Navigating Career Change: How to Explain Leaving Your Own Company in Interviews

Considering a Career Change

Currently, I am working as an HR Manager for our own company. Ours is a small private limited company where HR doesn't have much of a role. Now, I would like to look for another job because I want to have a career on my own. I want to earn for myself.

How to Answer Interview Questions

So when I go for interviews, how should I answer the question, "Why do you want to leave your own company?"

Dear Priya,

Whatever reply you give, the interpretation will depend on the mindset of the interviewer.

HR Manager's Perspective

If an HR Manager takes your interview, he/she might be pleased, as it may be perceived that, although the candidate has an opportunity to assist her husband, she is choosing to grow in the field of HR. The candidate wishes to match her career growth with her qualifications, which is a tribute to the HR fraternity as a whole. He might be happy about this decision.

Businessperson's Perspective

On the contrary, if a hard-nosed businessperson or the MD of the company takes your interview, he/she may perceive that generally, wives assist their husbands in their business. Though the candidate has a great opportunity to do so or to get exposure in other departments, she is abandoning the opportunity and wishes to grow only in one department. Running one's company requires learning on the go. The interviewer may perceive that the candidate lacks a learning attitude, hence her decision to stick to one field. Please note that a large number of businesspersons do not place HR professionals on par with their counterparts but a notch below. Amongst them is a tribe that considers HR as nothing but glorified clerks!

Mixed Perspective

The third school of thought could emerge from a mix of either of the above. The interviewer may think that the candidate could be using their company to widen her exposure in the field of HR. She could use their company for practical training and quit once she gets sufficient exposure. Therefore, they may consider that the candidate is not trustworthy.

Therefore, whatever reply you give, how it will be perceived cannot be predicted. In what direction the thought process of the interviewer could go cannot be anticipated.

These are my thoughts.

My personal opinion is not to quit your company at all. Instead, you may enlarge the scope of your work. Start handling operations or business development. Working for oneself is a pleasure. Notwithstanding the higher remuneration that other companies might offer, this pleasure can never be derived by working for someone (that is, by becoming an employee)! However, the final decision is yours.

All the best!

Dinesh Divekar

I would like to present a hypothetical situation to all of you. Suppose I am a candidate who comes to you for an interview. My current designation is HR Manager with a start-up company, and my educational qualification is an MBA.

Interview Questions for an HR Manager Candidate

What would be your interview questions for such a candidate? Kindly don't copy-paste Google questions. It would be great if you could ask your questions. I request everybody to share your kind of interview questions. Let's make this conversation a useful one for many like me.

Dear all, I would like to present a hypothetical situation to all of you. Suppose I am a candidate who comes to you for an interview. My current designation is HR Manager with a start-up company, and my educational qualification is an MBA.

Interview Questions for an HR Manager Candidate

What would be your interview questions for such a candidate? It would be great if you could contribute your questions so that I can prepare a useful list of interview questions. I request everybody to share your kind of interview questions. Let's make this conversation useful for many who are preparing for a job interview.

Thank you so much, Priya

This question, in various forms, comes up repeatedly in job interviews, though I never used it as I considered it a waste of time.

Preparation is Key

There is a simple answer to dealing with this question, and you deal with it the same way as you deal with all other potential questions you may be asked - preparation, preparation, and preparation.

Aligning Skills with Job Requirements

You take the list of requirements outlined in the job description and apply your knowledge and skills to ensure you meet those requirements. If you don't have what the employer wants, then you are going to have a hard time.

Answering the Interview Question

Answer the question simply by saying that you have reached the point where the current job is not meeting your needs in terms of challenges, career development, etc. Then you go back to what the employer wants and tell them what you can bring to the company. So many people fail at interviews because they do not take control and present their skills and abilities to convince the employer to hire them. Interviewers often go off track and waste time on irrelevancies. It is your job to bring the focus back to you and your ability to meet their requirements - and more.