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how to answer "why are you looking for a new job?"Featuredhttps://elpha.com/resources/why-are-you-looking-for-a-new-job

Josefina'sJosefina·Oct 03
Posted in:AdviceJob HuntingResources

Hi Elphas!

We just published a new resource on how to answer common job interview questions like "why are you looking for a new job?" and "tell me about yourself" with insights from experienced hiring managers.

We cover:

  • what hiring managers are really assessing
  • practical tips for structuring your response
  • realistic examples for putting theory into practice.

✨ Read the guide ✨

Thank you to everyone who shared their questions a few weeks back – we really appreciate it! 💜

iynna'sIynna·Oct 03
I loooove this new resource, Josefina!!!
Josefina'sJosefina·Oct 07
thank you!!!
brianarani'sBriana·Oct 03
Such an amazing resource!! I loved the insights from all of the HR experts :)
iynna'sIynna·Oct 06
exactly! it makes it even more legit
Rae79·Oct 18
Hmm... so I love a lot of the answers in this guide, but I feel like the "why are you looking for a new job?" one doesn't make any sense to me. It seems like the suggestion is to avoid answering the question directly, J.D. Vance-style.@AndreaYMacek Is it really true that the hiring manager isn't trying to figure out why you want to leave your current job? In the past, I've definitely said things like, "I'm looking for a role with better work-life balance" and I've still gotten the offer. Is this really such a bad idea?
KathyF'sKathyF·Dec 04
I agree with you - it does eventually answer the question, but it feels evasive to me. Why not just say "I was laid off due to a companywide restructure, despite having a great performance review and..." I keep hearing how valuable the hiring manager's time is, so don't fluff up your answer. Remember that's also how you'll be anticipated to speak with colleagues and your team. It's not curt, it's just succinct.
AndreaYMacek'sAndreaYMacek·Oct 18
Thanks for sharing your experience with this question. The article shares that the hiring manager IS trying to understand why you're looking for a job. Everyone's experience is different, thus the resource is designed for general support, not as a personalized resource for each situation. In your case, it sounds like you were prepared with a clear answer which is great and it worked out with an offer, awesome! However, most candidates are thrown off by this question and in some cases, some people may even start to bad mouth a former employer, team member or boss. You should always be transparent in way you're leaving while being professional -i.e. not the time to bad mouth someone. I'm not saying that you would do that -it's an example that's more common than you would think. The main point of that question and my answer in the resource is to help women answer that question in a thoughtful, clear, honest, and strategic way. In most cases, candidates will need to more intentional about sharing their goal in relation to HOW it will benefit the employer -so if you're asking for 3 days for remote work vs 2, it's critical that you share your answer in a way that supports them while asking for what you want. I hope this helps!
Sheilla'sSheilla·Nov 12
I think a follow-up question after "Why are you looking for a new job?" is to ask "Why is the role open? What happened to the person who's job is being filled?" if they have not already answered this question. It's a good idea to know why the position is open so you can judge the company as well.
KathyF'sKathyF·Dec 04
You mean you shouldn't say "because I don't have one"? Kidding, really kidding. Thank you very much for the resource!
MorganLucas'sMorgan·Dec 19
I had 2 interviews this week; Oddly I don't remember them asking this. I appreciate these resources, as I frame it as, to simplify, "Your tech stack looks neat."
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