There are a lot of good answers to this interview question. There isn’t just one “right” answer. Here are some guidelines:
If you chose to leave on your own terms, stay positive and focus on what you wanted to gain from the decision, rather than bad-mouthing or focusing on negatives you wanted to avoid.
And if you were fired or laid off, be upfront and clear. You’re not going to make employers want to hire you by being vague or trying to hide something.
If you got fired, show what you’ve learned from the experience, and what you’ve done to make sure this doesn’t happen again. That’s how to spin it into a positive.
Do:
- Be clear and direct and address the question head-on
- If you were fired, own up to it and share what you’ve done to make sure this never happens again
- If you chose to resign, focus on the positive things you hoped to gain by moving to the next opportunity, rather than badmouthing or talking about the negatives in your last role
Don’t:
- Don’t badmouth or complain
- Never say you resigned because of a disagreement or argument with a coworker
- Don’t make it sound like money is your main priority
- Don’t try to hide facts or avoid the question; this will just lead to more questions and suspicion from the interviewer
Example Interview Answer:
“I was hired for a project management role, but over time that changed and I was no longer being given the opportunity to do the work I was interested in. I left to pursue an opportunity that I felt was more aligned with what I’ve chosen to focus on in my career.”
