Your reason for leaving a job may be pursuing new career options, hoping for a better work-life balance, or seeking a higher salary. And they're all valid!

But when you need to explain why you left your last job during a job interview, these aren't always the best answers.

So, how do you correctly present your reasons for leaving a job? Read on to find out.

Here are the best reasons for leaving a job and seeking new opportunities.

1. Family Circumstances

It's a no-brainer that people put family first. Starting a family or taking care of a family member are among the most common reasons for taking a break from work.

Then you definitely have a good reason to leave your job and take a break or find a job that suits your personal life better.

2. Health Issues

That includes both physical and mental health. You are not a robot with replaceable parts, so you need to take care of yourself. Don't take your health for granted.

If your current workplace:

Then it's perfectly understandable to leave a job.

That's a disappointing result, considering that the lack of professional development is one of the most common reasons for leaving a job. So, if you:

Many employees use free time to broaden their horizons through online courses and traditional education. Some companies also encourage their employees to develop their professional skills via in-house training sessions.

However, it's not always possible to combine a full-time job with your learning efforts. For example, when:

It might be worth leaving your job and committing yourself to education 100%.

5. Company Restructuring

Working for a business undergoing significant changes can make you feel unsure of the future. Mergers, acquisitions, layoffs -- you're not sure what's going to happen. No wonder you're thinking about leaving.

If your company:

Then you have a good reason to leave your job and find one that offers more stability.

6. Leadership Style

Some organizations have a very laid-back management style, giving employees a lot of freedom. Others are more conservative. The baseline is that you don't have to love your direct supervisor, but you need to have a good working relationship with them.

So, a good reason to leave your job and never look back is when your manager:

7. Bad Work-Life Balance

Are you constantly working overtime and still can't meet the targets? Do you have to work nights and weekends? Work-life balance is one of the factors contributing to employee satisfaction -- and dissatisfaction, too.

Any of the following would be a very good reason for leaving a job and finding a more relaxed environment:

8. Unsatisfactory Benefits

Low salaries and poor employee benefits are among the top reasons causing the Great Resignation. Are they bothering you, too?

You can consider the following good reasons to leave your current job:

9. Business Is Failing

Working for a business that's underperforming isn't very satisfying. It also doesn't guarantee the job security you might be looking for.

Yes, loyalty matters, but it won't pay your rent should you suddenly discover that your job doesn't exist anymore.

Consider the following:

Maybe you realized you're not a great fit for the role. It isn't necessarily your fault -- the position could've been advertised incorrectly. But the result is that you're worried that you're failing, and no amount of effort on your side is helping.

Here are sensible reasons for leaving a job and finding one that suits you better:

To sum up, there are multiple valid reasons for leaving a job. However, a potential employer may not enjoy hearing about them during a job interview.

Read on to learn how to answer "Why are you leaving your current job?" in a way that satisfies both the interviewer and you.

How to Explain Your Reason for Leaving a Job in an Interview

OK, so you're actively searching for a new position. There's a high probability that a recruiter will ask why you are leaving your current job.

Why? Because your future boss wants to know if you're a professional. They want to hear that you left on good terms and didn't cause any inconvenience to your previous employer. If that's not the case, then you need to know how to paint the truth in a better light.

Here's a list of possible answers you can use during a job interview:

You can use these ready-made answers and simply adjust them to match your situation. But it's always better to have your answer ready.

Read the following job interview tips to learn how to answer "Why are you leaving your current job?" confidently.

1. Think About Your Personal Reasons for Leaving a Job

First, make a list of your own reasons for leaving your previous or current job. You can pick some from the previous list or think of other reasons. Here are some questions that can help you:

Answer these questions to find your true reasons, then pick one to three major ones you can explain during the interview.

Bear in mind that it's better to pick the ones that concern your professional life instead of personal circumstances.

2. Combine Honesty With Professionalism When Providing a Reason for Leaving a Job

When the recruiter asks why you left your last job, answer truthfully -- but don't be too honest. For example, say that you didn't feel valued by your superiors instead of saying that the company paid peanuts.

If you're unemployed, don't try to hide the real reason for that, even if it was something negative like getting fired. See what you can say in the following example:

3. Keep Your Tone Positive, No Matter the Reason for Leaving

When explaining your reasons for leaving a job, focus on the positives by showing that you've taken action to change your life for the better.

Rather than saying, "My last job was extremely stressful because I dealt with angry customers," try "I've realized I prefer back-office work rather than client-facing roles."

Answering this question is also a chance to sneak in a bit of flattery toward the potential employer and their business.

4. Make It Concise

There's no need for a long story about your last job. Keep your answer limited to one to two sentences.

Then, move on to explaining why you want to work at the new company and why they should hire you.