What they are really asking

This question sounds like a trap because it partly is one. The interviewer knows you plan to move on, and now they want to know what kind of person leaves. Do you speak up when something bothers you, or do you stay quiet, get frustrated and walk away? A new employer wants someone who brings problems into the open while they can still be fixed.

The two wrong turns are opposite. One is complaining: a list of everything your current company gets wrong. The other is pretending there's no problem at all, which makes the move look random. The honest middle is calmer. You raised it, something happened, and the rest isn't a complaint anymore. It's a direction.

A shape that works

Raised, result, reason. Say that you did bring it up, and with whom. Say what changed, even if it was only a little. Then explain why this new job fits better, in terms of what you want next, not what you're escaping. If you really haven't raised it, say why honestly: some problems are about the size or type of company, and no conversation will change that.

Model answers

Listen to how each answer is built, then make it yours.

Answer 1: an operations supervisor at a small warehouse in Manchester
Answer 2: a graphic designer at a print studio in Osaka
Answer 3: a middle school teacher in Toronto

Check yourself

1What is the interviewer mainly trying to find out?
2Why does the teacher mention the part-time assistant?
3What should the last part of your answer focus on?

Practice · 3 min

Think of the main reason you are looking for a new role, or why you left the last one. Write three sentences: who you raised it with, what changed, and what you want next. Record the answer. Listen back for any word that sounds bitter, and replace it with a neutral one.

Your recording stays on this device. Nothing is uploaded.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.