Picture yourself in an interview. You’ve got your CV highlights memorised, your STAR stories ready to roll, your active listening pose in place and then you get asked one of the two deceptively simple questions most interviewees struggle to answer well:
Why do you want to work here?
Like its partner in crime, ‘Tell me about yourself’, ‘Why do you want to work here?’ isn’t something you can hope to answer successfully without preparation.
So, how do you prepare?
Action 1 Memorise these three words and repeat them as your mantra
CLEAR CONCISE RELEVANT
Action 2 Follow these four steps to create a strong structure and content that will flow
Firstly, talk about the company – focus on two things about why you like the company, its work, its vision for the future, community work and mentoring programme
Next, talk about what you will bring to the role – your experience, insight, skills and expertise
Then talk about what the role will give you
Close with culture – say something about how you think the role is a good fit for your skills and experience but also that the culture of the company also fits with your personal values and passions
It’s a very similar structure to being asked ‘Why do you want this job?’ but in this scenario you should focus more on steps 2 and 3 and give specific information about the contribution you would make in the role.
Write your answer out, read it back and edit, edit, edit until it flows.
Say it out loud and practise, practise, practise until it sounds natural (and not overly rehearsed).
And remember, as with any interview question response, you shouldn’t offer an exhaustive list of everything, but a selection of the most relevant points and pertinent information.
If you’d like help drafting your question responses or some coaching to help you polish your interview technique, then why not get in touch? A 30-minute session is usually all it takes to show you how you can shine!
Email louise@careertherapy.co.uk Linkedin Louise Newton Photo by Will Porada on Unsplash
Comments