How to Answer “Why Do You Want to Work for This Company?”
When you’re preparing for an interview, there are a few questions you should definitely know how to answer (eg, “tell me about yourself”) because they are common and will shape most of the interview. But “why this particular company?” may be the most difficult because it’s not about you.
This post was originally published on the Muse website .
So how do you approach this very common interview question without relying on your resume or looking like any other candidate who talks about how excited he or she is about working for a company that “values transparency” and has “excellent company “? culture? “To help you get started, consider four aspects.
1. Recognize the uniqueness of the company.
The key to answering this question correctly is being specific. If you can give the same answer to another company, then you are clearly not detailed enough. In other words, your answer should be unique to every location you interview – no general statements of “working with talented people” or “global influence.”
If you want to take a cultural path, talk about the aspects that you like. Don’t just dwell on how interested everyone seems; Instead, mention how you do well in a goal-driven environment and that the team’s tradition of setting goals for the week rather than the year is attractive. Or, if you like the way the company shakes things up from time to time, take it a step further and share the day of the hack company-wide . This is a great chance to demonstrate that you’ve actually done your research.
2. Back to top
It’s always impressive that you know a lot about a company, but sometimes that isn’t always possible. If learning more about the place is harder than expected, try telling the story of how you first learned about it. Of course, don’t get too hung up on it. Your goal here is to show that you knew and were interested in the company before you even had the opportunity to apply.
One way to do this is to talk about the evolution of the company you are applying for. Share with interest how you watched it grow, change, and adapt. Being able to comment on a brand’s story is definitely a good way to show that your interest in it didn’t arise overnight .
3. Think about the future of the company (and your role in it)
Besides diving into history, think a little about the future as well. Being able to talk about areas of the company where you think there is room for growth and to demonstrate your commitment to contributing to that growth is a great way to approach this issue.
This forward-thinking thinking shows that not only have you invested enough to think thoughtfully about the future of the company, but you also have some ideas on how to continue its further success. This is a great way to showcase your knowledge and commitment beyond what you can find by doing research online . You have actually thought critically about the future of the company and you want to play a role in it.
4. Offer a personal touch
If all else fails, you can always count on it to work: get personal. It’s hard to talk about what makes a company special as an outsider, but one thing you can count on to be unique is people. Maybe you have a friend who works for the company. You can talk about how impressed you are with her experience, but be sure to be specific.
And even if you don’t have internal contact, simply being invited for an interview means that you have interacted with some employees. Talk about the personal interactions with the people in the company and how they made you feel welcome, or how excited you are to see such enthusiasm in the team members you have spoken to so far. If all else fails, always bring it back to people.
There is no 100% correct answer to this question, so get creative with how you want to illustrate your interest in the company. As long as you don’t start repeating platitudes, you should be fine.
The 4 best ways to answer “Why do you want to work for this company?” | Muse