“Why do you want to work here?” is as tricky a question to get asked in an interview as “Tell me about yourself”. The question demands focus and weightage in the response without any clues, prompting, or context from the interviewer’s side. It is a space, left black and unfilled for you to fill in, but that does not mean you can pour unfiltered water into a glass, hoping for it to be filtered.
Swiping Right on the Perfect Answer
Job interviews can be seen as dates; both sides look for the proper connection that fits perfectly. When you are asked, “Why do you want to work here?” and “What motivates you?” not giving a generic response is your chance to show how you are interested in the role. Starting by showing how you’ve researched the company, followed by what drew you in, can set the pace and make things fall in your favour by leaving an impressive impact on the interviewer.
Letting the interviewer know how you understand the company’s values, being impressed by a recent project, and seeing its bold vision can make your first impression on the interviewer meaningful, while showing them how you value innovation and teamwork can make them appreciate your professionalism and personality.
Understand What You Are Being Asked
Before panicking and jumping onto the bandwagon of the correct answer, you must understand what the question is and what the interviewer wants to hear. It might seem a simple question that nobody could ever answer, but there’s something deeper that must be understood to respond with confidence and the correct answer. But what truth is hiding beneath?
- An interviewer wants to know if you care about the company or if any job would work for you.
- Have you done your homework and tried learning about the company, its values, and its services?
- Can you contribute meaningfully to the team with your skills and experience?
What Research Do You Require?
How would you understand and answer the common interview questions?
In the times of stalking, a company needs to be stalked online as well, from their website, social media, blog posts, and reviews from past employees, everything is essential to be looked for to find and understand the following,
- Work environment
- Core values and mission
- Recognizable projects
- Recent achievements
- Worth in industry
- Future goals
- Services and products
These are a few factors that you must understand and know before going into any company and respond with the perfect answer. But, what is the ideal answer?
What Is The Correct Answer?
While expressing excitement and interest in not just any job role, but specifically this job, it is most important to be clear with the answer that the interviewer asked. Here are simple steps to understand the question and respond with the best suitable answer.
- Express your interest in the specific product, service, or mission that the company is offering to its clients.
- Explain why and how you will enjoy the responsibilities of the job role.
- Describe how you can use your skills and experience for the job role and succeed with them.
The question does not come with a couple of boxes to select the best and tick them off; it is a complete puzzle that you have to solve within a time of 3 seconds, in total, to be authentic, thoughtful, and, of course, the best choice for the job role.
1. Expressing Your Interest In The Company’s Service
The company, while interviewing and finding the right fit, would want to hear that your interests and passion align with what the company is doing, be it a service or a product. Connecting your passion with the company’s core values can make you look interested in the company.
But how do you show your enthusiasm?
Connect the company’s products or services that they are providing with your experience and interest.
For example, if the business or company is a sustainability-focused brand, a response like this could work,
“I have always been passionate about environmental sustainability, as it is imperative to take care of our environment, and I would be thrilled to work for an organization that subscribes to the same core values. This company’s commitment to ethical and environmentally friendly sourcing and repairing instead of replacing aligns so closely with how I like things to be around me. Being a part of a company that backs its promises and mission with actions would be meaningful to me.”
This approach can make the interviewer understand that you can be a perfect match for the job role.
2. Embracing the Challenge
Understandably, we put effort into working hard, getting better, and for a more extended period, when we enjoy the work and the environment, and surely, the employer would not like anything less than a dedicated employee who loves taking challenges and makes them work for the company. Expressing your joy in working on something is simple, but when it comes to explaining how and why you enjoy it, the real challenge begins.
Explaining how this role aligns with your passion
Explain to the employer your enthusiasm for the company’s services and how you align with this job role with confidence and authenticity.
For example, it is a creative role for a content writer; a statement like the following can help not just while CV writing but also during the interview.
“I love taking abstracts, looking for similar ideas, and turning them into compelling content that reaches the right audience. The roles of this job excite me as I enjoy creating brand-aligned content that is engaging. The process of creating content, from brainstorming to refining concepts, is fulfilling for me. I like challenges that let me bring new ideas to life.”
This approach makes the employer sure about why you are a perfect fit for the role.
3. Bringing The Skills To Life
When a company hires, it usually looks for a candidate who is willing to do something for the company, but is primarily interested in someone who can stay and achieve something bigger for the company in the future. The company will be interested in knowing what aligns you with the job role and what skills you have to fulfil the responsibilities of this position.
How Ready, Skilled, and Aligned are you?
Every industry requires a different set of skills to fit into the environment, and an employee who can adapt to them. Describe to the employer how you have the correct set of skills and experience for the job role.
For example, if it is a marketing role that you have applied for, a similar response can land you the job.
“I have been working in the digital marketing domain for the past few years. My skill set includes social media management, creative campaigns, content calendars, and email automation. I have been assisting in creating engaging campaigns and also tracking their engagements and data-driven adjustments, using tools like Meta Business Suite, Mailchimp, and Google Analytics. The skills I have will help me contribute to the goals of your team while also allowing the brand to grow.”
This viewpoint will make your personality appear more confident while breaking down your skills.
Conclusion
When you take time to know the company, understand its values, align your passion, and express your interest, you become the candidate who belongs there. It is not only about answering the “Why do you want to work here?” question; it is about convincing the employer why you should be working there. So, don’t forget that a combination of confidence and the right words with a little sprinkle of research can make you the perfect fit for the role.