Nail Your Answer to “Why Do You Want to Work Here”?

Sometimes the toughest job interview questions are also the simplest and most direct. One you should always expect to hear and definitely prepare for: “Why do you want to work here?” Here are three approaches to try when answering this common interview question:

• Express your passion for the employer’s product, service, or mission. Prepare a clear and honest explanation for why you personally connect with the organization’s purpose. You might say something like, “X is very important to me in both my professional and personal life because I strongly believe in Y.”
• Explain why you would enjoy the responsibilities of the role. Make the connection between job and joy clear. For example, you might say, “Analyzing data has always been fun for me — the challenge of using numbers to tell a story and convey an idea — and I look forward to the data visualization work we’ll be doing on this team.
• Describe how you see yourself succeeding in the role, given your skills and experience. The organization isn’t just looking to hire you; they’re looking to invest in you. Use phrases like, “Given my experience, I can see myself succeeding in X,” or “I look forward to using my skills to accomplish Y.”