Why do I want to leave my job?

Mrs.McGuire

I have an interview on Friday with another company, and I am dreading this question that I am sure will likely be asked.

Background: I have been with Insurance company X for over 4.5 years. I am in an extremely unique roll and due to the sheer volume of the workload and projects, I have asked for help NUMEROUS times because quite frankly I can't do it alone. I am not shy about asking for help and have every person that I have trained to assist me has been promoted, switched departments, or quit or was fired. So needless to say, trying to get a backup internally has been HARD. Then on my review in May they had the audacity to tell me I need to ask for help more often... (Seriously?)

So I have a friend of a friend that contacted me and said,  "Hey we've got this job opening and i thought of you. I think you should send over your resume. I think you'd be a good fit." This company is also insurance, but completely different lines. Substantially smaller in size of employees, etc. The friend of a friend that works there has never once spoken poorly of her employer, workload, coworkers, etc. She always speaks glowingly of everyone and everything. 

I sent my resume in yesterday, and by the afternoon I had an interview scheduled for this Friday. . . aaaaand I KNOW this question is going to come up....

Anyone have any great ideas about how I ought to approach this when asked??

I told my supervisor that I updated my resume and I put it out in the Sea, and not to be surprised if she gets any calls. She is aware that it's out there and may get bites....

Dr.Loretta

Wow, you told your supervisor you were looking for a new job? Interesting.

In any case, you can approach it a lot of different ways and still be telling the truth. You were looking for a smaller company with a different focus than what you currently have. That you're looking for a new challenge, since you've been at your current company almost 5 years and there's no opportunity for advancement or learning of new skills. That you're looking for more of a management role than you currently have (if that's what you want and the new job will provide it). That your friend spoke so highly of the company, and your research found it to be so great, you couldn't help but apply for the job. Etc.

Mrs.McGuire

My supervisor and I are considerably "tight" and we share a lot of things with one another. She is like a mom to me and I love her. It's her management that sees over everyone else that I really have the issue with... I am generally very straight forward and truthful with her because that is the type of relationship we have.   I got my master's last year and told her a year ago that I was keeping my employment options open- she wasn't surprised really... Yes I told her I updated my resume, however I did NOT tell her that I was looking for anything specific or how active I was looking, etc. I simply told her pretty much what she already knew was bound to happen.

Mrs.McGuire

Thanks so much for your ideas as suggestions for why I want to leave. I jotted them down and am probably going to go with the first one and the last one as what I will say if I am asked. Thanks!

FrannyS

Wow - I could have written this post several years ago and had a very similar tract. I too worked a unique role for an insurer and had a friend mention an open position at his company, sent my resume, interviewed and got hired.  I had been at my job for 6 years and when asked why I wanted to leave, I answered it was just time for a change.  I'd say you were interested in expanding to different insurance lines or something like that.

kbkenn

I agree with PPs.  You could also say something along the lines of your friend told you about the position and she spoke very highly about it and the company.  And you did some research that confirmed what your friend said, so you thought you needed to explore this great opportunity.  So it's more about why you want this job versus why you want to leave your current job.