February 19, 2018

Why Do You Want To Work Here?

Why do you want to work here? It’s a job interview question you’re going to hear. Don’t panic when you hear it. Instead prepare your thoughts now so you know how you’re going to answer this classic job interview question.

Empty Office Table With Views Overlooking City

In theory this job interview question should be easy to answer. As long as you applied for a job that you are genuinely interested in with a company that you respect and you did your research ahead of time, you should have no problem answering, the classic job interview question – “Why do you want to work here?”

How To Answer Why Should We Hire You?

But just in case you need a bit of advice on how to answer this job interview question, we’ve got you covered. Most likely, the real reason you want this job is because you need a job that pays the bills. That is not what the job interviewer wants to hear. In fact this questions is really a double whammy! The job interviewer wants to know two main things:

  1. Why are you interested in this job?
  2. Why are you interested in this company?

When you answer, you need to show that you are knowledgeable about the job, you need to highlight your professional goals, you need to show that you’ve researched the company and industry, and you need to show that your priorities are in the right place. Start by asking yourself a question, “Why do I want to work here?”

Give that question some serious thought. Is it the pay? The hours? The job description? The company? The location? The perks? The long term potential? You should have a reason why you applied for this job – besides that fact that the job opening was posted online.

Here are a few sample ways to start your answer for the job interview question “Why do you want to work here?”:

  • “I’ve been using your products for years…”
  • “I always find myself stopping by your store…”
  • “One of my best friends works for this company and they rave about what an excellent place it is to work…”
  • “I saw that your company goes out of its way to…”
  • “Everyone I know speaks positively of this company…”
  • “Based on my research, I am thoroughly impressed with the companies ability to…”

Do a bit of brainstorming and use these brief samples to help streamline your thought process. This isn’t a hard question to answer – there are certainly trickier job interview questions that you might be asked.

When you get faced with the “Why do you want to work here?” job interview question, be honest. Show your genuine interest in both the job and the company. Then give your answer a unique twist that sets you apart from the rest of the job search competition.

Finally practice your answer and say it out loud. This way you’ll have it dialed and ready to go when you are at your next job interview. Plan ahead and you’re going to nail it!

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