Help me with my interview

[SoonerGirrl]

Hello, all! I left a position at a large hospital- on good terms - to a smaller hospital (more autonomy, better commute, fast track to a more desirable role) within the same health system. Long story short, my referral/leadership has left along with my "fast track." I interviewed with my current hospital for the coveted role- to my dismay (but not to my surprise) the new hiring manager wants more experience. However..the recruiter has now matched me & scheduled an interview at my first hospital (the large university hospital) for an even better position than I could have imagined.

So..how do I answer the interview questions "why do you want to leave your current role?" and possibly "why do you want to return to this hospital?"

I obviously can't say "I thought the grass was greener on the other side but turns out it's not and I never should have left.."

How do I spin this? I am quite possibly overthinking this, too. Thank you so much for your time & responses!

[llg, PhD, RN]

Actually, you can say that ... just maybe not in that way.

People often like hearing that a former employee wants to return because they have learned that their old employer is actually pretty good when compared to other places. Just keep everything positive and don't be very critical of the place you are leaving. Say that you left because an opportunity presented itself at the other hospital that sounded attractive to you (emphasize the shorter commute and opportunity for advancement).

Then say that while you gained valuable experience at the other hospital, it wasn't the dream opportunity that you had thought it was. You miss your old employer and realize that the larger hospital is where you feel more "at home." While exploring opportunities at your former employer, the Recruiter had suggested this current opportunity that you are now interviewing for. It sounds exciting and the type of position your have always dreamed of ... so you decided to "go for it." There is nothing wrong with realizing that you want to "come home" to your former employer. It suggests that you learned your lesson and will not be easily tempted to leave again any time soon. You just have to tell the story carefully, in a way that sounds positive.

[SoonerGirrl]

Thank you for your response. I took your advice & the interview went very well :)