How To Answer “Why Are You Looking For A New Job?”

Being asked “Why are you looking for a new job?” can feel like a trick question to make you fail the interview, but interviewers ask it to help assess if you’re a good fit for the company. Preparing for this question and understanding how to answer “Why are you looking for a new job will help you impress your interviewer and nail your interview.

To help you prepare to give an answer that interviewers are looking for, we’ll go over how to answer, “Why are you looking for a new job?”, we’ll provide some example answers, and why interviewers ask this question. You’ll also learn how to be honest in your answer without sharing more information than necessary.

Key Takeaways

• Always focus on why you want to change jobs, not what others did to drive you to look elsewhere.

• Stay positive in your answer, focusing on why you want to join this particular organization and role.

• Practice your answer with someone else before the interview to make sure you don’t sound angry or overly negative.

How to answer “Why are you looking for a new job?

To answer “Why are you looking for a new you, you should keep the focus on you rather than your past employer, talk about why you want to join this new company, avoid negativity, and practice your answer. While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, here are some steps you can take to prepare a professional, truthful, and satisfactory response.

1. Focus on yourself first. It’s important to note that your discussion of what you’d like to do in the company is one that should arise from your own wants and needs. A hiring manager isn’t just looking for someone who can fill a role — they’re looking for someone who has their own wants and ambitions, who’s enthusiastic about the work that they do, and willing to put a little extra thought into how and why they do it.

   So make sure that when you’re discussing your reasons for working with a new company you’re doing a good job getting across your long-term goals. Why are you looking for new responsibilities? How does that fit into your current career arc? On a related note (and something else that an interviewer might be fishing for), how long do you plan on sticking around?

2. Talk about the company. Your employer knows now why you want to leave your old job and get a new one — but why, of all places, do you want to work for their company in particular?

   This part can be tough if, say, you forgot to actually do any research on the company before you walked into the interview (we’ve all been there). But it’s particularly important if you want to wow a hiring manager. You have to show more than just that you want a new job like this one — you have to prove that you want this particular job, of all the jobs that are out there for you.

   So don’t just say you want more responsibilities — talk about what a few of those responsibilities might be, tailored specifically to what you know about this company. And rather than just saying you want a more team-based atmosphere, talk about why you think you’ll find that atmosphere at your new company specifically.

3. Avoid negative talk. For all the most common interview questions and answers, follow this golden rule. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t want to hear about your horrible ex-boss or toxic workplace policies.

   For starters, it’s not a good look. They’ll be wondering how long until you start bad-mouthing this workplace if they extend you a job offer.

   Additionally, it’s a small world. Your recruiter or hiring manager might know the person you’re talking smack about, so it’s safer to keep things positive and diplomatic.

4. Tell the truth. While you should stay as positive as possible when you talk about why you’re looking for a new job, you shouldn’t ever lie. Hiring managers will be able to see through any lies, and it will end up hurting you more than helping you.

   It is possible to tell the truth in a respectful, positive way — you just might have to put a little extra work into crafting your answer.

5. Prepare and practice. Being honest is important, but so is getting your delivery right. Do some mock interview questions and answers with a friend to ensure your tone is on point and you don’t sound bitter about getting fired or laid off (if that’s your reason).

   Always bring the conversation back to how excited you are for a new opportunity to add value to the employer. It may take a couple of attempts at answering, but practice can help your answer sound natural, honest, and positive.

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Example answers to “Why are you looking for a new job?”

Here are some example answers to “Why are you looking for a new job?” for different scenarios you may face when answering this question:

1. Looking for a new environment and opportunities example answer

   “I’m looking for new responsibilities and opportunities to learn about the industry because eventually, I’d like to find my way into a management position. In the meantime, I’d also like to work in an environment that’s a little more team-based, where I can really feel like I have a defined role in the office.

   Because of that, I’m particularly excited at the idea of working with your company given how focused the CEO is on team-building and on building communication between the various levels of the organization. Additionally, I’m interested in your ongoing project to develop a more thoughtful job-search platform, and I’d love to bring my own perspective to the project.”

   Why it’s a good answer: This interviewee mentions her career goals and her ideal environment without badmouthing her former role or work environment. She could have easily talked about how her last job stifled collaboration, but instead, she focuses on the positive aspects of the employer.

2. Laid-off example answer

   “I was laid off because our department was eliminated in a downsizing effort.”

   Why it’s a good answer: When your answer involves something unpleasant, it’s best to give a quick, concise answer. The hiring manager or recruiter might ask some follow-up questions, so have a bit more context ready just in case. Just don’t go overboard right away; if your interviewer wants details, she’ll ask about them.

3. Wanting to develop and expand skills example answer

   “I’ve been developing my programming skills in the past few years, and my last position didn’t challenge me enough in this regard. This position would allow me to incorporate and test new techniques I’ve learned recently and deliver exciting new projects to clients.

   Developing my professional skills is important to me, so knowing that your company values growth enough to offer comprehensive training once a quarter is a big draw for me. Additionally, I feel that your current project to educate clients while building them a winning product speaks to a corporate ethos that I could take pride in being a part of.”

   Why it’s a good answer: This interviewee has hit on her skills, motivations, and long-term goals, and includes specific information about the company she’s applying to. Qualifications and accomplishments are a part of it, but it’s mostly a narrative about how and why this person succeeds and what they want out of a job based on these self-assessments.

4. Previous work ended example answer

   “I’ve spent the last couple of years traveling and teaching English, and now that I’m back in the US, I’m excited to put my passion for teaching to work in a more traditional school setting. Learning classroom management and developing fun and unique projects are areas I excel, and I love how your school embraces a diversity of thought and methodology.”

   Why it’s a good answer: This answer is honest about why the interviewee is out of work at the moment, but it describes an important set of characteristics; a love of new experiences and a passion for teaching. He also mentions his skills and how those skills fit into the school’s goals.

5. Looking to challenge yourself example answer

   “While I’ve truly valued my time and experiences at my current role. I believe it’s important for personal and professional growth to continually seek out new challenges. I’ve reached a point where I feel that I’ve accomplished a lot within my current role and mastered many of the responsibilities.

   I want to further develop my skills and take on more complex and innovative projects. I believe that embracing new challenges, I can continue to learn, contribute, and make a meaningful impact.”

   Why it’s a good answer: This is a good answer because it shows the candidate’s interest in learning new skills and improving themselves.

6. Needing to relocate example answer

   “I’m looking for a new job because I am in the process of relocating. This decision is driven because of personal reasons, such as being closer to my family. I want to be closer to my family as we expand and grow and I believe it will bring a positive change to my life. It will also allow me to fully commit to both my professional and personal aspirations.”

   Why it’s a good answer: This answer demonstrates transparency and honesty about why the candidate is seeking a new job. Relocating for personal reasons also signifies stability and commitment to a location.

Why interviewers ask “Why are you looking for a new job?”

Interviewers ask “Why are you looking for a new job to help assess your personality and experience. They also know that, for one reason or another, you need a new job, and that odds are it’s not because you absolutely loved your last place.

So it’s important to be as honest as possible with whoever’s interviewing you since they’ll know right away if you’re lying. From just a basic state, you want to tell the truth, because if all you have to tell your new employer is that your last job was totally satisfying to you in every way, they’ll probably think you’re a liar.

Even worse, they might think you’re telling the truth, in which case you’d be an idiot to them — after all, who in their right mind leaves a job that they love and where all their needs are being met?

Hiring managers and recruiters don’t need to know too many of the sordid details of your last disastrous job. Instead, they want to hear how the job you’re applying for is perfect for you; as with all questions and answers during the interview process.

Balancing honesty and positivity when answering “Why are you looking for a new job?”

While basic honesty is still necessary, being too honest is also bad. For one thing, you don’t want to say anything too bad about your last boss or your last company. It could get back to them somehow, which would be catastrophic — not only would they probably not be a great reference, but in the event that you don’t find a new job, they also won’t be too keen on working with you much longer.

Talking poorly about your last work experience reflects worse on you than on them, at least at first. You can tell all the horror stories you like once you get your new job — in the meantime, you still have to look to a new employer like you can be a team player.

Implications make up the true language of an interview — you have to learn how to tell someone a lot about yourself without laying too much on the table too quickly. There are a lot of ways to tell someone that your last co-workers weren’t great, or that you weren’t getting paid enough, without coming out and saying so directly.

For example, making more money is typically associated with having more responsibility — one possible way to say that you want more money could be to say that you’re looking to take on additional challenges or to learn new industry skills.

Likewise, telling an interviewer that you’re looking for a certain kind of team or office atmosphere can go a long way toward implying some of your frustrations with your last company.

Final Thoughts

The most common interview questions can be trickier than they appear at first, but with a little prep work, you’ll be answering “why are you looking for a new job” without breaking a sweat.

Remember those four big ingredients you need for a good answer — honesty, diplomacy, your own long-term goals, and why you’re interested in this particular company or position. If you can manage to incorporate all four, you’ll do a pretty good job impressing the hiring manager and showing them that you know what it takes to move on from an old position without stepping on too many toes.

But it’s important to remember one last thing: namely, that you most likely won’t be giving your prepared answer all in one go, exactly like you planned it. An interview isn’t an audition, after all — you can prepare some of what you’ll say, but you can’t predict all of what a hiring manager might ask. Ultimately, an interview is a conversation, and much of your success depends on your ability to convey all of the above information in a way that seems easy and natural.

So work on your small talk and come prepared. If you’re lucky, that boulder might just end up missing you after all.

How to answer “Why are you looking for a new job?” FAQ

1. What are common reasons to be looking for a new job?

   Some common reasons to be looking for a new job include:

   • You were laid off from your last job

   • You want to change industries

   • You are looking for a new challenge or to learn new skills

   • You’re relocating for personal reasons

2. What should you avoid when answering “Why are you looking for a new job?”

   You should avoid complaining about your previous employer. When you badmouth your previous employer, an interviewer might wonder if you were part of the problem. You should remain positive with your answer and be as honest as possible.

References

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Employment Interviewing: Seizing the Opportunity and the Job

Author

Ryan Morris

Ryan Morris was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog who tried to make the job process a little more entertaining for all those involved. He obtained his BA and Masters from Appalachian State University.