Page 129 - 101 Dynamite Answers to Interview Questions

122 Nail the Job Interview!

Why do you want to leave your present job? Why
did you leave your previous jobs?

Give positive rather than negative reasons for leaving, regardless
of how negative your situation may have been. If you left
because you were asked to resign or were unhappy, try to
elaborate on positives. Call it ‘*rthered career advancement” or
“seeking n new challenge. ” Avoid using negative terms. For exam-
ple,

I left my last job after four years of progressive experience. As a
small jnn, it oflered few opportunities for career advancement. I
felt I had gone as far as I could there and decided it was time to
expand my career horizons.

. Why have you changed jobs so frequently?
Why would you be more likely to stay here?

Even though tenure with companies tends to be a lot shorter
these days than a decade or two ago, employers are reluctant to
hire people who have job-hopped excessively- especially if there
seems to be no good reason for the frequent changes. Hiring and
training employees is an investment the employer makes. She
wants to get a reasonable return on that cost. Stress reasons why
the situation(s) that caused you to job-hop no longer exist or
what is different about this opportunity that will cause you to
stay. Stress you intend this to be a longer-term commitment.
For example,

I realize I did not stay long in thejrst three jobs I held after
college. In each instance I had accepted positions in very smnll
jinis. I learned and rapid[y gained projcierzy each time, but
found there was no place to advance. I was stuck in a dead-end
job. With this job search I have limited my interest tojinzs like
yours that are large enough for me to grow with thejrm as my
skills increase.