Please discuss why you left your previous company
Topic Description
This question aims to understand your reasons for leaving, your career values, and your expectations for new opportunities. The interviewer hopes to assess through your answer:
- Whether your reason for leaving is reasonable and whether it might recur at the new company;
- Whether your career aspirations align with the current position;
- Whether you can evaluate past experiences with a professional attitude, rather than complaining or being emotional.
Problem-Solving Steps
Step 1: Clarify the core principles of your answer
- Maintain a positive and neutral tone: Do not criticize the former company, managers, or colleagues; focus on objective factors or personal growth needs.
- Focus on the future: Emphasize that your decision to leave is related to your career plan and explain how the new position meets your needs.
- Be concise and specific: Avoid vague statements (e.g., "wanted a change of environment") and support your points with facts.
Step 2: Outline common reasons for leaving and how to express them
| Acceptable and Reasonable Reasons | Recommended Expression Examples | Expressions to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Limited career growth (e.g., narrow promotion paths, repetitive responsibilities) | "I gained [specific skills] at my previous company, but I hope to develop in [new direction], while the responsibilities of the original position were relatively fixed..." | "The company didn't give me promotion opportunities" |
| Company strategic adjustments (e.g., business contraction, role transformation) | "Due to adjustments in the company's business direction, the functions of my team changed, which did not align well with my career goals..." | "The company's management was chaotic, and the project couldn't proceed" |
| Seeking a larger platform/more challenges (e.g., moving from a small company to a large one) | "I hope to participate in [specific type] projects within a more mature system, and your company's [certain platform/business] is very appealing to me..." | "The previous company was too small and had no future" |
| Objective factors such as location/work schedule (e.g., relocation, remote work restrictions) | "Due to family relocation needs, I had to look for opportunities in [new city], but I really appreciate your company's flexible work model..." | "The commute was too tiring; I didn't want to go to work" |
Step 3: Construct an answer framework (adapted STAR method)
- Situation: Briefly describe the background of your previous company and the role you held.
Example: "I worked as a Marketing Specialist at XX Company for three years, primarily responsible for social media operations." - Transition: Neutrally describe the key factors that prompted your departure.
Example: "As the company's business shifted its focus to offline channels, my work gradually moved away from the digital marketing field." - Action & Reflection: Explain how you proactively planned your departure and emphasize the insights gained from the experience.
Example: "I evaluated my career goals and realized that long-term development requires a return to online growth strategies, so I began looking for opportunities." - Relevance to the new opportunity: Directly link your answer to the position you are currently interviewing for.
Example: "Your company's Digital Marketing position precisely focuses on user growth, which highly aligns with my skills and interests."
Step 4: Complete example (integrating the steps above)
"At my previous e-commerce company, I worked as a Product Operations Specialist and gained hands-on experience in user operations from 0 to 1. As the company shifted its focus to the B2B sector, my responsibilities leaned more toward customer support, whereas I prefer to deepen my expertise in data-driven operations for C-end products. After careful consideration, I decided to seek a platform more dedicated to C-end user growth. I was inspired by your company's recent innovative cases in improving user engagement, and I believe my data analysis skills and event planning experience can contribute significantly."
Key Reminders
- If you were laid off or left due to conflict, you can phrase it as: "The company discontinued some business lines due to strategic adjustments. This experience clarified my desire to join a platform with stable operations where I can consistently create value."
- Avoid stating "low salary" as the main reason; instead, frame it as: "I hope to develop in a platform where compensation better matches responsibilities, and your company's salary system is highly competitive within the industry."