Interview question - why leaving / looking for new role

almoststew1990

almoststew1990

almoststew1990

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I am looking for a new job due to becoming disillusioned with my current employer over some management decisions. If I am fortunate enough to get interviews with other companies, would you raise this as your legitimate reason or stick to a more generic reason that doesn't have the potential to prompt further discussion / explanation, and get on with talking about what the benefits you would bring to a company?

For context it's a middle grade role (mix of management and deliverables work) after 8 years experience at engineering firms.
 
In my experience you can bat this away with something vanilla like 'I feel it is time for a change and I am not sure my current company has the avenues open to me which would be of interest'.

Almost everyone gets stale after a while in the same job so looking for a change is not concerning.
 
"I've achieved everything I set out to do at my current company. I'm looking for new challenges where I can grow and also bring the experience I gained at my current company. This new role seems ot offer exactly that. I think it's a strong fit for both of us."
 
Agreed with the above, generic response about looking for a new challenge is far better than being negative about your current employer no matter what has happened. I know people who have been rejected for roles with their negativity towards their current employer identified as the primary reason.
 
almoststew1990 said:
would you raise this as your legitimate reason or stick to a more generic reason that doesn't have the potential to prompt further discussion / explanation, and get on with talking about what the benefits you would bring to a company?
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In addition to what @Hades and @Rids said, this is an opportunity for you to remind them of your achievements at your current job.

"I have spent X years at Megacorp rising from junior potboy to senior fork-cleaner, achieving A, B, and C. I am now looking for new challenges..."
 
Stick a positive filter on it in general tbh... presumably, there are other reasons you want to move on too. I think most people are aware that some people looking for a new role are doing so because they've got to the point where they can't stand their current one but I think being negative about the current employer can run the risk of coming across badly.

Some things are obviously better left implied... I mean if you're ambitious to try a new challenge, want more responsibility, presumably more money too etc... then the obvious implication of that is that those things aren't necessarily available to you at your current employer.
 
Thanks everyone. I've had a positive response to my CV and letter in about 2h so I'll stick to the more general and positive spin reasons for leaving in the interview!
 
Don't go with the 'I've been through all the women at my current place so looking for new talent' answer.
 
Presumably you've been at your current place a good while, if not though, be wary that 'I need a new challenge' might come across differently if you're only a year into your current job rather than five years or something :p
 
COYS said:
Don't go with the 'I've been through all the women at my current place so looking for new talent' answer.
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Disagree. If your interview is with Harvey Weinstein then go with it. You never know when you can turn a bad interview around with an unexpected answer.

Don't do this
 
COYS said:
Don't go with the 'I've been through all the women at my current place so looking for new talent' answer.
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I remember years ago, when I took on a dodgy sales job as a stopgap the sales manager said he used to get potential sales candidates to go into the local high street and try to get girls' phone numbers as a test of sales skills!
 
I'm in a similar position, but a bit further down the line (decided to leave before lining up next role). I don't see much benefit from being overly negative about the current role, make it more about you than the employer i.e. YOU want to get opportunity XYZ and this new role can provide it. Essentially give them reasons you want to join the new organisation, rather than reasons you want to leave the old organisation. Clearly there can be some overlap, such as the new employer being a route away from stagnation but I've interviewed people before where they spent as more time talking about what they didn't like at their current place rather than what attracted them to the role I was hiring, which didn't come across well.

Another minor point might be the reputation of the organisation you are leaving, my employer is generally regarded as an excellent place to work based on glassdoor etc so if I was too negative about it people might arrive at the conclusion that I must be the problem, not the employer.
 
HangTime said:
Another minor point might be the reputation of the organisation you are leaving, my employer is generally regarded as an excellent place to work based on glassdoor etc so if I was too negative about it people might arrive at the conclusion that I must be the problem, not the employer.
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That's a good point, also if the reverse is true (employer being known for being a bad place or somewhere people often dislike etc..) it's still perhaps to your credit to leave things implied and just be professional about it.
 
When I joined my current company I said something like "Well, I wasn't actively looking as I'm pretty happy where I am, but when your recruiter contacted me and I saw the role I decided it was something that really fits my skills, and offers a lot of development opportunities for the future."

(I'd been in my previous company 10 years, and now 6 at this one)
 
It is a pretty solid rule to never criticise your current or just-left company in an interview. For a start, you look petty-minded. For a second, if it looks like criticism of their management, then the manager interviewing you will almost always side with a fellow manager and assume the worst of you, not them. As others have said, stay with things like "I felt that I wasn't able to fulfil my complete potential" etc.
 
There are some classics to this:

"well I wasn't going to leave but since that mix-up with the photocopier and the cost of the surgery to remove the glass (which they charged me for) it just doesn't feel the same and people treat me differently now"
"I'm getting married soon... we're just waiting for her divorce to come through, but my boss is being awkward about the settlement"
"people on ebay have stopped buying their pens so I'm looking for new stationery lines"
"I've used all the sick leave and their insurance won't cover me anymore"
"my boss gave me your advert and suggested I contact you"
"If I join you my boss said he'll give me a massive bonus"
 
Hades said:
"I've achieved everything I set out to do at my current company. I'm looking for new challenges where I can grow and also bring the experience I gained at my current company. This new role seems ot offer exactly that. I think it's a strong fit for both of us."
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Great answer because it's nothing negative about your previous employer. You are stating that you have gone as far as you can.
 
I was asked this.

I said "due to a decline in mental health, It was a recommendation that I make changes in my day to day life. I felt a suitable change was my employer. Therefore, I am looking for new challenges and experiences going forward"

100% the truth. My new employer actually thanked me for being so honest.
 
I had interview 1 today which went well. My reasons for leaving were about "variety of work" (which is not a lie!). I was invited back for the second interview during the first.

They asked if I had applied anywhere else, to which I said not yet. But perhaps I should have said yes?! Well anyway I've sent off a CV and covering letter to Company 2 now (which I would also be happy to work for based on their reputation)...
 
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