Interview question

Reasons for leaving a job, and what to say

Give one short, honest reason that points toward the new job, such as more responsibility, a new direction, a layoff or a move. Keep it to a sentence or two and never criticize your employer. On an application, a few neutral words like “Seeking more responsibility” are enough.

A man in a navy quarter-zip at his kitchen island in the evening, on a phone call, explaining why he is looking for a new job

What the recruiter is checking

Leaving a job is ordinary. U.S. employers reported 3.1 million quits and 1.7 million layoffs and discharges in July 2026 alone. The recruiter wants to hear a clear, calm reason.

Your motivation

Indeed's guide for hiring managers says the answer shows your motivation and how you talk about your supervisor, team and work environment.
Whether the problem follows you

If you're leaving because you couldn't advance, Indeed tells employers that a job with little room to grow may not be a match. They hold your reason up against their job.
Whether you badmouth

In a CareerBuilder survey, 48% of hiring managers called talking negatively about a current or former employer an instant deal breaker. Some recruiters ask what you'd change about your company to test for it.
Whether the story holds

Indeed tells screeners to check answers for accuracy and treat inconsistent ones as a red flag. Your application, your résumé and your answer should match.

Good reasons, and how to say them

You want to grow

Say“I've learned a lot running [area], and I want to own [bigger scope]. There isn't a path to that on my team right now, and this role is built around it.”

Don't say“There's nowhere to go at my company.” It sounds like a complaint.
You're changing direction

Say“The part of my job I like most is [task]. I want to do that full time, and this role is mostly that.”

Don't say“I'm not sure what I want yet.”
Your manager is the problem

Say“I do my best work with [clear goals and regular feedback], and I'm looking for a team that runs that way.”

Don't say“My manager is terrible.” Describe the team you want, never the person.
Pay is part of it

Say“I'm looking for more ownership of [area], and pay that matches the bigger job.”

Don't say“Honestly, I just want more money.” Pair pay with the work.

If you were fired or laid off

Say what happened in one sentence and what you've done since in another, then turn to this job. U.S. employers reported 1.7 million layoffs and discharges in July 2026 alone, so the recruiter has heard it before. What they listen for is a calm answer that blames no one.

You were laid off

Say“My role was cut in a [company-wide or team] reduction in [month]. Since then I've [course, project or contract work], and I'm ready for a role like this one.”

Don't sayA long story about how the layoff was handled.
You were fired

Say“I was let go from [company] in [month]. The job needed [skill] that I hadn't built yet. Since then I've [what you did], and I'm applying to roles that fit what I do well.”

Don't say“It wasn't my fault,” or a version of events your references won't back up.

On the application form

The field is short. Write a few neutral words that match what you'll say on the call, because recruiters compare the two.

Still in the job

Write“Currently employed” or “Seeking more responsibility”
Laid off

Write“Laid off, position eliminated”
Contract or seasonal work ended

Write“Contract ended”
Moved

Write“Relocated”
Went back to school

Write“Returned to school”
Fired

Write“Terminated,” with one calm sentence ready for the call

Tell the truth on the form. Some applications ask outright. The federal government's Declaration for Federal Employment asks whether you've been fired from any job in the last five years, and warns that a false statement “may be grounds for not hiring you, or for firing you after you begin work.” In the same CareerBuilder survey, 71% of hiring managers called being caught lying an instant deal breaker, the top answer.

If you've changed jobs a lot

There's no official line for job hopping. For comparison, U.S. workers aged 25 to 34 had been with their employer for a median of 3.0 years in January 2026. What the interviewer worries about is that you'll leave them too: in a Robert Half survey, 44% of CFOs said they were not at all likely to hire someone with a history of job hopping, because they want to avoid losing them.

You've changed jobs often

Say“Each move added scope: [first role], then [second], then [third]. This role is the next step, and it's one I want to grow in.”

Don't say“The last two places just weren't a fit.” It sounds like the next one won't be either.
Some moves weren't your choice

Say“Two of those were contracts, and one company closed its office here. The move I chose was for [reason].”

Don't sayLetting a contract or a layoff look like quitting. Say which moves were yours.

More on explaining job hopping, with sample answers →

You've read the answer. Now say it.

The words come out differently when someone is waiting for them. An AI recruiter asks why you're looking, then presses once on your reason. If you criticize your employer, it asks a neutral follow-up and sees whether you stay professional. Your search story gets its own score.

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