Tricky interview question: Why did you leave your previous job?

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

why did you leave your previous job?”.

While it isn’t that difficult to address this question, many struggle to frame their answer correctly.
Maybe you left your job because you were looking for better growth opportunities or improved work-life balance, or you had to leave because of other factors — the reason could be varied.

Now before we get into the nitty gritty of developing a perfect response to this question, let us first understand what hiring managers actually try to assess while asking it.
In a conversation with Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services, a workforce solution provider, he says that the primary reason behind asking “why did you leave your last job” or “why are you leaving your current job” is to ascertain a candidate’s psyche and behavioural aspects.

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“Questions like these allow interviewers to assess whether the candidate’s attitude to work is positive and what they can expect from a candidate in case of successful onboarding. Traits like impulsiveness, taking initiative, passing accountability, etc, are some of the qualities that are usually judged through the answers to these questions,” he says.

Responses employers often come across
According to Alug, candidates’ responses to this question come in a diverse range — from answers about office politics to career goals that demand more opportunities. Some of the common answers are related to family commitments, flexible work arrangements, switches in industries and layoffs.

The reason being cited for the job change will involve more discussion. So be ready to answer the few next questions based on your answer.

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