Explaining Why You Are Leaving Your Job

What You Should Say

"I’ve learned a lot. I now realize, way back when I accepted the job offer, I should have more clearly specified not only what my career goals were, but the timeframes I’d hope to accomplish them by. Although they did communicate that there were career advancement opportunities, the company wasn’t growing at a rate that could accommodate the measure of my ambition. I am grateful for all I’ve learned there, and the growth I’ve gained from both the company and my mentor. But for me to achieve my goals, I’ve realized it is time to move on. I’ve informed them of my intention to pursue opportunities more in line with my goals. But finding the right fit takes time, and I am doing all I can to make sure this next move is the right one."

What NOT To Say

“I am looking for another job because the company I work for misled me about how fast I’d be able to rise through the ranks. I’ve been giving my all to the company for a long time, but rarely felt rewarded for my efforts. My superiors play favorites and have promoted their friends and family while seemingly holding me back. So, I figured it was time to move on with the hope that the grass is greener on the other side.”

What You Should Say

"When I first joined the company, I didn’t have a firm understanding of their styles of leadership and their work culture. It seemed like a great opportunity, but I failed to ask the right questions. I am grateful for the opportunities and the growth I’ve achieved in my current role. I’m always looking for ways to increase my productivity, and to fast track my development. At this point, the best move for me is to pursue opportunities more in line with my motives, drive, and growth potential. Working for a meritocratic company with a culture fueled by innovation is more in line with my goals. I therefore want to make sure my next move feels like the right fit from the onset, with longevity in mind. So, presently, my search has led me here.”

What NOT To Say

“The leadership at my current company is somewhat toxic. They are always micromanaging everybody and pressuring us to work harder when we are already working at full throttle. It’s super stressful all the time. They are set on never allowing anyone to work remotely. It’d be nice to work somewhere where I felt trusted and where I’d be able to do just my job.”

What You Should Say

“As I’ve grown, I’ve picked up a good number of skills, and in my management career I’ve come to realize hiring, developing winning teams, and mentoring and coaching are what I love most about my job. These are my greatest strengths. So, reevaluating my goals and objectives, I decided to revise my career plan completely, with greater quality, performance, and satisfaction in mind. So this led me to pursuing a career in consulting. Working in this field with my enhanced skill set would perpetually allow me to do what I love.”

What NOT To Say

“I was just starting to feel super burned out in my career. Maybe disillusioned is a better word? I thought it was a good path when I started out, and the money was good. But my heart’s not in it any more, and I figured it was time for a change. So, I guessed I’d give this a try out for size and see if it fits.”

What You Should Say

“I got to a point in my career where I’d advanced as far as I could. But that didn’t rest easy with me, nor with my sense of drive and ambition. I wanted to take my career farther. So, I realized if I got my master’s degree, and then my doctorate, the sky was my limit. So, even though I haven’t been ‘employed’, per se´, I worked hard to get to where I am today, have greatly increased my skills, improved in every way, and am ready for what’s next.”

What NOT To Say

“I just felt stagnant in my career and needed a change. So, not sure what I wanted to do next, or where I wanted to go from here, I decided to go back to school. I figured it could open up more possibilities for me. Now that I’ve gotten my advanced degree, I am ready to give this a try. I’m excited about what comes next.”

What You Should Say

“When my spouse was offered an exciting career opportunity with the option of relocation, we decided to start a family. We also decided to relocate to an area where we felt more comfortable raising a family. So we prioritized safety and schools with great scores. I ended up being the primary child-carer. Now our two beautiful children have both started primary school. We agreed when we’d got to this point, it would be time for me to return to my career. So, knowing this was near, I took several night classes, seminars, and workshops. I updated my skills and gained a few more certifications, and am now brushed up and ready to put my best foot forward.”

What NOT To Say

“Several years ago, I threw out my back on the job. I was out of work for some time as a result. Eventually I returned to work and re-injured my back again. It was a long recovery. But before I was fully recovered, my worker’s comp ran out, and due to a technicality in the state I was living in, my employer was allowed to sever my employment. It’s been tough supporting myself. But my back is feeling much better these days. So, this much time later, I think I’m ready to return to work. Fingers crossed.”

What You Should Say

“I have been enjoying my retirement, but not nearly as much as I enjoyed my career. At work, I always thrived on the relationships I built, and how social my work could be. I’ve come to realize how much I miss that sense of camaraderie. It’s not an issue of being bored or needing to keep myself busy. I just miss doing what I love. And even though I have tried to channel my skills into home projects and hobbies, it isn’t the same as working with my teams, and being part of something bigger.”

What NOT To Say

“I’ll be honest. I’m enjoying my retirement, but have come to the point where I can’t support myself on my own. Social security isn’t quite enough, and my 401 (k) isn’t quite enough either. I need some supplemental income. I have a lot of experience, and have been interviewing with a lot of folks, but they all seem a little ageist. Look, I got a lot to offer, if you give me a chance. I don’t mind working with the public, either.”

What You Should Say

“I took a lot of pride in my business and what I built. Pride in the brand, culture, and my teams. I was very active with local trade schools, and volunteered at career fairs there, which also served as a great tool for recruiting young talent. I hired and developed an excellent management team, whom I passed the ranks over to. Since, I’ve devoted my time to networking and cleaning up our aging accounts. Once we were steadily in the black, I continued to build our reputation in the community and, as part of my business plan, to reevaluate my priorities at that juncture. I decided, having dedicated far more of my time to the business than I originally anticipated, it was time to sell my marketable company and move on. There were several interested parties whom I’d networked with for years, and I felt comfortable passing the business onto to their loving hands. Financially, I am also far better off than where I began. But this isn’t the end for me, nor is it about the money. Now, I want to keep building, but while also taking a step back, and relax in a new position where I can put my skills to work, placing a greater focus on my work life balance.”

What NOT To Say

“I worked really hard on the business I built, and it was a lot of work. More often than not, I was working twelve hours a day, seven days a week. I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but I didn’t realize I was going to have to do everything. I hired people, but they weren’t dedicated, which I get. It’s my business, not theirs. Still, it’s hard finding good people. More often than not, the saying, if you want the job done right, you have to do it yourself rings true. Anyway, I got to a point where I realized I was running myself into the ground and decided to sell the business. I made a little money on it, but when you calculate the time I put in, I’d say I maybe broke even. Anyway, it was an educational experience, and I learned a lot. Now, I am ready to take a step back by working for someone else for a while.”

What You Should Say

“I was really proud of my business plan and model. I had a very effective marketing campaign and was generating a steady stream of revenue. Like so many other business owners out there, I tried to anticipate every contingency scenario, and had just about every type of insurance policy to ensure I could recover should something go wrong. I even had quite the back up financial plan as well. And then COVID-19 struck. We all know how the pandemic unfolded. So, I got creative, and had some successful fund raisers, but in the end it wasn’t enough to keep us afloat. So before I hit rock bottom, I closed up shop, filed for bankruptcy, and dissolved the business. I’ll always wonder what-if? But in the end, it is what it is, and is in the past. I am ready to move on, and to dedicate all I got to wherever I land next. Hopefully, that will be this amazing position here with this amazing company.”

What NOT To Say

“What can I say? I worked my tail off, but trusted the wrong people to do the job that I hired them for. My chief marketing officer had one good campaign in them, yet failed to replicate their initial results. My chief finance officer didn’t appropriately appropriate our funds and let too many facets in the business run in the red. My managers were deficient in hiring the right people, continually making excuses as to why the right people weren't responding to our ads. Just do your job. Never had I dreamed I would mutter those words as often as I have over the last three years. Just do your job. So, my team ran my business into the ground. Time to rebuild. I have a lot to offer, experience-wise, and I am ready and primed to help your business succeed.”

What You Should Say

“I feel proud and accomplished in building my business up to what it is today. I am pleased with the teams in place, and with those I have placed at the helm. I can now trust it is in good hands, and will continue to flourish and succeed, allowing me to step aside with confidence. I am currently the head of the board, which is a nondemanding role, and am ready to focus on other pursuits, while continuing to build my skills, and grow as a high-level professional.”

What NOT To Say

“At the end of the day, it was too much work. I’m not sure I was ever really cut out for it. At a certain point, my business partner and I weren’t getting along very well. So, eventually, I decided I was more interested in getting bought out of the business than sticking with it. So, I relinquished control over to my partner. I still retain a large share of the profits when there are profits. It’s our plan that my partner will gradually buy me out in stages over time. In the meantime, I am ready to enjoy being an employee rather than a big boss. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier at the prospect of stepping off the gas and cruising along for a while.”

What You Should Say

“In college, my professor, who served as a mentor to me, taught me that in order to succeed, and to be truly good at what you do, you have to love what you are doing, otherwise you won’t give your all. So, I’ve kept this in mind, and kept learning more about myself, and the types of environments in which I yield the greatest success, and where I can make the most impact. I am grateful for all I’ve learned, the relationships I’ve built, and the opportunities these experiences have offered. Now I have a clearer understanding of the direction I’d like to take my career, and where the next position I hold I am certain will be for the long-term. It’s also worth mentioning, three of these jobs on paper look like they are separate entities, but one is a subsidiary of another, and the third here is a major client of the previous company, where my boss served on the board, and which is where I currently work. So, it was through building bridges that these opportunities were presented to me.”

What NOT To Say

“Well, there are good explanations for each of these. The first one here, it was super stressful and poorly managed. There was a high turnover rate, and they have a track record of burning out their employees and keeping their wages low. A friend of mine worked there and warned me when I took the job. So, as soon as I could, I found the next job. But it wasn’t a very good fit either. They were very sales driven, and that’s not my strong suit. Also, I couldn’t really stand behind the product either. Then, the job I am currently at, it pays very little, has a really long commute, and traffic is terrible getting there. So, I decided it would be much more desirable to find something closer, and that pays well. As it so happens, I am right down the street from you, which is perfect. If ever you’d need a shift covered, I could be here in minutes.”

What You Should Say

“I took a lot of pride in my accomplishments at university. I help build the charters for several clubs and help build some small tech startups that had good brief runs as school projects. I love being an innovator and working with other innovators. I also am very plugged into what is happening in the tech industry through my networking. I’ve had several headhunters and recruiters pursue me, and have taken some time exploring some of those options. But had a bad run of luck with the promising startups I chose to pursue. On paper, they all seemed to have ‘IT’. They had dynamic leaders and some of the brightest rising minds. But I’ve learned that it takes more than concept and innovation to achieve success. So, I started focussing on business models and how well things are managed. It’s not all about the next best thing, but how to balance that with what is tested, tried, and true. That’s what I’ve always loved about your company. I kind of feel that if I could do things over, I would have come here first, back when the company tried to recruit me all those years ago. I almost did, but those startups were exciting and new, and I chose them instead. Hindsight is truly 20/20.”

What NOT To Say

“When I started pursuing my degree, I knew I wanted to work for the next big thing. I wanted to get in at the start. You hear all those stories of those who joined with Microsoft, or Amazon, or Facebook, when those companies were just getting off the ground. And how so many of them were able to retire by the time they were thirty-five years old. I knew early on that’s what I wanted. So, I am ready to innovate and to help build something new. The last few start-ups I worked for had dynamic leaders and had a lot of promise. Unfortunately, they didn’t quite make it. But I am ready to give my all, and will do whatever I can to contribute and rise through the ranks.”

What You Should Say

“When I was supporting myself through college, I would only commit to a job per semester, because I didn’t know what my schedule would look like until I was in it. So, I pursued several seasonal or temp-jobs, being transparent with them about my goals from the onset. I have a lot of integrity and know what goes into running a business. So, I worked hard for each company, and am proud to offer a stack of letters of recommendation if you’d like to look them over. You see, I was determined to perform my best in school, because how well I would perform there would ultimately shape my career. So school came first. It was a good number of jobs in a short period. But every one of them started and ended on good terms.”

What NOT To Say

“I was just supporting myself through college. Those jobs were just a paycheck and didn’t really mean much for my career. I was more so interested in finding super slow paced jobs where I could squeeze in some reading or studying here and there. When the coffee shop was slow, and there wasn’t much to do, I’d make the best of it and study. When things were busy, I made the best of it and made good tips. That sort of thing. But, now that I am out of college, I am ready for the real thing.”

What You Should Say

“As far as the reasons for the company making cutbacks and laying off several departments, including mine, I don’t feel comfortable going into too much detail. There were internal communications that I’d prefer not to share. I’m not bound by any non-disclosure or non-compete agreements. But, I did consider myself dedicated to the company, and bear no ill-will to my previous teams. I was given a generous severance package and believed them when they said they would hire me back in a heartbeat once things improved. But, in all honesty, I think I am ready for some new challenges, and to propel my career forward at a more accelerated rate than my last company.”

What NOT To Say

“I’m not sure why they laid us off. The company kept going through changes, rebranding, restructures, and everyone just kept getting more frustrated with the company and the leadership there. We all had the feeling our jobs were at risk. At first, we were all getting huge raises, great benefits, and bonuses and incentives. But as soon as they cut our raises from twice a year to only once a year, and then cut back on our benefits, and next we had to say goodbye to our bonuses, yeah, all those cutbacks hurt morale. By that point, nobody really wanted to be there, but we weren’t going to quit either. It was still a good job. But as soon as the layoffs started, I knew it was only a matter of time. No one was surprised.”

What You Should Say

“Over time, I realized that the leadership culture at my previous job didn't match my ideal working conditions, and wasn't a good fit for me. Their culture of leadership was a combination of delegative and authoritarian, and they didn’t communicate very well with each other. Also, the supervisors often had competing agendas. As a result, the work they assigned frequently was difficult to navigate, and contradicted each other. This made it difficult to perform at the level I pride myself for. I work better with communicative, transformative, and participative leaders who serve as mentors, influencers, and value incentive and innovation. I want to put in 200% with consistency, and be valued for my contributions. So, I carefully planned my next move. I realized my hours, current workload, and work-life balance didn't align with ensuring that my next career move was the right one. So I saved up, and when I had enough of a cushion without immediately tapping into my rainy day fund, I decided to quit before securing another job. I don’t regret my decision. A small sacrifice to ensure, wherever I land next, is the right fit, where I can shine, grow, succeed, and contribute with pride. I’ve dedicated the time necessary to ensure my next move was the right one. So here I am.”

What NOT To Say

“My last job was something of a toxic work environment. The supervisors there are extremely aggressive and bossy, and they frequently singled me out, and other staff members too. We all felt as if we were being treated unfairly. It was unnecessarily stressful, and it was taking a toll on me. So, even though I did my job quite well under these circumstances, I felt as if they were building a false pretext for firing me. I just got tired of it, and decided to prioritize my health, so I left.”

What You Should Say

“Why was I let go? I made a mistake I won’t repeat. One of my strengths is my sense of loyalty, which in this case ended up being a weakness. I was loyal to my company, yes, but also loyal to my supervisor, who was a mentor, and whom I trusted. But when I witnessed them doing something that violated our code of conduct and ethics, they asked me to keep it between the two of us. My loyalty was divided, and I delayed coming forward. Regardless, it came to light the next day, and everyone was questioned. During my conversation with our department manager, I was open about what had happened, expressing remorse for not speaking up earlier and not having the courage to do what was right, right away. According to our code of conduct, I knew I was going to be fired. My manager thanked me for my integrity, said I was honest to a fault, and explained they had no choice but to let me go. So, one poor decision, and a lack of bravery to do the right thing, cost me my job. A mistake I’ll not make again. Regardless, I am forever grateful for all that the company gave me, and all I achieved there. I’ve learned a lot from that experience, on the job and about myself, and am ready to move on.”

What You Should Say

“I was let go for repeated attendance issues. It started with some turbulence in my personal life which threw off my work life balance. But I’ve learned a lot since then. Now, I am very proactive. I’ve taken several classes and read several books on time management. I schedule in-between time, outside of both my professional and personal life, and where I can make preparations for them both. Such as cooking my meals for the week, lining up my work clothes, all folded and ironed, planned day to day. Making sure my gas tank is full the night before rather than discovering my gas tank is near empty as I am setting out on my commute. I schedule buffer times for my personal and professional life as well. This way, I am never late for a personal engagement, and never late to work. Now I am always early to everything.”

What NOT To Say

“The company was going through a restructure. Everyone was worried about their job, and everyone was pretty upset about how the company was doing things. They were doing a lot of hiring, bringing rookies in at lower wages so they could replace those of us whose pay was capped out. We all knew we were going to be the first to go. I was one of them. Many of my coworkers stood behind me and quit their job in support of me. It’s too bad the company went in the direction it did. It used to be a great company to work for.”