If You are doing a job search, then the very important interview question is – what is your reason for a job change?
As a job seeker, be ready to answer this question – Why do you want to change your current job?
What is the best answer for the reason for a Job Change? A Hiring Manager anywhere is always curious about knowing you Why do you want to change your job?
The hiring manager wants to find out – are you leaving the job for the right reasons?
Even if you are leaving the job for the wrong reasons, what you share with them as an answer to job change matters a lot.
What are the right reasons?
Let’s first understand what are the wrong reasons for the job change.
What Are The 12 Wrong Reasons For Job Change
“I am leaving my current employer because I cannot perform under pressure.”
- “I am having difficulty working relationships in the workplace.”
- “I dislike my present boss.”
- “My present Organisation cannot give me a sufficient raise in salary that I desire.”
- “I am changing my current job because I do not stick to any job for more than a few months.”
- “I hate my current job, work, and looking for enriching opportunities.”
- “I want to move on because I didn’t get the raise in salary as expected.”
- “I want to try out something new for fun.”
- “There is a lot of internal politics in my present organization and I cannot bear that.”
- “To be honest HR policies are not sound in my present organization.”
- “The travel time to the office is too much and I want my office to be just within walking distance.”
Even if you have one or more of the genuine reasons mentioned above, it will impress none of the hiring managers for such reasons.
All the above reasons will go against your selection in the Job Interview Process.
Are Your Thoughts Right?
You might have thoughts in mind, “I am stating the Truth”.
Let me ask you a question. Change the situation now and think of yourself as an interviewer.
Would you like to hire someone who has stated any of the above reasons?
Just think for a second and answer yourself. If your answer is no, let’s go ahead.
Here are some thoughts for you to bring out the actual answer for a Job change.
Can you think of positive reasons for Job Change?
Are you looking at advancing your career and shaping your career Plan?
What is the Positive outcome of the work in your current Job that is serving as a trigger for the job change?
The ideal right answer should justify your working in the current organization, followed by your interest in the potential employer.
According to Lori Rassas a Career Coach – “make a general comment about differing points of view, different managerial styles or different visions related to how certain work should be accomplished,”
According to Muse Career Coach and HR professional Alina Campos – Sometimes, “they’re trying to get a sense of the candidate’s degree of interest and flexibility, especially when this detail is not even included in the job description they applied for,”
Research The Organisation To Arrive At The Right Reason For Job Change
It is always said, “Read and study the new Employer”. This research will give you insights into the striking point where the new opportunity and employer match.
Before going for the job interview, make a list of all the positive reasons you have in the current organization that are genuine. You will talk about the positive things about the previous job, followed by the new opportunity.
What is something missing in the current organization and a new opportunity is offering me that? Think and answer.
Assess the actual reasons for your job change. Your Self-awareness will play a bigger role here. The right reasons could be:
- To learn more in the field.
- Want to take on more responsibilities to grow in a career.
- Need some fewer responsibilities for the time being.
- The desire to move to another city because of some personal reasons.
- Want to gain a new skill.
- Prefer a shorter commute time to work.
- Really need to maintain a work-life balance.
Sample Answer Of The Positive Reason For Job Change
1. To Learn more in the field
“My present organization and current position has entrusted me with a lot of challenging work opportunities that helped me to grow mentally and professionally. As your organization is the leader (better/best) in the domain, I want to learn and add more to my current skills.”
“I am interested in learning more and adding new lessons to my current skills. The job opportunity in your organization is serving as an opportunity to leverage my current areas of expertise and increase my skills.”
2. Want to take on more responsibilities to grow in career
“My current organization has imparted managerial capabilities / (A lot of Skills) in me but it limits the growth as the current company is relatively small.
I am looking for an opportunity, where I can take on more responsibilities. The current opportunity sounds promising in that direction and I am keen to go ahead.”
3. Need some fewer responsibilities for the time being
“My existing organization has provided me with a lot of opportunities to grow as a person personally and professionally.
I have been enjoying a lot of challenging work in my current role. As the upcoming role is focusing more on a particular domain only, this sounds good for future and career.”
4. The desire to move to another city because of some personal reasons
“The current organization has taught me many things and helped me to grow professionally in my career. As the upcoming opportunity in your organization is close to my current location (Home / Native place / Desired City), I would be excited to go ahead with the new assignment.”
5. Want to gain a new skill
“I have been working in the current domain for quite a long time and enjoyed the challenging tasks. This has helped me to grow professionally.
Now, as the new opportunity in your organization is working on new technology, I would like to gain mastery over this new skill and progress ahead.”
6. Prefer shorter commute time to work
“I am having really significant experience in the current organization, but the travel time towards office is more. As the new opportunity in your organization is demanding fewer travel hours, I will concentrate more on work. This will improve my productivity and I would like to join the organization.”
“Your organization is closer to my current location and I would prefer to stay here.”
7. Need to maintain a work-life balance
“This job has been a significant experience, but because of challenging and demanding work hours, I cannot maintain my work-life balance. With shorter work hours, your opportunity looks promising to me, as I will better maintain my work-life balance.”
Conclusion
There will never be one ready-made best answer for your desired situation and opportunity.
To arrive at the best answer for a reason for a job change, look at what positives you have seen in your Company A and its correlation with the upcoming opportunity in Target Company.
Try to capture the gaps that new upcoming opportunities will fill in your career and life.
If you combine both things, you will have one decent, appropriate answer that will help you convince your Hiring Manager and will land you the job.
Come up with suggestions and questions.
