Why Did You Quit Your Last Job?
If you are unemployed, a common job interview question is why did you quit your last job. The answer has value to the interviewer for several reasons.
Your answer can help the interviewer know whether the type of job you are seeking is available at the interviewer’s company. Your answer can also help the interviewer evaluate your integrity when the time comes to conduct reference checks and background checks. The way you answer the question can help the interviewer draw conclusions about the way you view work and view your role in the workplace.
There are a number a valid reasons people quit their job.
- Safety issues can make jobs undesirable.
- Commute costs or commute distance are sometimes overwhelming.
- Job stress can create the necessity for finding a different job.
- A change in a person’s home life can force a person to have to find a new job.
- A challenging work relationship with your supervisor or co-workers can make you want to find a new place to work.
Quite often people lose a job for reasons beyond their control.
- Companies run into difficulty and lay off people.
- Automation can create changes in the numbers and types of employees a company has.
- Companies move offices, retail locations, or manufacturing facilities to new locations, cutting local jobs.
Prepare thoroughly on how you want to answer the question on why you left your job.
Write out a solid, brief answer.
Try your answer out on several different people. Of course, different people will have different views on how to answer the question. Based on the discussions you have with other people, you will find that these people ask you questions about your reason for quitting your job. Include these questions and your answers to these questions in your thinking about why you quit your job or lost you job.
In the end, you will need to select an answer that works best for you. Thoroughly rehearse your answer. How you answer why you quit your job can help you move on to getting an offer for your next job.