How to Answer: “Why Do You Want to Work at this Company?” in a Job Interview
So "Why do you want to work at this company?" It's a question that often leaves job seekers feeling a bit tongue-tied 🫤 and saying saying “uhhhh I need money to live” isn’t exactly appropriate 😆 So let’s break down a stellar response:
Interviewer (I): "So, why do you want to work at our company?"
“What I admire about this company…”
Start with what you admire about the company👈 this allows you to flex your knowledge of the company’s mission & any recent news, while showing enthusiasm. You can include things like the company’s impact, values, etc. Something like this ✍🏼
Candidate (C): What I really admire about Company A is your commitment to innovation. It’s so impressive that Company A has been around for more than 50 years and is still such a leader in the industry. I wasn’t surprised to see that the recent launch of Product B was a huge success!
“What’s interesting to me about this role…”
2. Continue with some things that caught your eye 👀 What are you looking forward to doing? 👈 Here you’ll flex your knowledge about the role & talk about what you bring to the table AND what you would like to achieve in the role. In other words, how are you looking to grow at this company? 🌱
Candidate (C): What’s really interesting to me about this role is the opportunity to grow. I’m eager to contribute my expertise in B2B sales and CRM but I’m also very excited by the opportunity to work my way up to a directive role and one day have a team of my own.
“As a X, I’ve…”
3. Wrap it up on a high note 🎂 Show them you have previous experience and flex your skills. 👈 If you’re new to the role/industry, this is where you’d show your transferable skills. You want them to believe you’d be excited to join their team.
Candidate (C): As a Customer Success Manager, I’ve been able to successfully onboard more than a dozen clients and generate $250 million dollars in up sales. And now I’m looking to bring my skills to a company like this one that has a product that I really believe in and opportunities for growth.
⚠️ It may feel silly, but I promise you, the more experience & the further along in your career you get, the more natural this becomes!
Just try to avoid the following:
❌ only talking about how to company will benefit YOU (ex: look good on your resume)
❌ talking about non-role related benefits (ex: “this company is really close to my house…”)
❌ be in authentic. Don’t keyword vomit or say what you think they want to hear. Seriously think, “why do I want to work HERE as opposed to somewhere else…?”
Remember, the key to answering this question is to showcase your genuine interest in the company, its values, and its vision, not the money. You got this! 🍀🤞
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