Reason for leaving a job examples
Deciding to leave a job is a tough decision and social phenomenon. It is completely normal if what’s ahead of you is better than the present. There are over 1300 jobs in the world and every day, millions of people are changing jobs due to one reason or the other so you are not alone on this path. However, before leaving a job it is crucial you put a lot of things into consideration.
Several reasons for leaving for a job can be classified into three major stimulating factors such as organizational/ institutional, personal and psycho-social, and both as cause and effect relationship factors. There are also 3 possible reasons why you are reading this page:
- Preparing to answer the question “Why did you leave your last job?” in a job interview”
- You are applying for a new job and one of the requirements on the job application is to give the reasons you left your last job.
- You are leaving your current job and need to give your boss a reason for you leaving.
Please go through this list of reasons and choose the one that best suits your current situation and if there is a common reason for leaving a job not mentioned on this page, please mention them in the comment section.
50 list of reasons for leaving a job.
- A better opportunity to advance specific skills.
- A hostile working environment.
- A job opportunity that aligns with career goals more acutely.
- Another company offered you a better deal
- Being laid off or let go for “good cause” During annual budgeting.
- Being offered a full-time position if a seasonal position.
- Being offered a permanent position if part-time.
- Change of job description and no longer being passionate.
- Change of leadership
- Change of career: want to grab the opportunity, to explore a lot of things to use knowledge and abilities as a teacher, and want career growth and development;
- Company downsizing
- Company restructuring and layoffs.
- Desiring to be exposed to new types of work and functional areas.
- Desiring to go back to school to receive an MBA.
- Desiring to switch departments.
- Desiring to travel full-time and seeking only part-time employment or contract work.
- Feeling a need to make a change after a number of years of employment.
- Feeling like the workplace was unethical.
- Feeling like unfair treatment was happening in the workplace.
- Feeling the need to retire. Or having work/life balance.
- Getting married and needing to reevaluate career paths.
- Leaving due to general job dissatisfaction.
- Leaving due to high salary or better benefits.
- Leaving due to the travel distance to work.
- Looking for a job with a more flexible schedule.
- Needing to relocate due to family reasons.
- Needing to relocate due to spousal reasons.
- Needing to stay at home after a birth and pregnancy.
- Needing to stay at home for an upcoming birth from a pregnancy.
- No longer can lift heavy objects.
- No opportunity to move from part-time to full-time.
- Organizational changes, resulting in layoffs to a specific department.
- Seeking career growth and upward mobility.
- The company decided to outsource the job title.
- The job or workplace was not as expected
- There are too few growths and advancement opportunities
- There is a loss of trust and confidence in senior leaders
- There is a mismatch between job and person
- There is too little coaching and feedback
- Unhappy with the management of the business.
- Wanting a new challenge after a number of years of employment.
- Wanting to fill an employment gap.
- Wanting to go back to school to receive a bachelor’s degree.
- Workers feel devalued and unrecognized
- Workers suffer from stress due to overwork and work-life imbalance
- You are overqualified and/or under-utilized
- You have other life goals you want to accomplish
- You’re a part-timer or freelancer looking for full-time opportunities
- You’ve been working toward a promotion that has never come
- You didn’t like what you were doing
Each of these reasons is affected by business or personal circumstances. Sometimes changes are within your control, such as leaving a job to pursue the career of your dreams. And sometimes the changes are entirely out of your control, such as when a company restructures.
Different factors in your personal or professional life or simply looking for a better fit are good reasons to leave a job. Be sure to do your homework before taking a leap, but don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself to find the career that’s right for you.