Why do you want to leave your current job?

Water Cooler Careers
#1

i am expecting this question as I start mid career job hunting. There are several answers, and I am hoping for help in picking better ones. By way of background, I am in fixed income, do very good analysis on the sell side, and have been at my firm about 10 years. So suggestion for:

“Why do you want to leave your current job?” 1. I think my talents would be better used and compensated elsewhere. In presentations to large institutional buy side firms, I realized how much more I know, and that they are making more money 2. I have two kids who are extremely smart and will be in private schools all the way to college. 3. I work in a small remote office, while I work nationwide, it is hard to advance further without moving to headquarters. That would require uprooting the family. 4. I would like to work with a bigger team, train people, probably supervise. 5. I am looking for new challenges, especially ones that pay better.

Thanks for your help.

#2

1, 2 make you sound like a maximum douche. 2, 3, 4 are sort of ok.

#3

I’m going to take my talents to South Beach…

#4

Combine 1 and 2.

#5

Thanks Ohai and rawraw. Maybe this:

  1. Having dealt both with issuers and the buy side, I think my talents will be more valuable on the buy side.
#6

You wack municipal bob

#7

Well, now, that is the most convincing thing I’ve ever heard. When can you start?

But seriously, don’t refer to yourself as having “talents.” That is like a 55-gallon drum filled with Masengill, bro.

#8

Change talents to the characteristics of the buyside that are different and desirable. NOT MONEY

#9

i think you should reword #1 and #2 is bit too much - both in DBness and too much information.

I would like to say i am a pretty confident person able to just smile and agree for most part meaning others rarely hit my insecurity spot where I go off on some hate/jealousy rampage shooting from the hips but the last part of #1 would give me a noticeable frown for sure. forget the assumption of you knowing more and you making less money…

#10

It’s really hard to make a credible claim that you are better than your job suggests. If you are so talented, why didn’t you get a job that is deserving of your talents? It’s more likely that you think highly of yourself, like most people in finance, and that your undeserved ego will make you hard to work with. More appropriately, you should create the impression that you learned everything about your job, you created meaningful value, and that you will work hard to do the same thing at a new job. The best approach is usually to be humble but hint at your potential through good interview answers that show expertise in your subject matter, and proof of your productivity through a list of concrete achievements.

#11

I don’t have a job deserving of my talents because my firm made me an offer the week Fannie and Freddie were taken over. For a long time I was loyal because of that. My talents are appreciated, but not as highly compensated as I expect they would be on the buy side. The difference is probably $100k per year or more.

People in my industry that I have dealt with have told me how much broader and deeper my knowledge is that other “experts”.

#12

No one cares what you’ve been told about yourself, or what you (think you) know. What have you actually accomplished? That’s how you sell yourself.

As for why you want to change jobs, 3 is good, the first half of 5 is good, and 4 is sort of okay. Bin the rest, and only bring 4 out of the drawer if you’re asked what sorts of new challenges interest you.