Why did you leave your last job? – Tough Sales Interview Question

Sometimes workload can be too much for a person to deal with every day. Therefore, many opt to quit their job. You can quit your job without having a future plan made. Giving yourself some time off is a great refreshment.

There are certain myths that people tell to those who want to quit their job. The irony is that those who quit their jobs have their reason or maybe not. My suggestion is to earn enough and live to the fullest. Having a job is great but not giving time for myself is the worst. A person can only be patient to a certain limit. 

“You will not get another job”

Why would you look for another job if you already have one? Remember quitting your job has nothing to do with not getting a job afterward. On average, people spend more time working at their respective job and miss out a lot in life.

“You will go broke”

Yes, there is a high chance for you to go broke after a few months, without a job.

With no source of income you will have more enough time for refreshment and to decide your future. Going broke may not sound good but that way you get to experience a lot of new things. You will get the red light to look for a job. Struggling to maintain your balance and also having fun moments. 

It is true to be comfortable with a job in hand. With no money problem you can achieve great things in life but also some won’t get what you have in mind. It’s your job and your reason for quitting is respected at your workplace. 

How to Answer the reason for leaving your last job  

Your job is not wrong neither are you. It is likely for you not to settle into your workplace no matter how hard you try. Maybe your job makes you sick. Maybe you have a higher goal to reach.

Here are some common reasons why people quit their jobs:

1.Not enough for personal growth

While working for a company, every employee needs to find their corner where they can schedule their day to grow as well. Due to a lack of personal growth, many find it difficult to work and adjust in a workplace for a longer time period. This reason can suggest that you have a higher motive and want to expand your growth in learning more about sales. Quitting one sales job can also signify that the products you get to sell were not good for the customer’s comfort.

“My last job did not give me much time to look after myself. I often found myself involved in work and I had been going through depression and I felt like I needed a break from the job.

However, I am ready to start from the bottom. I have been working on my skills and the job role would help me to grow much more with your company advancement. ”

2.  Different goal

It is never too late to change your field of interest. A lot of us discover new things as we grow up. You desire to try new things in every opportunity you get. Your last job was exciting and all at first but then as you kept growing up and learning every day you can have a different aim to focus on the very next moment.

“It was during my last job that I discovered that I am very much interested in sales. I took up many courses online and worked on my skills and had done few volunteering. I finally decided to apply for this job role now that I have a new and focused goal in my mind.”

3. More responsibilities

You think of working in a different place. However, when the time comes you need to be with your family. This is one of the reasons why they may have left their job. Family needs come first and they quit. Starting a job is not a hassle for them since they have the confidence to start anew again.

“I have been working in Chennai ever since I graduated. After having worked there for a few years I decided to take a leap in my profession. The reason I quit is because I want to take new responsibilities to improve the company and provide much betterment with my past experiences. ”

4. Willing to relocate

It was difficult to reside in the locality you used to work at. You were facing many problems while you were there. Since your previous company refused to give you a new location or branch to work at, you decided to quit and look for a new job. This might sound a little bit less important but there are cases where many face difficulties while coming back from work. This causes treble in sleeping or having health problems due to stress.

“My last workplace was very far from my apartment and it was an impediment to travel for 2 hours and back. I quit my job and applied here for a better convenience for traveling and focus more at work instead of worrying about the trip back to the apartment.”

Why does the interviewer want to know the reason for leaving your last job?

It is important for the hiring manager to know your reason for quitting your last job in case they hire and face your ill behavior at work. It is most likely everybody will mend their story for a better answer in the interviews but considering each of your answers the interviewer might notice a flaw which will be a big problem for the sales company.

They want to make sure the reason for you quitting the last job was reasonable enough. It is also a way to test your attitude towards your previous workplace. Any negative comment towards your workplace is a sign of ill mind and probably a great loss for a company’s representative. As a salesperson, you have to show them how proud you are of being a part of a team even after you left. The interviewer will notice your relationship, in your answer, with your ex-coworkers to understand your nature while at work. This helps them believe you to be very friendly and can make your workplace a comfort zone.

If you mention your achievement in your previous job, the interviewer would also like to know what were your recommendations from your boss. With the letter of recommendation, your image to be a better fit for the company boosts up.

How To Prepare For “Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?”?

Give importance to the keywords for this one. Emphasize more on the outcome and the reason

  1. Not enjoying the work

Good answer: “ Although I was an employee there for a long time, I decided to start my career in sales.”

Bad answer: “My manager was not at all creative in giving tasks. He would often hand over all the extra work to me.”

Never disrespect any of your co-worker. Your reason for quitting the job should be focused only on you and your thoughts towards your relationship with the job role.

Also Check : Why did you choose a career in sales?

2. Different goal

Good answer: “I had been in marketing research but recently I noticed I have more knowledge and interest in the sales division and started towards achieving that goal.”

Bad answer: “I wanted to have more fun with none of my work being a headache.”

Disregarding any work or task is a pure excellency for a salesperson. The interviewer will take your attitude towards your work as a matter of concern and is likely to consider your previous answers.

3. You are self-employed

Good answer: “I started selling basic products through my blog. I had a great start in the beginning. Many engagements from viewers and many bought from my website but the market went down and was poor for a good few months. I had learned a lot of valuable skills in marketing as well as sales through that and decided to be a part of an industry to use those skills to help a company grow stronger with their products.”

Bad answer: “I didn’t get good clients who would sell good products and hence my blog site was not viewed much.”

4. Better Opportunity

Good answer: “My performance at my last job had led me to my promotion as well. But I was lucky to get a much better opportunity and applied for it.”

Show your enthusiasm that even if you have to start from the bottom you are ready to work it out.

 How to Tailor Your Answer & Impress the Interviewer

  1. Remember to point out your reasons in a generous way. Bad attitude will get you nowhere.
  2. Show your gratitude towards your last job and how you have improved your skills from it and are ready to use them for better performance for this company. 
  3. Prepare the order of things you need to mention in the answer. Your review of the working culture, behaviour -> reason-> what attracts you to this company. 
  4. Be honest with the reason and give them your accomplishment in your previous job to prove your gratitude.
  5. Practice your responses to sound natural, positive and clear. Don’t let them doubt your reason even for a second. Practice your tone and emphasize on the reason to make it clear with it. 
  6. Show your interest towards this job role. The company takes it as a huge accomplishment to have gained a lot more candidates for the job role and will appreciate your affection as well.
  7. Having gained new skills in technology, this is the great time to mention how you want to use them to work at their company.

Also Check : How to prepare for sales Interview

 Best Answers

“ I received my certificate in technical skills and decided to use them as a salesperson at your company. I have volunteered at many events to prove my technical skills and I am ready to start a position in industry to officially be a part of a bigger team to improve along with reaching goals with the company.”

“I quit my job because my contract expired and decided to use the opportunity to start new.”

“I am interested in starting a new position with my experiences and skills and benefitting the organization I am working for.”

“The job position is more suited to my skill set. In my last job, my ability and skills were not being used often ”

“My chance to grow in a new challenging environment was limited at my last job.”

“My last workplace was very far from home and I prefer to work at a more convenient distance.”

Mistakes to Avoid while Answering

  1. Avoid using unprofessional words like “boring”, “irritating”, etc.
  2. Do not disrespect your boss or the work schedule.
  3. Give a decent reason and don’t be vague with your answers. Prepare them before coming to the interview and practice to sound natural.
  4. Avoid any sort of bad attitude towards your ex- co workers. This will make you look like a bad influencer to the company.
  5. Don’t be rude to the work you were given at. Instead, show gratitude for having learnt and have got an opportunity to grow from there.
  6. Do not mention your inability to meet deadlines. This is a negative point to you as well. The interview takes a note of it and most probably rejects you as a fit role.

Having prepared an answer beforehand is good practice. A decent reason won’t be enough if you cannot muster up the courage to make it sound like a real issue for you. The interviewer is only trying to see what kind of person you are.

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