The 'Why Are You Leaving' Question: Answer Forward, Not With Complaints

Interviewers are checking two things — whether you'll leave them quickly too, and how you talk about your last employer (a preview of how you'll talk about them). So treat this as the front half of 'why I'm applying,' not a confession of grievances.

Don't stop at the negative (why you're leaving) — connect it to the positive (what you want to do here).

1. The fact — short and plain

   One sentence on why you're leaving. No badmouthing — frame it as 'bigger scale,' 'a new domain,' or 'growth plateaued.'

2. The pivot — 'and so'

   Link that reason to something this company can offer, so your reason for leaving and your reason for applying become one line.

3. The future — what you want to do

   Be specific about what you want to do here. This is the center of gravity of your answer.

• ✕Badmouthing your old job or boss — the most common and most damaging.
• ✕Making pay the only reason — even if true, place it alongside a growth story.
• ✕Vague answers like 'it just wasn't a fit' — reads as evasive.
• ✕Reason-for-leaving and reason-for-applying not connecting — they should be one thread.

Record your answer, then listen to your last sentence: does it end on a past grievance or on what you want to do next? The weight should sit on the future.