Senior Developer Interview Question: Why Did You Leave Company X
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Why Did You Leave Company X:
This question may or may not hide a trap. But your stupidity can easily lead you into one.
You can handle this most gracefully by describing your transition as simply a progression in your career, your hunger for learning (be specific about the skill here, don’t just dwell abstractly on learning), or taking on a bigger responsibility (again, describe the role you were aiming for).
If the job tenure was too short, you may need to come up with a more logical explanation. Something like:
“I realized it after some time, that the role was not fit for my skills and preferences”
This should be followed with a 1-sentence explanation of why it was the case. Do not linger on explanation.
The most important things to remember are:
- Keep moving. Brevity is gold.
- Keep skill development/growth as your primary reasoning for moving. It may sound cliche, but if you open up a lot here, you may be digging your own grave. (Worst case: Your current interviewers might be tempted to fact-check with your past/present employers)
- Do not justify.
- This question is not a STAR question! Avoid delving into your past.
Conclusion:
Questions seeking self-justification are easy to answer, but difficult when faced.
Once you have mentally surmounted the initial guilt/need for justification, you can easily narrate facts that led to your unusual career transition.
Avoid the guilt trap. Try to make it look usual to yourself first. Then, as you answer it, try to be rational around it, without sounding overconfident (I always make the right decisions sort of attitude).
