How to Answer: "Why Are You Leaving Your Current Job?" | I'm a LinkedIn Instructor 😱

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On December 5, something special happened to me.

🎉 Ya girl became an official LinkedIn Learning Instructor! check out my post.

This course goes out to everyone who manages projects and:

• Wants to drive influence without authority

• Needs tactics to communicate effectively (and hold people accountable).

• Struggles with imposter syndrome because of fear of failure (both you and the project).

And here’s the feedback so far:

Plus so many more popping up! My heart is so full. When you re-share, I like to repost with my audience as well. Thank you all 🫶.

Remember, while my advice isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, it's crucial to tailor it to your unique story.

So why do companies even ask this?

1. To make sure you’e not a problem worker (aka not crazy)

2. To understand why you’re choosing them > current company

This question really boils down to: Why does this move make sense?

Not just for you, but for THEM as well.

❌ Don’ts:

• Don’t get personal: Keep your reasons professional and focused on career growth.

• Never badmouth period: Even if you hated your manager or the work was toxic, just don’t bring it up. It’s not additive.

• Skip the details: No need to share specifics. 9/10 times no one cares about your reason.

✅ Do’s:

• Focus on growth: Talk about your desire for new challenges and opportunities that align with your career goal and personal ambitions.

• Align with the new role: Focus on what’s in it for them. Frame it as a win-win.

• Show that you’re excited: Show genuine interest. Paint a picture as to what it’d be like if you were on their team.

Personal example

Here’s how I answered this question to land my role at Figma when I was working at LinkedIn:

"While LinkedIn has been great, I really want to accelerate my growth and time to impact. I’ve had my best moments when I joined hyper-growth startups and naturally had to wore multiple hats. This is where I thrive. Figma is more than a design startup, it has the potential to be the next household name and I’m personally excited to join this rocketship where I get to: chart a brand new role as the very first Ops PM in Product Support and build scalable processes to become best-in-class.”

Your template

"While [current company] has been great, I’m looking for a new challenge where I get to do more of [specific responsibilities to the new role]. This role at [new company] excites me because it aligns perfectly with my skills in [specific skills or experiences] where I can contribute to [specific projects or goals of the new company]."

Community Tips

How have you successfully responded to this question? Share your tips and tricks by hitting reply!

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