How to answer “Why do you want this job?”

Your first line

Ben starts with “Hi, thanks for hopping on. So what made you apply here?”

“Two reasons. You build scheduling software for small clinics, and I spent two years at a clinic front desk fighting bad scheduling software.”

Proof, not adjectives: one specific thing about them and one real thing about you, instead of “great company, great culture.”

What Ben might say, and what to say back

1. Ben: “Lots of companies make that kind of software, though. Why us?”

   You: “Your posting says the team visits clinics to see how they use it. That’s exactly what I wished someone had done for us.”

2. Ben: “And what makes you a fit for it?”

   You: “I trained four new front-desk hires on our system, and I was the one people called when it broke.”

3. Ben: “How does this fit with what you want long term?”

   You: “I want to grow into account management, and starting in support is the best way to really learn your customers.”

Two things that trip people up

• “I saw the posting and it looked interesting,” or “It’s close to my house.”Name one real thing about them, from the posting or their product, and why it matters to you.
• Rambling past a minute, then trailing off.Give your two reasons in under a minute, then ask, “What are the next steps?”

More in Interviews

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• How to answer “What are your salary expectations?”