Advice re interview and why left current role

[Tinks15]

I have an interview Wednesday for an admin role in a school office - lots of experience as I’ve worked in the same position in education for the last 4.5 years. However, i’ve only been in my current role since beginning of January which i absolutely hate - lots of reasons which I don’t want to go too much into but my manager isn’t supportive, extremely short staffed, I’m managing various things on my own & left a lot in the office by myself as well as trying to do my own role which is near on impossible with only working part time so trying to do my work load in that time frame is proving very difficult.

Anyway what I need help on please is…if I get asked ‘why do i want to leave my current role after only being there such a short time?’ Obviously I don’t want to slag off my current employer as that doesn’t go down well so struggling to think of what I’d say.

Advice please

Location is not ideal
Hours are unsuitable
Work isn't like this job and my skills are better suited to the role your advertising

I would say that the current role hasn't turned out to be what you expected, and if there are genuine reasons you can give without slagging off your colleagues then give them.

I'd say something like it hasn't worked out, role isn't as you thought - then turn it into a positive about how much you care about being able to progress and you're decisive enough to leave a role that isn't right for you

I absolutely wouldn't say that the role hasn't worked out.

That sounds casual and as if you're likely to leave again.

I'd stress firstly what you love about school admin based on previous roles.

Then say how your current role doesn't deliver on that.

Then outline how you've tried to address that productively.

Then what you've learned about yourself and what you want from this role.

Then turn it onto them and ask...would you see this role and culture as being closer to roles I've really enjoyed and been successful in.

Career progression - the catch all.

“I’d welcome the opportunity to work in a larger school”, “I’d like the experience of a smaller education setting”.

“From the advertisement I liked the ethos of the school”. Tailor it to what is most appropriate for the place you are interviewing at.

I'm looking to leave the role I'm at now as I don't feel it has been the right fit for me. They have been short staffed since I started and the situation hasn't improved over the last year, and this unfortunately creates a pressured working environment. The people I work with there are lovely but I feel the working environment at old job was a lot better, so I feel long term that current job might not be the right place for me.

For what it's worth I think you are fine to state an obvious truth in your answer as to why you'd like to move on. Working long term in a short staffed team is a universal stressor for anyone and people would logically have an expiration date on their leniency in waiting for this to improve.
In moving on from my old job to current job I explained truthfully I didn't think it was the right fit for me as I had less autonomy in my role there than I was used to. I noted that was the working style of the manager there, who I liked and who had taught me a lot, was to arrange everyones daily work for them but I felt I worked better when given autonomy to manage my own workload and scheduling. Just make sure you soften your answer to imply you have no personal grievances with the people you work with that may raise red flags. (I lied on this bit to be fair- old manager was a bully who made her employees cry all the time).

Thanks all - all super helpful answers. I’m so nervous I’m going to say the wrong thing 🫣