Tough Interview Question - Help Please

:)

I'm looking for a position that might provide further growth potential.

I'm looking for a challenge and personal growth.

I'm interested in joining a company with a more interesting and complex technical environment.

All of these may be totally true. But not necessarily the only reason, or even the prime reason.

You are caught between a rock and a hard place. The worse answer would be : because my boss is a micromanaging jerk. Because we all face challenges in our jobs and try to overcome them. Changing jobs is a tacit admission that you couldn't overcome that challenge. But don't worry, I hear it all the time.

James

you've acquired.
You have simply out grown your current role and there's nowhere for you to go within the organisation you are in.

Just say you're looking for an opportunity to grow and that their job would offer that to you.

Never trash your old job.

AV

I've pretty much been able to use the same answer every time:

The contract is ending (has ended etc.)

I'm looking for an opportunity to have more influence in the process, to be able to make more decisions, and to have more of an impact on the outcome. I've experienced a great deal of personal growth in my career, and I want an environment where I can grow professionally as well.

It is seen as a bad thing to bad mouth a previous employer. You open the door to the interviewer thinking you may have been part of the problem.

James

I interview a lot of people, and whenever one of them criticizes the former (or current) employer, it raises a red flag. The person conducting the interview has no idea if what you say is accurate or not, or more importantly, if it's your outlook that only "sees" those problems.

I avoid negative-thinkers and complainers like the plague; they're a poison that can spread throughout an entire organization. It's amazing how many people come in and "complain" about various things. It doesn't matter what it is: the industry, the former employer, the bad economy, and so on; heck, I've even interviewed people who complain about racism and sexism in the industry (like I have to hire them to "prove" I'm not a racist! Yea, right!). I'd never hire any of these people because I wouldn't want to run the risk of getting one of those "complainers" who will later infect others in the company.

It's not what goes on around a person that matters, at least not as much as how a person chooses to deal with it and "see" it. I look for attitude and outlook more than anything else. I can always train a person with a great attitude who might be lacking in skills; but I can never train the most skillful person who has a bad attitude to change his/her outlook. Hire for attitude, train for skills; that's my motto.

Sure it's tempting to badmouth your current employer and go on a rant about what big prick your boss is and so, but refrain from doing that. The person conducting the interview alerady knows why you are looking to leave, be it money or poor working conditions, but how you answer is vital. Don't ever discuss money as your primary goal, and always stick to the tried and true response of wanting to take on more challenging roles. As stupid as it may sound, it's now what the company can offer you, but what you can offer to the company.

I think that candidates need to focus on showing the best side of themsleves. It is entirely too easy for a candiadate to "go negative" when answering this question, so it needs to be handled very delicately.

I'm not suggesting that you lie. And a very good interviewer might follow up with a question that might uncover the problems. But anything that sounds like you are looking to leave a problem situation is open to interpretation by the interviewer, and could be seen in a bad light.

And if we are really honest, you never leave for just one reason. You chose which reason you should highlight.

James

The people interviewing you know that other companies can have bad envts and there are plenty of reasons for you to leave.

What they are looking for is a positive spin and a partial truth. Undoubtedly there are several reasons; long drive, low pay, bad boss, bad envt, etc.

Say whatever combination you can do in a positive way. This shows them you're someone who rolls with the punches and keeps a positive attitude.

Never say anything bad about previous bosses, or company, unless it's something factual, such as they went bankrupt or laid you off.

E.g. my gal friend is planning to quit her job soon, as the sales people are jerks who yell at her, which is allowed by the company president. She was actually going to say this in her resignation letter.

I asked her why she felt obligated to tell the truth to these jerks who have lied and abused her? She's now going to tell them it is the long drive, which is true, event tho just part of it; the long stressfull drive to a place where they stress her out even more!

I think most of the responses are in agreement. You want to say something that is true, plausible and easy to back up. If you say you want to grow in a new environment, expect to get a follow up question of "like how?"

Some other ways to phrase it that are truthful and suscinct:

- The management culture has recently changed and it is not what I am looking for. I'm an independent thinker and work best when given a mission and allowed to truck on.

- I've worked in that industry for X years and I decided that it was time for a change.

I might use any one of following, depending on the situation:
1- It was a company's manpower reduction plan

2- Looking a challenging environment with growth and development opportunities.

3- Contract has ended or ending

4- I am working on a contract basis and I don't like to work in this status for one or another reason (lack of development, growth, equal opportunities and lot more reasons etc.)
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NOTE:
Situation #4: Sometime contract employee can not avail all those facilities which a permanent/payroll listed employee gets like what I mentioned above, so aspect can also be presented at first point with the addition of point #2 above or vice versa.

Situation #1, 2 & 3: These three can be presented in general, while #1 should work fine, if the interviewer doesn't conduct cross reference check later after the interview.

I was in exactly the same position as you 12 years ago - my boss was such a pain that everyone in the dept left. However, as several people have pointed out, interviewers are likely to take a dim view on anything you say that is negative; they don't know if what you say is true, but they will form an opinion (right or wrong) about your attitude from it.

I guess that as you are going to some length to resolve this issue, you are not comfortable with simply lying, and want to say something that you feel is reasonably truthful. So, in broader terms, how is the micromanaging jerk adversely affecting you, apart from pissing you off? Is it restricting your career opportunities? Then in all honesty say you are looking for new opportunities at the interview. Or a position with more empowerment and responsibility, which micromanagement typical restricts.

Basically, if you feel you need to be honest in reply to this question, phrase it in a positive way that makes you seem like the kind of guy the would want to hire. Be economical with the truth if necessary. Use positive euphemisms.

I've been in this situation.

I likened it to both of us being on the same course with the same understandings. However, over time, what I understood to be my boss's goals vs. my goals, slowly diverged. Just a ship off by 2 degrees. Over time, there's a large difference. It was time for me to correct my course.

I respond with a positive statement first followed by a reason to leave, for example "XYZ is a successful company and I have acquired new skills such as ABC at my time there. I am currently reviewing the market at this time to see whether I can broaden my skills in project management via a new career opportunity". I would never mention personality conflicts, even though this is a valid reason to leave ? remember an interview is a sales pitch for both sides. You should never lie but leaving things unsaid is another matter altogether.

You can always say that the expectations you'd been given when you started didn't match what really happened after that, or that they expected someone more junior.

Why not say that you're looking for a position with more responsibility (you mean less micro-managing, but your new employer will appreciate the drive for responsibility)?

Good luck!

Well micromanaging me or manager was micromanaging is one the view point of poeple in this thread, I found, to my knowledge this not good to communicate to new employer or recruiter, because this is one side of the picture, but new employer/recruiter will difinitely look towards other way round.

So if you expect that no cross reference will be performed by the employer/recruiter then this answer might inforce to cross check which result in a very unfavourable situation

So I am not agree with this scenario.

One of the best answer I believe is "Challanging environmen with growth and development opportunity"

No need even to say that I looking towards relocation "for something". Above answer will benefit and fulfill all the needs of candidate

Cool.