Top good reasons for leaving a job on resume

Understanding why you want to leave your job

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor shows that the average person holds anywhere between nine and 12 jobs over the course of their working life (1). The median employee tenure is currently somewhere between 3.8 and 4.3 years (2).

Clearly, it is not at all uncommon for employees to change jobs several times. If you’ve found yourself needing to leave a job, you’re definitely not alone. However, before you turn in your resignation letter, it’s important to identify your main reasons for leaving. This bit of self-reflection is crucial for making a successful transition from one job to the next. 

As you think about your move, consider your career goals, work-life balance, and company culture. Decide how you would like these aspects of your life and career to look. This will go a long way in helping you create a strong resume, ace job interviews, and answer questions about why you left your previous position.

Good reasons for leaving a job

Despite what some popular resume articles may have taught you, leaving a job isn’t always a bad thing in the eyes of a recruiter or hiring manager. In some cases, leaving may not have been your decision, as it may have resulted from a layoff or your role being made redundant in an acquisition or merger. 

Other times, the decision may have been entirely up to you. Perhaps you wanted to advance your career or try out a new one. You may have been seeking a different work culture, increased compensation and benefits, or even better balance for yourself and your family.

Any of these can be considered a good reason for leaving a job on resumes in any industry. Depending on how you present them, they can even be positive factors in the hiring process. 

While hiring managers want to know that you won’t just suddenly leave your role for seemingly no reason, knowing when your time is up at a particular company can show that you’re proactive about your professional life and capable of discernment — two traits of a great employee.

Putting a reason for leaving on your resume

The good news is that including reasons for leaving a job on resumes isn’t really required in the U.S. Resumes should be succinct, and those details aren’t often relevant to showcasing why you’re the best candidate for the job. Cover letter examples don’t usually include advice on how to address it either.

However, you should always be prepared to discuss your reasons for leaving a job if the job description or hiring manager has asked you to address it in the cover letter or interview. Additionally, there are some circumstances in which it’s okay to mention your reasons for changing jobs on your resume.

When to include a reason for leaving

How far should a resume go when discussing this topic? Generally, you only want to include positive reasons for leaving a job on resumes. These can include things like:

• Work-life balance, such as expanding a family or caring for a loved one
• Professional development, such as getting a promotion or seeking new skills
• Making a career change and transferring your skills to a new industry

If your reasons for leaving a position aren’t positive (for example, you were fired), you should avoid discussing those reasons on your resume. 

Answering the question, “Why did you leave your previous job?”

While many things will go into your resume, reason for leaving a job usually isn’t one of them. However, just because you aren’t putting your reasons for leaving on your resume doesn’t mean you’ll escape the discussion altogether. You may still be asked to disclose the details of a particular departure during your interview.

Be open and transparent if you are asked directly about leaving a previous job. If you’ve listed your previous manager’s name on your resume or in a list of references, the hiring manager may have already talked through the situation with them, and you wouldn’t want to come across as dishonest or withholding important details. 

However, this doesn’t mean you have to paint the situation in a negative light. When adapting a resume sample for a job application, try to focus on the positive aspects of your decision to leave and how it supports your current career goals. For example, if you didn’t get along with your previous manager, you can say that you’re looking for a position that’s a better culture fit.

Above all, it’s crucial that you don’t complain about or badmouth any of your previous employers, as hiring managers may worry about whether you could hurt the potential employer’s brand or culture. Instead, highlight the skills and experience you gained in your previous job. Tell the interviewer how this has prepared you for the role you’re applying for and how you look forward to using your skill set to help the company.

Special cases and considerations

Discussing your reasons for leaving a job on resumes in an international setting requires a high level of sensitivity and cultural awareness. The standard resume format in some countries (such as Japan) requires you to include it in the document (3). In other places, it may not be considered good practice or may be left up to you to decide.

No matter what country you are applying for a position in, make time to research the cultural norms and expectations of the industry, role, and company you want to work for. This will help you beyond just answering questions about why you left a previous position.

If you were fired from a previous job, you should always be honest, as you don’t want to get caught lying on resumes or in interviews. Explain the circumstances surrounding your termination. As always, focus on the positive aspects of the situation and what you learned from it. This approach highlights your self-awareness and your ability to grow in challenging circumstances.

Tips for explaining your reason for leaving

Just like discussing employment gaps, having to explain your reasons for leaving a job on resumes and cover letters or in job interviews can be daunting. Here are a few tips to help you tackle this subject with positivity and confidence:

• Be honest and transparent about the situation, knowing that the interviewer may have already talked to your previous employer about what happened
• Tell the prospective employer what positive gains have come from the decision, such as lessons you have learned or professional growth you have achieved
• Avoid complaining about your previous employer, your old manager, or the situation that led to you leaving the company
• Emphasize the positive aspects of your previous job, highlighting transferable skills and aspects of the job that excited you
• Keep the tone and conversation forward-focused as much as possible, showing how the new position will be better aligned with your skills and goals

No matter what stage of the application process you’re in, your honesty and confidence in addressing this issue are crucial.

"Despite what some popular resume articles may have taught you, leaving a job isn’t always a bad thing in the eyes of a recruiter or hiring manager."

Set yourself up for success with a positive and confident perspective

For most employees, leaving a job at some point in their career is inevitable. When discussing these things on a resume, cover letter, or interview, it’s important to be honest about the situation but positive about how you have grown from it. Ensure that your approach and tone are in line with what would be expected in the industry, company, and greater culture.

As much as possible, seek out resources for help, such as resume and cover letter templates. Having these tools at your disposal through the application process can help you remain confident in addressing all aspects of your career so you can go after the job you want.

Sources:

(1) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: National Longitudinal Surveys

(2) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employee Tenure in 2022

(3) Inbound Technology: How to write a “Rirekisho,” the Japanese resume