When asked the question, "Why do you want this job" what's the best way to respond?

When answering questions in an interview, it is just as much, if not more, about HOW you answer the question, rather then WHAT you say.

Showing you are passionate about an aspect of the role/company, and that it aligns with your own view of your development/career path demonstrates you can think ahead and this is not "just a job application" to you.

Try to keep that in mind when answering, and be as honest as possible, interviewers are looking for honesty and openness from my experience on both sides of the panel.

I used to interview quite a bit to maintain a large team and this was one of the questions I would ask. I myself didn't really feel it was a bad question to ask and it was mainly used to gain a little insight into some intangibles such as: quick thinking, leadership, articulation, good communications skills, etc.

Good answers:
1) I feel I have a great skill set to do this job and I with to improve this skill set to become great at a job that I love to do.
2) This company has a great reputation in the industry and is projected to grow in the next 5 years (do your research here). I want to develop and grow along with it.
3) I love being a part of a high-functioning team which to my understanding is an aspect of this position.

These answers are similar to what Daniel wrote above but preparation will help you articulate the answers better.

An important things when answering this question is to try to be as prepared, honest and smooth as possible. Interviewers are looking for good candidates but what they really want are excellent ones. They know the standard answers so any verbiage above and beyond the norm will set you apart from other candidates.

The first thing to do here is to ask yourself, what was the main professional reason you applied for this job or be a part of a particular company. Check the job description, Company history and a thorough research of the company before answering that question. Most of us dream to work in a respective companies like Google, Microsoft, Cisco etc. And having an opportunity to work in such company where the desired skills and roles matches with your area of expertise, I think it should be simple to answer such question.

You can answer like:

1) I learned a long time ago that doing the same thing every day is not for me as I enjoy problem-solving in fast-paced environments. I am also a people-person who likes to build relationships. Based on what you have told me, I would be the point-of-contact with customers resolving issues and overseeing their product delivery. So every day would be different and interesting. I would get to know my customers and build long-term relationships with them.

2) This job opening at your esteemed organization has the potential to give my personality a boost as well as render me sufficient opportunities to leverage most of my acquired skill sets – professionally as well as personally. It can bring out the best in me as this platform will let me show my potential. Also, your organization can give me one of the best professional workplace environments to work to my full potential and collaborate with experienced professionals. I am sure that once I join here, I will grow myself in my career as well as contribute to the organization’s overall growth as well.

3) Working with a team of experts in the field can make me grow in this field and grow as a professional. It can help me acquire much-needed abilities to grow in my career. It can also cement the development that is much needed for freshers like myself. I also need to point out that the goals I have marked for a longterm career growth can be easily attained if I consistently work hard towards my final goal, which is to become a senior manager in an organization, which is as famous as yours. This job is a significant push which I need to fly high right now. I cannot ask for anything less than this as I feel I am the best talent for this position.

Honestly. Think about what you want to do and where you want to go and make sure the job your applying for aligns with your goals.

Key to answering that question is demonstrating how the job can help you learn and grow and at the same time you can bring new/fresh ideas to the company you are applying for.

Try to be as specific to what interests you most about the opportunity

==Not very sure if this a correct way to answer here but want to put this out in my style. Apologies.==

"Why do you want this job? " An ambiguous question & answer. When we all start our education , we heard many of them telling us that (At least in India ) "Education is the best way to escalate in social ladder/high status , get a job & be in safe zone."

so when i first interviewed by a company after my collage & been asked this question, i said I want to make it big in the industry , later i am confused with which industry? What stream? to which stream they are hiring me? .. .. As usual my mind whispered "Who knows , I need a job , just to let everyone know i am just moving up through the ladder, will figure out all other things later". Thats the day i started my IT career.

I am not saying above is the story of all the people , but very sure that there are people out there who can relate to what i said.

At first my journey was just like riding a car at night , even though you can only see 100 meters ahead of you but still you will take a leap & reach the destination & trust me the journey didn't disappoint me , it excite me every day , still am in the same excitement had in the first day.

So with my experience & learning from my mistakes , my suggestion here is that if you want to answer the question "Why do you want this job?", you should be in a position to imagine the accomplishment can be achieved by the job you are a applying to. Keep in mind that you can offer so much more than your job & job should be only a way to reach your intended destination. So do not engage in a job that doesn't excite you enough.

A good way to show that you are hungry for the position and also confident at the same time is responding with something along the lines of “I want this job because this is what I know I am good at, and if you hire me for this job I am 100% confident I will prove that to you.”

The position you apply for should help your career path in some fashion. Your answer should include what you bring to the position and what you expect to learn from the position. Your ability to add value to an organization and your willingness to learn make you an attractive job candidate so be ready to provide an answer to both questions.

It really depends on the job. If it is as an individual contributor then you want to talk about the things that you personally like about the position and why you are interested in it. If it is a management job then you want to talk more about helping others and the satisfaction you get from helping other people achieve their goals.

Think of why you applied before answering the question and what it was that attracted you to this job? Maybe it was to help people or to use a specific skill that you have. Let's say that you want to be a salesperson at Verizon because you are really good at connecting with others and have a passion for technology. For example...You might say..."I am the perfect fit for this position because I enjoying meeting new people and learning about how communications products can change their lives. I am also very driven to win and, after doing research about Verizon, I am certain I could use my expertise in the field of technology to help others!"

Don't forget! Be genuine and passionate with your response!

Deanicia,
My best advice to you is, be true to yourself. You don’t need a canned response or a response you think the interviewer wants to hear. Ask yourself “Why did I apply for this job or internship”. That is your answer. That answer will be genuine and employers like to see the real side of a candidate.

When asked, "Why do you want this job?" The best way to respond is to simply be yourself. Most of the time the hiring manager asks this question to see what the value in your answer, in other words if you need a job to pay for college, or to help out at home with bills or things of that nature, just say it...Most of the time the hiring manager wants to see how you respond rather than what your answer would be... If it is a job that can help you in the future because it corresponds to your career path, then say it, and be passionate about it..Being you will always be the right answer.. Good luck in your career path!!

Hi!! What an awesome question and thank you for reaching out in preparation for future interviews. It’s great that you have remembered question trends from prior interviews. This is a question that begs you to sell yourself. Your interviewer is anxiously awaiting your answer and they are looking for several things. How well do you know the job you are applying for? What research have you done? What do you bring to the table? How will you add value to the business? What is your vision or passion and how will it make you valuable? When you successfully answer these questions you have all the material you need to answer the question, “Why do you want this job?”

First know how that particular profile is suitable to yourself (based on your interest in that particular field), this is most important. If you are a fresher, then first understand what that job profile is. This will help you understand whether you should go for it or no based on your interest in that particular field.

Then talk about how your existing knowledge (or your interest in that field) related to that particular job is going to help you perform well in that job and help you grow your knowledge and hence, contribute to the organization success along with yours.

When answering this question, I often consider why I applied in the first place - is there something about the company that makes you excited to work for them, or is there something about the position that excites you, etc. What do you think you can offer the company if they hire you into this position or what do you hope to gain through this position.

Here the answer for "WHY" is to define your skills and interest you hold and how it is suitable for the job profile.

Yes you are right and this is the most common question which is being asked in interviews of all levels. I would suggest you to look at the requirement or job description you are applying if you can and match them to your strengths. You can base your answer on the following:

1. While answering you need to mention how your strengths are inline with the company's requirements which makes you a very good fit.
2. You can also talk about the company's future/latest updates which have made you interested for this job and this will also show your interest in joining the company.

Hope this helps :).

We often hear this question in interview. The hiring manager asks 'Why do you want this job' because he/she wants to -

• Learn about your career goals and how this position fits into your plan
• Make sure that you are sincerely interested in the job and will be motivated to perform if hired
• Find out what you know about the company, industry, position (and if you took the time to research)
• Understand your priorities and preferences — which aspects of the company and/or job are appealing to you and why?

However, you must approach each part of the question differently, and you’ll need to build the foundation for your answers by researching the company.

Don't over think it. Think about what got you to that interview, how did you find this position, what made you apply, what about it seems interesting, where you see it going, etc.

That's a great question. Too often we try to give the answer that we think they want to hear. The best track is to be honest. Other than the fact that it is a job with a paycheck why did you apply for this job. I recommend that you read the job posting carefully. Review what about the job description caught your attention. Then ask yourself; what about this job do I feel I can do right now ? What about this job will challenge me? Why would I be valuable to this company in this role? Digest those points and you should find a substantial answer to why you want THIS job.

Interviewing can be stressful and nerve racking, but you are doing a great job recognizing areas of opportunity and seeking insight.

I did interviewing for several years and I always ended my interviews with a very similar question. I will share what I was looking for, as too maybe give you some insight on how to answer.

This is an opportunity to sell yourself, confidence is key. Confidence is gained through preparation. Have you done your research? This is an opportunity to share what you know about the role and the company. This shows you are invested and not just another stop on a long list of interviews you may have. What do you bring to the table? Highlight your key attributes, and how they can contribute to the business. Keep it simple, but unique. Set yourself apart.

Remember Umatter, good luck and you got this.

When going into an interview you should prepare to speak to the job you are applying for by researching the company and role as much as possible. This should give you an idea of what will be required of you to do the job. During the interview you should explain what makes you passionate about that job and how your skillset will help you get it done.

Hi everyone,

This question is much interesting and i think one should answer in positive and enthusiastic way mentioning that how much you are interesting in the profile and how this profile work will be interesting to you to learn and achieve goals.

Because you think the company is a good fit for you.

Of course then you have to follow up with why - which means you did your research on the company and job position.

Nobody wants to hire somone who will be miserable at their job. It costs a lot to look for, hire, and then train an employee -both in time and money. If a company goes through all of that and then is misearable and leaves for an other job, then nobody benefits.

Does the job invole travel? Does it involve meetings with clients? Is it a team based role or an individual contribuitor, where is the office located, what sort of commute would you be looking at, what sort of hours are expected of you. These are the sort of questions you have answered before the interview (to the extent prossible)

Then when asked the "why do you want this job" question you can say things such as "Not only do the technical skills required for this job meet my skill set, but I see this job requires making presentations to prospective clients. I enjoy public speaking and presenting, and in fact I have been in Toastmasters for the last 3 years. I also see that the job requires some international travel. This is not an issue for me, in fact I would enjoy it. I have traveled to a number of countries and I speak Spanish, and a bit of French, and would be interested inlearing other languages if necessary"

Of course whatever you say needs to be true and spun to make you look good. If the job requires long hours and working alone, don't say " This would be a good fit because I am an anti-social, socially awkward, hemit". Say "This would be a good job for me because I noticed in college that while working on a number of overnight projects in the lab, that I did not mind working odd hours by myself, if fact sometimes I had some of my best insights into problems at such times"

It's all about how you present yourself.

-dave