Why do you want this job?

Why do you want this Job?

The interviewer has just asked you “why do you want this job?”  - do you know what you would answer?

It may seem like an easy and straight-forward answer, but this a question that can easily trip you up. Breaking down the question, what they're truly seeking to understand is your level of familiarity with their company, your strategic career trajectory, how the role aligns with your professional development aspirations, and what draws you specifically to their organisation.

How do I prepare for this question?

There are some quick and easy ways to prepare for this question prior to an interview:

• Researching the company – Using their website, looking at competitors and searching for industry specific news
• The job specification / candidate profile – understanding the specification and relating your skillset to these with real, relatable examples
• Know what you want to achieve in your career – Understand what you career aspirations are and how you set out to achieve them

It would be recommended to begin planning a model answer as it may be clear to you why you want the job, but you don’t want to lose track when sharing your answer with the interviewer. Keeping your response focused and highlighting relevant points is important, avoid being generic and give examples to support the points your raise.

What forms a good answer?

An interviewer in this situation is looking for you to sell yourself. It's essential to be sincere and demonstrate your genuine interest in the position. For instance:

• Demonstrate your research and knowledge of the company – missions and values, sector and industry trends, company specific news or announcements
• Provide examples of your relevant experience – be specific and relate your skillset to the job remit and candidate profile, sharing personal achievements
• Your career trajectory – how does this role fit with your personal career aspirations, what specifically about this role supports your development

Remember, the interviewer wants to understand why you're interested in the position and how you can contribute to the company's success. By showcasing your enthusiasm, alignment with the role, and potential impact, you can effectively answer the question and leave a positive impression.

What to avoid when answering?

By answering in relation to why this opportunity works for you will not leaving a positive lasting impression for the interviewer. For instance:

• How it benefits you personally – even if it is true, mentioning salary, hours or commute as the primary reasons isn’t what the interviewer will want to hear
• Don’t regurgitate your CV – As much as you want to explain your relevant skillset, the primary focus should be on the value you bring to the company

In general, interviewers are looking for qualified candidates who have the skills and experience to perform well in the job at hand. For early-career candidates, interviewers are looking to see if the interviewee can grow into the role. Interviewers are also looking for people who will fit in well at the company and will be easy to work with.