, chances are you’ll do the same in the position you’re looking for.
And, since replacing an employee involves time, effort, and money, it’s only reasonable for the recruiter to want to ensure that you won’t abandon them.
So, you might be wondering, “What makes a reasonable justification for quitting your job?”
Here is this question that is going to be answered with a few good reasons for leaving a job you may use for justifying the question.
Reasons for Leaving a Job
1. The Job Didn’t Match Your Career Aspirations
Even if you like your employment, you may have learned that it did not correspond with your career aspirations.
Maybe you just woke up one day and decided you wanted to be a C++ coder (as opposed to being a web developer).
Or perhaps you’ve learned everything you can from your current position and have just stopped growing as a professional.
In any case, here’s how you may inform a recruiter about your reason for quitting a job:
I felt that the position did not correspond with my career goals. I decided I wanted to be a C++ developer, but the position I had was as a web developer.
2. You Were Unfairly Denied a Promotion
You worked tirelessly for years, meeting and exceeding KPIs and aggressively leading initiatives.
However, when the time came, you were not promoted.
Perhaps they recruited someone from outside the company, or they promoted someone who wasn’t as competent as you are.
Whatever the situation may be, it is a completely rational reason to desire to switch jobs.
When the interviewer asks, “why did you quit your last job?” respond as follows:
I excelled in my previous job, met all KPIs, and completed Project X effectively and on time over the course of five years. Despite everything, I was not promoted to management, which disappointed me greatly.
3. You’re Looking for a New Working Environment
There are several reasons why you might wish to consider changing jobs:
- You’ve had a child and want to work from home or freelance.
- You want to work part-time because you want to have more spare time to learn new skills.
- You wish to relocate to another nation and are seeking remote work.
- If it is the reason you left your previous employment, you can tell the interviewer:
For example, I just had a child and desired to free up my time by transitioning to a freelancing arrangement.
Or, I wanted to relocate to XYZ, so I looked for a company that provided the option of working remotely.
4. You’re Not Getting Along With Your New Supervisor or Boss
The greatest boss I’ve ever had was yours.
They trusted you to oversee your job because you had strong leadership qualities, were personable, and were empathetic. However, they later left and were replaced by someone entirely different.
Your new boss is typically unpleasant to deal with, has a tendency to lose his temper too readily, and micromanages all of your assignments.
You’ve therefore chosen to change jobs.
Life is too short to work with terrible coworkers, therefore we don’t blame you!
When questioned about quitting your work in an interview, you can respond as follows in this situation:
The work climate was simply not the same once my supervisor departed the organization. Their successor was a little too micromanaging, which I dislike in a job.
Conclusion
Interviewers question candidates, “why did you quit your last job?” since it reveals a lot about them. In particular, asking this question allows them to understand if the candidate was dismissed, or what inspires them, and if your reason for leaving is justified well for the new company to consider then you can have a chance.
When filling out a job application, during an interview, and when submitting your resignation letter, you may be questioned, “why did you leave your former job?” So be prepared with answers and speak confidently!
