If you’ve been interviewing recently, you have probably noticed that human resources, internal corporate recruiters and hiring managers typically ask the same standard questions. Asking candidates, “Why are you interested in this position?” is safe and does not require a lot of thought and imagination.
Since companies frequently ask the same interview questions, it puts the job hunter in an advantageous position. By anticipating and practicing answering these commonly asked questions ahead of time, your preparedness and well-thought-out answers will help you shine in the interview.
Why The Interviewer Asks The Question
There is a rationale behind asking why you are interested in the role. The interviewer wants to separate the window shoppers from those truly interested in the opportunity.
Hiring managers want people who are motivated and desire this particular job. They want to ensure that you’re not just looking for any company or position and that this is the perfect fit.
Here’s How To Win The Job
Reframe the question as “Why am I the right fit for the role?” The HR person is tossing you a big fat softball to hit it out of the ballpark. They’ve given you the opening to provide your elevator pitch of why you are the right person and deserve the job, will thrive and make the hiring manager look good for bringing you aboard.
As a job seeker, you want these kinds of softball questions. It’s an easy layup, as you can honestly share why you want the job and then set forth all the reasons why you are the best choice.
Start with telling the truth. Let the interviewer know you became highly excited about the role after seeing the job posted on the company’s internal careers site. You visited the job listings because the company is your top choice for prospective employers due to its stellar reputation, corporate mission statement and culture.
Share some other reasons why you were attracted to the organization. It could be that an internal employee recommended you; your due diligence into the firm showed excellent internal upside mobility; the company pays well and treats its employees fairly; there haven’t been any significant layoffs, and there are remote and hybrid work options.
It’s not enough to sway the hiring manager and interviewers just because you like the company. You need to intelligently walk the interviewer through all the salient reasons why your work background, experiences, skills, education, credentials, licenses and other qualities nicely dovetail with the requirements listed in the job description.
Highlight the aspects of the role that speak to you. Connect the dots that link the job advertisement’s responsibilities to match your talents, accomplishments and expertise from past jobs. Talk about how the position will help you learn, grow, develop and achieve your long-term career goals.
In answering, you want to come across as upbeat, positive, enthusiastic, committed to doing your best and offering value to the company genuinely and authentically. Show that you’ve done your research by bringing up specific facts about the company and its leadership team.
Avoid offering cliché answers. Talk from the heart, and it will resonate with the hiring personnel. Your passionate tone will make you stand out against the competition. Subtly, make it known that you are not interviewing for the job because the company offers a well-known prestigious name and reputation. Top firms recognize that many job hunters seek social status and want to work for them primarily to have the marquee name on their résumé and LinkedIn bio, which will later be leveraged to secure another role elsewhere.
Source: Forbes
