After all, this simple question will indirectly let the potential employer know what you expect from your job – and giving a bad answer could make you seem like a “problem” colleague. However, with the right approach, you can actually turn this question to your advantage and make sure the question shows you and your application in a good light instead

How to Answer Questions About Changing Your Job

If you’ve been asked tricky questions in an interview, you’ll know how hard it can be to think of a suitable answer. However, giving the wrong answer to this question could compromise the entire interview, so it’s vital to be careful with this one!

What The Interviewer Could Catch You Out With

There are several common ways an interviewer could catch you out when asking why you want to change your job during the interview. Some of the most common mistakes people will make when answering this question will include the following:

- Slating your current employer: If you slate or talk down about your current employer or colleagues – even if you don’t mention them by name – this can suggest to the employer that you may not be wholly loyal or honest to their business.

- Complaining about the conditions: While there’s nothing wrong with wanting more from your job, complaining about the conditions during the interview may make you appear to be a “tricky” colleague. This may raise warning signs with a potential employer.

- Showing different values: If your answer doesn’t show you as being in alignment with the company’s values, this can raise severe warning signs. For example, if you say you left your past job because you couldn’t get along with the colleagues, this may suggest that you are not much of a team player.

Justifications for Why You Want to Change Your Job

Answering why you want to change your job is tricky since there are a lot of potential pitfalls here. However, if you focus not on the problems with your current job but on how the new job would be better, you may be able to mitigate these issues and turn the interview in your favour!

So, what possible justifications might you be able to give for wanting to change your job? Some of the best options in this regard include the following ideas:

- You share the same values as the interviewing company

- You believe the interviewing company will offer new opportunities for growth

- You think the new role will be more challenging and engaging

- You are looking for an exciting change of scenery after working in a previous role for a long time. However, don’t say this if you’ve only been in your past job for a year or two. Doing so would suggest that you are not looking for a long-term opportunity)

Final Thoughts

If you have been preparing for your next interview, knowing what to say – and what not to say – can be hugely helpful. This is especially important when the interviewer starts asking about why you want to change your job because this seemingly simple question can reveal a huge amount of information about the sort of worker you are and whether you might be a good candidate – sometimes not even necessarily true.

So, if you get caught up with this question, keep today’s key tips in mind. The main things to remember here are to be honest but not to slate your previous employer or give out day-to-day dealings. Instead, make sure to focus your answer on the opportunities the new employer can offer.