Department of Defense Mock Interview
Master 30 Department of Defense interview questions covering security clearances, mission priorities, and federal hiring protocols.
Question 10 of 30
Why did you leave your last job?
Example Answer
Why the Interviewer Asks This Question
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Community Answers
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
"I'm a bridge-builder, not a bridge burner. My last job was great while it lasted. I developed my five-year career plan when I was accepted into college and have updated it every year since. My previous employer helped me incredibly since I started with them, but the growth opportunities that were present a few years ago are no longer a viable option for me. So, it is with mutual respect and gratitude that I left them. I gave them almost two months' notice and helped to train my successor. I strongly believe that work relationships should last."
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
Interviewers ask this question to reveal the conditions of your departure from your previous employer (whether you were fired, quit, laid off, etc.). They are also curious about the terms your employment was severed - amicably or acrimoniously.
Kevin Downey has an extensive background in business management, recruiting, branding and marketing. He's volunteered his career coaching services at job fairs, lecturing on interview techniques and crafting winning resumes and cover letters.
Focus on the positives. Don't reveal anything that would paint you in a negative light. For example, when someone has outgrown a position and isn't advancing their career, looking for career growth elsewhere reveals a dedication to one's well-formulated plans. Demonstrating professional gratitude for what you learned from your previous position can go a long way towards exhibiting emotional maturity.
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