How to Answer Why Are You Interested in This Company

Why do you want to work here? It's a standard interview question, but often candidates make the mistake of providing a simplistic answer and miss a key opportunity to impress a hiring manager.

For instance, responding with, "I want to work on a new challenge" or "Your organisation seems like a good one to work for" is generic and insincere. The hiring manager has heard such answers many times before and they are answers that could be given to any employer for any job in answer to being asked why you want to work for us.

There are several variations of this question, such as "Why are you interested in this role?", "What attracted you to this role?" or "Why do you want this job in this company?" Regardless of the wording used, the interviewer wants to know why you want to work in this particular job at this particular organisation at this particular point in time. Hiring managers ask this interview question to understand your knowledge of the company, the job, if your core values are aligned, your career goals and your ambition. In short, they want to know why your job search has led you to this interview.

So, make sure your job interview answer reassures hiring managers that you are passionate, engaged and enthusiastic to do great things for the organisation. When you answer the question, show why you genuinely want to work there. After all, hiring new people takes time and money, so when your interviewer asks you, "Why are you interested in this role?", take this as an opportunity to share your motivations and prove that you are the right candidate.

How to answer, "Why do you want to work here?"

To help you prepare, here's our advice on how to successfully answer the "Why do you want to work here?" job interview question:

1. Show your passion for the role and organisation

To answer the question "What attracted you to apply for this role?" you should firstly think about why you want to work for this company in this particular role. If needed, research the company to determine exactly why you want to work there. Remember, employees who are passionate about the company they work for are usually the people who add the most value and stand out from the crowd. They aim to achieve the highest success for the organisation as well as for themselves. That's why a hiring manager wants to see genuine interest in their company and the job.

So, in your "Why do you want this job?" answer make sure you mention:

•    How the values of the organisation align with yours
•    The services or products that excite you the most
•    The duties from the job description that excite you the most
•    The recent achievements of the organisation that impressed you

Whether you have been following the brand for a long time or had not heard of the company until you came across this job opportunity, it's important to communicate your passion and enthusiasm to the hiring manager within your answer.

When the interviewer is listening to your response, they want to feel confident that you are genuinely interested in the role. Show this in your answer by highlighting what attracted you to apply in the first place.

2. Show your ambition

Your potential employer also wants to hire someone who will not only add value to the team today but also in the long-term. They will look for someone with ambition who wants to continuously develop and achieve success in the job.

When answering this part of the question, make sure you explain:

•    Your career ambitions
•    How this role is aligned to these ambitions
•    How you see a long-term future with the organisation
•    Why you want to progress your career in this particular organisation

It's vital, however, to avoid giving the employer the impression that this is just one step on your career ladder and you'll move on to another employer once you've achieved your next short-term career goal. Instead, in your answer find a balance between showing your ambition while avoiding implying that you're using the role as a springboard to something else.

3. Show your appreciation for the opportunity

Then, finish your "What attracted you to apply for this role?" answer by providing a summary of your suitability and expressing how glad you were to be invited in for an interview. This is where you are putting it all together, so be genuine and excited by the opportunity so that you leave a positive impression with the interviewer.

Example "Why do you want this job?" answer

Now it's time to put your thoughts into practice. Here is an example of how to answer why you want the job using the above structure. It's an example that a marketing executive who is interviewing for a job in the cyber security industry may provide:

"Cyber security is such an important, growing and ever-changing industry. It's an industry I've grown to be very passionate about over the years, and during this time, I have paid close attention to XXX as a pioneering market leader. I know that you provide robust, pre-emptive solutions and I read your industry commentary with interest regularly. Needless to say, I was very excited when I saw you were hiring for this position.

"When I initially read the job description for the role, one of the things that particularly appealed to me was that it has a strong social media focus, which is perfectly suited to my strengths. While social media marketing is my strongest skill, I am aware that as a profession it is always evolving and I will need to continuously develop my expertise. Working for a forward-thinking market leader such as XXX, with a sophisticated and strong social media strategy, will allow me to keep my finger on the pulse and progress to my full potential using the learning and career opportunities available.

"To sum up, this role and company is well suited to my interests, skillset and ambitions, and I am very pleased to be interviewing for this opportunity."

A well thought out approach

"Why do you believe you are the best candidate for this position?" is an interview question that shouldn't throw you. It is a question you know you are going to be asked in your next interview, so understanding exactly how to answer this question makes sense.

Of course, your "Why do you want to work for this company?" best answer requires research and careful planning. But by taking the time to prepare a personal, detailed and well thought out answer that includes the above elements, you'll impress hiring managers and help them see your potential.

How to Answer Why Are You Interested in This Company

Source: https://www.hays.net.nz/career-advice/interview-tips/why-do-you-want-work-here

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