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How to Answer the Interview Question 鈥淲hy Are You Looking for a New Job?"

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At some point during an interview process, you may be asked why you're looking for a new job. Learn how to frame your answer and why interviewers ask this question in the first place.

[Featured image] Smiling interviewee meets with two prospective employers.

When you鈥檙e interviewing for a new job, a recruiter or hiring manager may ask why you鈥檙e looking. They may want to learn more about what you hope to achieve by leaving your current role and pursuing a new one.

If you get the question 鈥淲hy are you looking for a new job?鈥 during a job interview, answer it by discussing your larger career goals, focusing on the growth you want to accomplish. In this article, we鈥檒l go over why interviewers ask questions about changing jobs, when you can expect it during an interview phase, and how to best answer the question.聽

Why interviewers ask, 鈥淲hy are you looking for a new job?鈥

The question 鈥淲hy are you looking for a new job?鈥 can arise for a few different reasons during an interview. Employers may want to understand your career goals, assess whether you鈥檇 be a good fit at the company, or make sure your interest in the role aligns with the company鈥檚 larger mission. For example, they may be looking for someone who has a passion for their industry, and it could be a potential mismatch if you emphasize that you want to change jobs to make more money.聽

Sometimes, they may be trying to glean why you鈥檙e interested in leaving your current company. Logistically speaking, companies spend a lot of money hiring and training talent, so they may ask you about why you鈥檙e looking to determine whether you鈥檒l be a strong and long-lasting fit for the role.聽

When you might get this interview question聽

You may be asked, 鈥淲hy are you looking for a new job?鈥 or variations like 鈥淲hy are you interested in changing jobs?鈥 at various stages, and you may get asked the question during more than one interview with a company. Here are three times when you may come across this interview question:聽

  • Recruiter: When you complete an initial phone screen or interview screen with a recruiter, they may ask why you鈥檙e looking to change jobs.

  • Hiring manager: Typically, meeting with a hiring manager is a longer and more involved process than your screen with a recruiter. They may want to assess your reasons for pursuing a new role. Learn more about 15 insightful questions to ask a hiring manager when you meet with one.聽

  • A team member: When you meet individually or in a group with different team members, you may be asked why you鈥檙e looking for a new job.聽聽

Learn more: 12 Types of Interviews You May Find in a Job Search

How to answer 鈥淲hy are you looking for a new job?鈥

Whatever your reasons for looking for a new position, it can be beneficial to focus on your goals in making such a move. You can address other factors, such as pursuing a higher salary or greater work-life balance, in other phases of an interview.聽

When it comes to this question, it鈥檚 a good idea to focus on what you hope to accomplish鈥攁nd what you may help the company achieve鈥攊n changing jobs.聽

Focus on your goals.

Your career is an arc through which you ideally gain more experience, acquire new skills, and keep growing. Frame your answer by touching on your long-term career goals, such as taking on a higher-level role or finding a position with greater growth potential, and how the role you鈥檙e applying for will help you achieve those goals.聽聽

Learn more: 6 Common Career Goals + Examples

Touch on the company鈥檚 mission.

As you discuss your goals, try to integrate the company鈥檚 mission鈥攁nd your interest in it. Interviewers want to know you鈥檙e a good fit for the position and the company, so showing that you鈥檝e thought in a meaningful way about the work itself can augment your answer.聽

For example, you might explain that you enjoy a more structured approach to problem solving and appreciate the thought and consideration the company puts into its product design. Or you might explain that you haven鈥檛 had as many opportunities to be creative in your past work, and you鈥檙e excited by the innovative way the company handles social media.聽聽

Tell a story.

Interviewing may seem like a back-and-forth exchange of questions and answers, but when you approach it as a larger story you get to tell, you can take control of your narrative. As you think through your goals and how they feed into the company鈥檚 work, try to craft a story that you enjoy telling.聽

Many stories follow a straightforward beginning, middle, and end structure. In your case, the beginning can be your career goal, the middle is what excites you about the company, and the end is how working at the company is a step toward achieving your goal.聽

Learn more: Practice Interview Questions: How to Tell Your Story

Be positive.

In speaking about your goals, you may need to address what isn鈥檛 working in your current position. For example, when you say you鈥檙e looking for more growth opportunities, the implication is that you may have hit a wall in your job. If that is the case, avoid speaking negatively about your role and company. Instead, reframe any potential negativity into what you want to accomplish out of your next move.聽

We鈥檝e compiled a list of reasons for leaving a job and ways to discuss those reasons, which may also help you frame how you answer, 鈥淲hy are you looking for a new job?鈥澛

Next steps聽

Prepare for your next interview with the University of Maryland鈥檚 Successful Interview course. You鈥檒l learn how to research a company, prepare for the first 3-5 minutes of an interview, and answer questions where your storytelling skills may be important. Enroll today for a free, 7-day trial.聽聽

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