“Why do you want to work here?”….
In virtually every interview you will ever attend, this question or a variant of it, is likely to be asked. You may be asked why you want to work for this particular company, in this particular department, or why you want this particular job. And so too will every other candidate.
And chances are the answers given will be fairly similar too. Whilst there are no right or wrong answers for this question, you should still make sure that you pre-prepare an answer for this question in advance of your interview and that your answer makes you stand out from the other candidates – for the right reasons of course! We’ve outlined some basic top tips to help you answer the “Why do you want to work here?” interview question…
Do your research
Make sure that you fully research the company and the job before your interview. Being able to answer this question proving that you are knowledgeable about them as an organisation, their mission statement, their training programmes, or the specifics of what this job entails and how you really want to work there, will of course impress the interviewer. It is fine to flatter them as an organisation and to extol the positive elements about this particular job. But remember, the interviewer already is well aware of these benefits, so make sure that you truly convey how and why these benefits appeal to you and make sure your enthusiasm is genuine.
Make it about you
As well as detailing the positive aspects of the job and the company as indicated above, you should also use this question as an opportunity to detail some more positive aspects about you as a candidate. Think of some reasons why this job or company is a good match for your own skills, strengths and experience. Focus on the qualities you can bring to this role which will be of real benefit to the employer. Remember, you should use every opportunity in an interview to sell yourself , so this question is no different.
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Good article. I always like to hear about what the person can bring to the role in question. Too often candidates talk about what they can get and what they want, as opposed to taking the opportunity to highlight the skills that they will bring to the organisation.
Posted by Matt Heather | March 19, 2012, 10:10 amcheers Matt – thank you for your comments
Posted by theemployable | March 19, 2012, 1:41 pmGood article. Without a prepared, focused answer candidates tend to babble on and can’t find a way to end. This is a great opportunity to deliver your “you aked for, I have it” scenario. As a coach, I help people prepare for these open ended questions. A tip: if you demonstrate your skill in context, you wil be ready to deliver a great final line and end with the impact it had on the organization. You may see the hiring manager making a note. That’s usualy a good sign.
Posted by Judy Campbell | March 20, 2012, 3:15 pm