It’s one of the most common questions you'll get in a job interview – “Why do you want to work here?”. And yet, according to job search strategist and LinkedIn Learning Instructor Jenny Foss, few people nail it.
“You would be amazed by how few people get this question right,” Foss said. “So, you've got this big opportunity to shine.”
Foss wants you to seize that opportunity. Which is why, in her LinkedIn Learning course Expert Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions, she explains how to best answer the question: "So, why exactly do you want to work here?".
LinkedIn Learning Instructor Jenny Foss explains how to answer the common job interview question, “Why do you want to work here?”.
Foss said the best way to answer the question is to follow this three-step playbook:
1. Make it about them first.
You might want to work at the company because of the benefits the company offers or the prestige of the position or the salary. But leading with any of these is not a good idea.
“Remember that companies are not in business to take care of you,” Foss said. “They're there to make money, to grow or to change the world. And they want to know what's in it for them if they hire you.”
Instead, start this answer with what you can do for them. Why are you uniquely right for this role? How will you help them achieve their goals?
2. Then, share what you want, and how they uniquely offer it.
Once you’ve established what you can do for them, weave in why the position is so uniquely attractive to you.
Say you are interviewing for a job at a big accounting firm. Start with how you have great accounting skills and think you’d be a perfect fit for the role. Then, talk about how it’s your dream to work for such a big firm, because of all the opportunities it presents.
3. Speak from the heart.
Lastly, reading this, it’s tempting to think you can just make up an answer that’ll sound good. Savvy interviewers will see right through that.
Speak from the heart on both what you can do for the company and why you want to work there. If there is no genuine reason behind either, perhaps it’s best if you don’t get the job.
“The more genuine you are, the easier it'll be to win the interviewer over,” Foss said.
A Video Example of How to Best Answer the Interview Question “Why Do You Want to Work Here?”
Rather than just tell you what to say, we’ll show you. Here’s a great video example of how to answer the common job interview question, “Why do you want to work here?”:
Here's a great example of how to answer the interview question, "Why do you want to work here?", from our LinkedIn Learning course, Expert Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions.
You see the interviewee followed the three-step playbook outlined by Foss – and shined. By following the advice in this article, you'll do the same in your interview.
Want to learn more? Watch the LinkedIn Learning course, Expert Tips for Answering Common Interview Questions.
The course shows how to answer common job interview questions like:
- Tell Me About Yourself?
- What is Your Greatest Weakness?
- Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Role?
- What Are Your Salary Expectations?
- Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
Topics: Job seeking tips
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