Careers · by Silver Coder · 2026-10-03

how do you answer 'why are you leaving' when the honest answer is my boss is chaos

Not abusive exactly, just random priorities, missed promises, 10pm pings, and weekly reinventions of our roadmap. I know not to say all that in an interview. But the polished versions I come up with sound fake even to me.

88 sparks · 6 comments

Comments

Brian Otieno · 10 likes

Interviewers know there is often a messy backstory. They mainly want to see if you can speak professionally.

Tola Ibrahim · 5 likes

'Looking for a more stable environment with clearer ownership' is pretty standard and still true.

Lucía García · 4 likes

I once said 'our org is in a lot of transition and I'm ready for a role with more consistency.' Got nods, no follow-up.

Ethan Brooks · 2 likes

Save the real story for drinks with friends, not the hiring panel.

Silver Coder · 0 likes

'more stable environment' feels like the right level of translation, thanks

Maya Williams · 0 likes

Frame it around what you're moving toward, not what you're escaping.