How to answer 'Why do you want to leave your current job?'

Question

I am currently working remotely and its been only 4-5 months in the job. I am going to start searching for a job in Japan or Germany to relocate there.

I am wondering what would be the best answer to 'Why do you want to leave your current job?' as this question will definitely come up in the interviews.

My obvious reason is to relocate to a first world country but that's not what I am going to tell them.

The product I am working on is a huge SPA but built in jQuery and vanilla JS. I feel like I am missing out on the latest frontend stack and that will definitely hit my career in the future. I'm not sure how to phrase this, as I don't want to imply I took a bad decision joining my current company.

How should I tackle this question when it comes?

Answer 1

Not sure if asking strangers on the internet "why do I want to leave my current job" will give you insightful answers. There are many questions and answers on this network regarding the interview questions "why do you want to work at our company"/"why do you want to leave your current job". Have you browsed them?

Most answers boil down to the following:

1. Never say anything negative about your current job, always frame it positive about the new opportunity
2. Don't make it look like you are just here for the money.
3. You really want to work for company XYZ. Not just in the industry, or in that country. You want that specific company. Tell them what makes that organization stand out for you.
4. If you haven't been long at your current employer, you may need to explain why you want to switch jobs again, to prevent being seen as a job hopper. This is trickier, but still doable. Having accepted a less than optimal job happened to the best of us.

Concerning your question about relocation: I don't think it's neccessarily bad if you say that one of your motivations for the job is relocating to another country. But it shouldn't be the top motivation. You want to convey that the company you are interviewing for is your top choice in the whole world. And not just because you expect better pay there.

Answer 2

My obvious reason is to relocate to a first world country but that's not what I am going to tell them.

Why not? It's a perfectly good reason and most hiring managers are not stupid. Relocation is a big step, so it's important to convey confidence that you are up to it and really want to do it.

Make sure you understand all the legalities involved (Visa, work permits, sponsorships, taxes, etc.) so you can talk intelligently about this.

I feel like I am missing out on latest frontend stack

Another perfectly good reason. Just make sure that your target job uses the technologies you want otherwise this one looks silly. Also you should address of why you took the job in the first place, if that's not what you wanted to do. Could be a "lessons learned" example.

I am currently working remotely and its been only 4-5 months in the job

Not much of a problem (unless there is a strong pattern of similar behavior). We are living in strange times and everyone gets at least one Corona hall pass.

Any suggestions on how should i tackle this question when it comes?

You may be overthinking this: being open and transparent (without saying disparaging your current employer) is almost alwasy the best strategy.

Answer 3

What to Tell the Recruiter/Interviewer?

The truth. Wanting to relocate is a perfectly valid reason to look for a new job.