Job interview questions: Why do you want to leave your current job? exercise

If you have a job when you go to a job interview, one of the questions that they are sure to ask you is why you want to leave it.

Like with all interview questions (from asking you about how you resolved a problem at work to asking you to describe yourself), there is a reason why they ask you it. For this question, the interviewers are wanting to find out how loyal you are.

When employers are deciding which candidate to hire in an interview, a candidate's loyalty and commitment to a company are as important as their skills and experience.

So how do you appear a loyal type of person when you are wanting to do something (i.e. change job and/or company) which isn't? The answer is the explanation and reasons you give for wanting to change.

To help you to do this, I have created the below exercise. Through first reading three good example answers for this question and then doing a quiz/test, you'll not only learn what type of things and reasons to give for wanting to leave your current job, but also how to make your answer sound professional (what phrases/vocabulary to use).

This version of the exercise is mainly focused on learning phrases and words to use in your own answer for this question. So it is ideal for people whose first language isn't English. If you are a native English speaker, I would recommend that you do a version of this exercise which focuses on understanding the purpose of the reasons used instead of this exercise.

In addition to this exercise, we have a lot of other free online exercises on CV/resume and job interview question vocabulary and techniques.

Exercise & Examples:

Read the following three answers by different candidates in interviews to the question, 'Why do you want to leave your current job?'.

From the context, try to guess what the meaning of the words/phrases in bold are. Then do the quiz at the end to check if you are right.

Candidate One:

'First of all, I would like to say that I don't have any problems with my current employer. I have worked there for over 7 years and have enjoyed my time there. They have provided me with an opportunity to grow both professionally and personally. And from starting as an analyst, I am now a manager of my own team. I am very grateful for the confidence they have shown in me and also the experience that I have gained.

But during these 7 years, I know what I excel in and what I want to specialise in. And due to the nature and size of the company, my opportunities to pursue this area there are limited. So, in order to move my career to the next stage, I have to move on. It's a shame, because I have a very good working with my manager and my team. So, it's not a decision that I have taken lightly. But, I feel that the position that is available here will provide me with the opportunity to focus on an area in which I both excel and love.'

Candidate Two:

'To be honest, I wasn't job hunting. One of my ex-colleagues forwarded me the advert for the position. I am very happy in my current job. I have achieved all of my goals and I am now in a position where I make a difference for the company.

The only reason I would leave my current position is for something significantly better and having read the roles and responsibilities for the job, this position offers it. This role has more responsibility, plus working in a different environment provides a new challenge, which I am sure I can meet. In addition, it would be foolish to turn down the possibility of doing this role in a company with such a strong reputation as yours. I think this role provides an excellent opportunity for the progression of my career.'

Candidate Three:

'I've spent 4 happy years with my current employer, but due to the current financial crisis, they are currently downsizing their operations. As a result, it's made a lot of people redundant and although I have been informed that my job is safe, there's a lot of uncertainty. So, I feel now is the time to move on and look for a more secure position.'

Are you ready for the interview?

Practise answering questions in our job interview test.

Learn how to answer other difficult job interview questions:

Why do you want to work for us?

Answering hypothetical questions

How do you deal with problems?

Explaining why you left an old job

See more exercises on CV/resume & job interview vocabulary

Quiz:

Now answer each of the below 15 questions with one of the phrases or words in bold from the above text. To check your answers, press the "Check answers" button at the bottom of the quiz.

The first question already has the right answer in it. Now, you just have to answer the rest.

A different way to say 'to focus/concentrate on', is

Specialise in:
(verb) This is very common when talking about an area of work/business in which you have a lot of experience in. When used with 'I would like to', it means an area of work/business you desire to focus more on in the future, e.g. 'I would like to specialise in company law'. It is a good reason for wanting to change jobs. In Spanish: "especializarse".

Specialise in:

When you are bored with your job and want to test your skills/ability, you want a

New challenge:
(noun) This is a common reason people give for wanting to change jobs. Be careful if you use it because some interviewers may think you become easily bored. It is fine to use it if you've been in the same company for over 5 years. In Spanish: "nuevo desafío".

New challenge:

When a company reduces the number of staff/employees because of economic reasons, it makes them

Redundant:
(adjective) This is used with the verb 'to make'. An informal way to say the same is 'to lay off'. This occurs when a company has financial problems and needs to reduce the number of its workers to lower costs. A company 'makes workers redundant'. For a worker or member of staff it is used in the passive, e.g. 'I was made redundant'. In Spanish: "despedido".

Redundant:

A two word verb that means to change companies, is

Move on:
(phrasal verb) In this context it means to change/leave a company for a new job. 'To move on' sounds less strong than both 'change' or 'leave'. It is intransitive (it doesn't have an object), e.g. 'After the project finished, it was the right time to move on'. In Spanish: "cambiar de trabajo".

Move on:

A verb that is used with challenge, to mean you are successful with it, is

Meet:
(verb) In this context we use the verb 'to meet' with 'challenge' to mean to successfully do/perform a challenge, like climbing a mountain or having to run a difficult project, e.g. 'I have met every challenge I have been given'. In Spanish: "superar este reto".

Meet:

When you've had to think a lot before making a decision, you say

It's not a decision that I have taken lightly:
(phrase) This is used in this context to mean that the decision to leave your current company has been a difficult one to make. It is a good phrase to use because it suggests that you're a loyal type of person and don't change your mind a lot. In Spanish: "Esta decisión no se tomó a la ligera".

It's not a decision that I have taken lightly:

Another way to say 'everything is good', is

I don't have any problems:
(phrase) In English you can never use two negatives in a sentence. So, that is the reason why when the verb is negative (don't have), we use any. It is followed by 'with' when you refer to the person or thing, e.g. 'I don't have any problems with them'. In Spanish: "no tengo ningún problema".

I don't have any problems:

When your job is safe and there's no fear of losing it, your situation is

Secure:
(adjective) It is used with the nouns 'situation' or 'position'. And it has the same meaning as 'job security', e.g. 'I'm looking for more job security'. A good reason to give for changing companies if there is uncertainty about what will happen with your current job/position. In Spanish: "seguro".

Secure:

When you want to advance your career, you want to move it to the

Next stage:
(noun) This is used with the verb 'to move' and the noun 'career'. It means you want to progress to a higher level at work with more responsibility etc..., e.g. 'I want to move my career to the next stage'. This should be used if the job you are applying for is a higher position than your current one. In Spanish: "siguiente paso".

Next stage:

10.

When you are looking for a job or a new job, you are

Job hunting:
(noun) It is a commonly used expression to use for looking for work or a new job. In Spanish: "la busca de un trabajo".

Job hunting:

11.

When you say 'no' to an offer or opportunity, you

Turn down:
(phrasal verb) A very common phrasal verb. In this context it means 'to say no to' or 'to reject' something. It is transitive (it has an object) and can be separable, e.g. 'They couldn't turn the offer down'. In Spanish: "rechazar".

Turn down:

12.

A different way to say 'I am very thankful for', is

I am very grateful for:
(phrase) This is a very good phrase to use in a job interview when talking about a current or former employer. It shows that you appreciate what the company did for your experience and career, e.g. 'I'm very grateful for the confidence they showed in me'. In Spanish: "estoy muy agradecido por".

I am very grateful for:

13.

When a company reduces its operations and number of employees, it is

Downsizing:
(verb) The infinitive is 'to downsize'. This is a common business term to describe the action of reducing costs by closing down certain activities and operations, and of course reducing its number of staff, e.g. 'The company is downsizing its banking operations by closing ten of its offices in Europe'. In Spanish: "reducir el tamaño/la reducción de la empresa".

Downsizing:

14.

A different way to say to want 'to become involved in' or 'to perform' types of professional activities, is

Pursue:
(verb) This is used to talk about what you want to do with your career in the future, e.g. 'I want to purse a career in service management'. It has a similar meaning to 'I would like to specialise in'. It is a good reason for wanting to change jobs. In Spanish: "dedicarse a".

Pursue:

15.

The duties and tasks that you have to do in a job, are called

Roles and responsibilities:
(phrase) These are the fundamental things that you will have to do in a job, e.g. 'generate a monthly performance report, manage a team of 20 people etc...' You will be provided with a list of these on the job advertisement, the job application or in the interview. In Spanish: "las funciones y responsabilidades".

Roles and responsibilities:

Click to see more exercises on CV/resume & job interview vocabulary

Practice

Now that you understand the 'why do you want to leave your job' vocabulary, practise it by creating your own answer for this interview question.

This is me, Chris Clayton, the owner and main writer for Blair English. I'm also a part-time English teacher in sunny Spain. I have a love of history and the web. I hope you find the website useful.