Why interviewers ask this question

"Why did you leave your last job?" — or "Why are you looking to leave?" if you are still employed — is one of the most important interview questions because it reveals risk. Interviewers are trying to determine: Was there a problem with the candidate's performance? Is there something about their working style that caused conflict? Do they have a realistic view of why they left or are they defensive? Will they speak negatively about the organisation they are leaving? And most importantly: will they leave this new role in the same way? A candidate who says "my manager was a nightmare" signals a risk: the next manager might reach the same conclusion about the candidate. This question requires honest, professional answers rather than creative explanations.

Leaving voluntarily

If you chose to leave: explain the genuine reason clearly and positively. The most credible voluntary leaving reasons: "I reached the natural end of what I could learn in the role and I am ready for the next challenge," "The company's direction changed and the role evolved away from what I signed up for," "After X years I wanted to experience a different industry/type of company/scale of organisation," "The role I was promoted into was not the right fit for me and I felt it was better to find a role that better matched my strengths than to struggle." All of these are honest, comprehensible, and not negative about the employer. Avoid vague answers ("I just felt it was time for a change") — they prompt follow-up questions because they sound evasive.

Redundancy and company closures

If you were made redundant: say so clearly and without embarrassment. Redundancy carries no professional stigma in 2026 — large-scale tech layoffs, economic uncertainty, and restructuring have made redundancy a normal career event for many professionals. "My role was made redundant as part of a restructuring following [company event — acquisition, market downturn, cost reduction programme]. I was disappointed to leave but I understand the business rationale, and it has given me the opportunity to find a role that is a better match for where I want to go next." If the redundancy affected a large number of people (easy to verify publicly), mention it: "Our entire London office was closed as part of the EMEA restructure — around 150 roles were affected."

Being dismissed or asked to leave

If you were dismissed: this requires more careful handling but honesty is still the best policy — background checks and references usually reveal the truth. Do not lie or omit. For a performance-related dismissal: "I was let go following a period where my performance was not meeting the expectations of my manager. Looking back with some distance, I think there was a mismatch between my working style and the management approach in that team. I have reflected on what I would do differently and I have made those changes." For a conduct-related dismissal: legal advice may be appropriate before disclosing. If the dismissal was later withdrawn or resolved, you can reference this. If the dismissal was recent: acknowledge it directly — most companies run background and reference checks and discovering you withheld it damages trust more than the dismissal itself.

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Frequently asked questions

Should you badmouth a previous employer in an interview?
Never. Even if your previous employer was genuinely terrible, speaking negatively makes you look difficult to work with. Interviewers hear criticisms of previous employers and think "what will they say about us?" Stick to neutral language: "our values were not well aligned," "the role evolved in a direction that was not the right fit," "I wanted to work in a different kind of environment." Convey the truth through specifics without negative framing.
What if you left after a very short time (under six months)?
Brief tenures are increasingly common but they do raise questions. Be honest about the reason (the role was misrepresented at hiring, a significant event changed the context, a personal circumstance) and show what you learned. Interviewers are more concerned about a pattern of short tenures than a single brief stay. If you have one short tenure in an otherwise consistent career, acknowledge it directly and move on rather than over-explaining.