When you interview for employment, you’ll have to do more than simply show you can do the work in the job description to get an offer. Be prepared to explain why you are making a transition at this point in time.
Whether you are currently employed or not, even if an employer doesn’t ask directly, you can be certain that the hiring authority wants to know why you want the job. Not any job. This particular job. At this particular company. At this particular time.
[See: The 10 Worst Jobs for Millennials.]
Part of this question leads to another one: Why do you want to leave your current job if you are currently working? Motivation is a key indicator of one’s potential success in a new job, and employers want to know if you are motivated for the right reasons, in the right way, to be successful if you are hired.
As you are preparing your story to respond to this key interview topic, you should bear in mind the following:
First and foremost, always remember: Never throw shade or ding anyone, including current and former co-workers, bosses, subordinates or companies. It doesn’t matter that you knew how to do something better than someone else, that you were expected to live up to unrealistic expectations, that you had a personality conflict, that you thought the company was corrupt, that your co-workers were dumb or lazy. None of it matters.
When you shift blame or cast aspersions, it immediately puts your own role in whatever went wrong into question and impels the interviewer to try to judge between you and the others involved. That’s not his or her role, and they don’t have the time, energy or inclination to accept it. They will simply count it as a red flag and move on to the next candidate.
[See: How to Quit Your Job.]
Explain why this is a logical time for you to make a career move in terms of the arc of your own career. Sometimes there is a simple and straightforward reason for a job change. Perhaps you are moving to a new city with your spouse or partner. Maybe you are part of a large-scale layoff that has nothing to do with your job performance, or your job is being relocated or outsourced. A simple sentence or two will suffice to explain any of these common phenomena.
But if you aren’t affected by any of these external reasons and are looking to make a change of your own volition, think about a good way to explain your thinking. Perhaps you have been at a company for three to five years, and it is time to explore how other companies do things in order to stay current. Maybe you are looking to have greater responsibilities, work with new or different technologies.
There are all kinds of good reasons to make a move, but it is your responsibility to demonstrate that you’ve been self-reflective enough to give it serious thought and share that rationale with a potential employer.
Are you moving from something, or toward a new goal? You are bound to score points when you present your desire to change jobs in a positive light. Here are some tips:
Talk about your career goals, both long and short term. Don’t wait to be asked, “Where do you want to be in five years?”
Talk about your understanding of the job you are applying for and explain how this would be right up your alley and professionally fulfilling. Perhaps the kind of projects you’d be involved with would somehow improve the world, benefit people or be cutting edge in some other way.
Compare the role or purpose of your current job to the one for which you are interviewing. Explain why this is an attractive opportunity without disparaging your present or past jobs or companies.
[See: The 25 Best Jobs of 2018.]
Identify how the company you want to join exemplifies the kind of place at which you want to work. By the time you are in a face-to-face interview, there is no excuse not to have done extensive research about your prospective employer. Be prepared to talk about how it is viewed in the community, its philanthropic record, its innovative products and services. You don’t have to draw any comparison with your current or past employers to talk about why you would be excited to be a part of this new opportunity.
When you take the initiative to speak about these kinds of things, it will provide a clear, acceptable justification for why you want to leave your current job, and you’ll show yourself to be a consummate professional.
Happy hunting!
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Why Do You Want to Leave Your Job? originally appeared on usnews.com
