3. “Why do you want to work here?
A great movie example for how to answer this interview question comes from the trailer for the animated film, Zootopia. (2016) Chief Bogo says “It’s not how badly you WANT something. It’s about what you are capable of!” That’s really solid advice for making sure you make your answer not just about you.
Good Interview Answers for this Popular Interview Question
To reply to this frequently asked top ten interview question, do this instead. Here’s the interviewer’s side of what they want to hear (and don’t want to hear) in response to this question.
Alternate versions of this question include:
- “So what attracted you to this position and/or company?”
- “Why do you want to work in this company?”
- “What attracts you to this industry?”
Your answer should be:
- demonstration that you’ve done your homework since you want to share why theyre special
- another opportunity to show connections between what you value and what they value
- specific to them and another differentiator
Your answer should not be:
- generic yet again from what they’ve heard from another candidate
- about you and what you want alone since they’re listening for what’s important to them also
Here’s How to Create Your Answer:
First of all, do research at the company website or through sites that profile them. In addition, you can get insights through people that work there or have worked there. Because this is a great starting point to finding something you admire and how you can add value to something important to them.
In addition, you need to draw the personal connection on how you align with what they’re about and the benefits that you bring. Furthermore, the more personal and unique your answer is to this particular company or organization, the more powerful it will be.
Remember, what they really want to know is, why would it benefit me to hire you?
Example #1
“My research has confirmed you are the industry leader in XXX because of your commitment to XXX and XXX. I have prior experience doing XXX and I want to be doing that here with the best.”
Example #2
“Your mission to XXX is important to me because my brother was a patient here and I saw firsthand your staff’s dedication. I would be proud to be part of this team.”
Example #3
“I have helped XXX go from XXX to XXX in XXX time frame and believe those experiences would be applicable to meeting your company’s strategic priority for this year to XXX.”
NEED SOME MORE HELP?
Finally, to further improve your own answer to this question, get immediate access to the “WHAT’S RIGHT WITH YOU?” Guide in the Hollywood Movie Method Job Winning Series. This Guide includes 12 sample answers given by real people for this question. You will discover ratings for each answer that will help you quickly refine your own answer to be even more effective.
This Guide aslo includes samples and complete how to answer training for even more questions you face in your job interviews.
