Interview Question Help

Hello everyone, still on the lookout for another job.....5 months and still looking.

But from my interviews I've went through so far, I'm having trouble with this one question and how to answer it. I'm currently working and it's been 7 months so far. But when prospective employers ask why I'm leaving, what's the best answer to give?

This job I have is no challenge, pay is ok, and I feel like I'm going backwards in my career (doing more help desk than desktop support or system administration - background is desktop support/Jr. system administration). I don't want to say any of that, but I want to give them an answer that convinces them of why I'm leaving and continues their thought process to the rest of my resume.

I know everything else about myself I can explain and prove to them I can do whatever the job description says. But since that's usually one of the 1st questions out of their mouths before knowing anything else about me, it just sours the rest of the interview.

I would of quit this garbage job a long time ago, but because it's close to my daughter's daycare, I'm stuck with it until I can find something else.

Please help a TechExams brotha out.

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Comments

cyberguypr

"I've decided that is not the direction I want to go in my career and my current employer has no opportunities in the direction I'd like to head. I am interested in a new challenge and an opportunity to use my technical skills and experience in a different capacity than I have in the past."

pham0329

Don't mention the pay, but the rest of your reasoning sounds like a good answer. Something to the effect of

"I'm no longer feeling challenged, and I believe it would be best for both parties if we parted ways"

Rockets34Life

Thanks guys for the answers.

Now the question is when I mention that this position is not the direction I wanted to go in my career or say I'm no longer feeling challenged, don't you think it raises red flags to prospective employers because I've only been here 7 months?

pham0329

TBH, if the company is interested in you, none of this stuff is going to matter. I recently received several offers for a new position, and during the interviews, I was asked why I wanted to leave my current company (8 months), I told them what I told you and that was it.

If they were to ask why I'm leaving after such a short amount of time, I would tell them that no matter how much research you do, or how great the job description sounds, until you actually work there, you're not going to know what the company is like. You're not going to know what your day-to-day is like. If I took a job and ended up feeling it's the wrong move, I'm not going to wait 6+ months just so I can say I've been here for a year because I think that will only have a negative effect.

manny355

I have gotten this question in almost every interview/job i've done. The answer that I give, is this..."I'm looking to move my career forward and I can't get to where I want to be in this current position." That answer is truthful and sets you up for the invariable next question which generally is "where do you see yourself in x number of years?" Answer that question any way you see fit...there is no wrong answer.

buzzkill

manny355 wrote: »

Answer that question any way you see fit...there is no wrong answer.

There is.

interview - YouTube

manny355

lol...nice...maybe I should have preferenced that with anybody with any common sense...although I think peter is hilarious.