Recruiters: Reason for leaving?

ac4mvp · January 2011

I am wondering from those who work in recruiting how much emphasis is placed on why a person is leaving his or her job? Is something like "I am interested in a position that more closely aligns with my goals..." good enough of an explanation? I can defnitely support this by offering specific information on how the position I am interviewing for meets this criteria, but overall I am wondering if that is in general enough to suffice. (I'd rather not go into the details of how I work for a real life Michael Scott...)

Dr.Loretta · January 2011

Not a recruiter, but that's generally what we advise on this board. We get a lot of posts where people are miserable at their jobs and we encourage them to spin the reason for leaving in a positive way (eg, "I'm looking for a better opportunity")

mlbrent · January 2011

I used to be a recruiter and most recruiters will look at reasons for leaving a position. The patterns are more important than any one specific job but I would follow Dr. Loretta's advice and try to put a positive spin on the reason for leaving. Focus on what you are looking for and growth opportunities rather than what went wrong at your last job.

ac4mvp · January 2011

Thank you!

mamaloaf · January 2011

Figure out what you're going to say and practice that speech repeatedly. Don't say too much, either! This recently bit me in the butt because I said too much about my reasons for leaving.

Daiseys · January 2011

I think that answer is good. I have interviewed a number of people and usually where they go wrong with this question is that they get nervous and say way too much. If a person keeps leaving places in a short time span that puts up some red flags and warrents a little more explanation but if you have been at your current job for a decent amount of time, a short and sweet answer is just fine for me...this way we can get on to the more interesting questions. Also, like you said, if you can tie it to specific things in the job description or at the company that you are interviewing for, that will earn you some brownie points (at least for me). You would be amazed how many people do not take the time to do their homework before coming in for an interview - a huge turnoff for an interviewer.

ac4mvp · January 2011

I have thought about saying too much, and I agree that rehearsing is something I need to do.

I haven't been at my current job for very long (seven months), but my previous position was for six and a half years and the reason why I left that job was because of a restructuring of the organization (my job role was eliminated and outsourced).

I have defnitely done the research, not just on what the company does, but there are only about 8 positions in the company so I have thought of questions to ask during the interview about how they interact with each other.

Thanks for all the advice, ladies!

Daiseys · February 2011

You sounds very well prepared. I think you will do great! Good luck Wink

Recruiters: Reason for leaving?

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