How to answer the question 'Why do you want to change jobs?'
It’s not an invitation for you to bash your current job. In fact, it’s just the opposite.
By Catherine Conlan
It’s always important to be honest in a job interview, but no question will cause you to stretch the truth as much as this one:
“Why do you want to change jobs?”
Tempting as it may be to spill about your horrible boss or the long hours you work, you've got to keep your lip zipped on the “real” reasons. Otherwise, you could blow your chances at the job by looking like a complainer—and god forbid if your interviewer actually knows your boss somehow without your realizing it. Getting negative in an interview can also make the interviewer wonder if you’re the problem, says Jennifer Read, director of career services at The Art Institute of Charlotte in South Carolina. “It will send red flags to the potential employer that you might be difficult to work with, or might quit when you disagree with management,” she says.
Before you say too much, read these tips to develop an answer to this question that will make them want to hire you rather than run from you.
You say: “I feel as though I’m ready for another stage in my career. A new challenge. I’d also like to continue to grow and learn in this field, and take on some new tasks—ones I haven’t had the opportunity to tackle in my current role.”
Find ways to talk about what you like about your current position and how you’re interested in transferring those skills and experiences into the context of a new employer, Read says. “Confirm what you have learned about their company from the research you have done and how you see yourself optimizing your previous experiences in order to positively impact the potential employer's long term growth.”
Highlight your excitement about facing the new challenges that are before you, Lan says, and show how the position is the right step in a career path that you are genuinely interested in and passionate about.
You say: “Well, I h
ave noticed this company faces [insert specific problem here]. I’ve always wanted to work on a team charged with the task of solving this issue. And I have a handful of ideas as to how I would go about implementing these fixes. [Discuss your ideas here.]
It’s always important to be honest in a job interview, but no question will cause you to stretch the truth as much as this one:“Why do you want to change jobs?”
Tempting as it may be to spill about your horrible boss or the long hours you work, you've got to keep your lip zipped on the “real” reasons. Otherwise, you could blow your chances at the job by looking like a complainer—and god forbid if your interviewer actually knows your boss somehow without your realizing it. Getting negative in an interview can also make the interviewer wonder if you’re the problem, says Jennifer Read, director of career services at The Art Institute of Charlotte in South Carolina. “It will send red flags to the potential employer that you might be difficult to work with, or might quit when you disagree with management,” she says.
Before you say too much, read these tips to develop an answer to this question that will make them want to hire you rather than run from you.
Be honest (kind of)
Interviewers ask this question mainly to determine whether you've put enough consideration into such a big decision, says Michael Lan, senior resume consultant at Resume Writer Direct in Wilmington, Delaware. Have a planned, authentic response, says Philip Blackett of Boston-based Magnetic Interviewing. Talk about looking for a new challenge in your career, learning a new industry or focus area, or needing to find a new job because you’re relocating—those are honest, relatable answers.You say: “I feel as though I’m ready for another stage in my career. A new challenge. I’d also like to continue to grow and learn in this field, and take on some new tasks—ones I haven’t had the opportunity to tackle in my current role.”
Focus on the future
To answer the question effectively, talk about what you want to create instead of what you’re trying to avoid, says career coach Alina Bas of Mind Terrain Coaching in the New York City area. Talk about the opportunities you see at the company where you’re interviewing, and how you’d like to work within its mission while bringing value to the position.Find ways to talk about what you like about your current position and how you’re interested in transferring those skills and experiences into the context of a new employer, Read says. “Confirm what you have learned about their company from the research you have done and how you see yourself optimizing your previous experiences in order to positively impact the potential employer's long term growth.”
Highlight your excitement about facing the new challenges that are before you, Lan says, and show how the position is the right step in a career path that you are genuinely interested in and passionate about.
You say: “Well, I h
ave noticed this company faces [insert specific problem here]. I’ve always wanted to work on a team charged with the task of solving this issue. And I have a handful of ideas as to how I would go about implementing these fixes. [Discuss your ideas here.]
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