Interviewers and hiring managers will always wonder about your reasons, intentions, and motivation. Why their company, school, job offer, study program, etc? Let’s analyze it in depth. I will explain their reasoning, elaborate on what they want to hear from you, and offer you some great sample answers. Let’s dive into this.
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The Basics
- Most common interview questions belonging to this area: Why did you choose our company (school, project, course)? Why do you apply for this position? Why do you want to work/study here (and not somewhere else)?
- Less common questions belonging to the area: From your point of view of a job seeker, what makes us better than our competitors? How does our company stand out in your eyes? Why did you choose this career?
- Out of 10 random jobs, in how many cases will this area be tested during the hiring process: 9/10. You will typically face a question in the very first step of the hiring process–on the job application. Sometimes you’ll have to write an entire cover letter around the topic of your choice.
- Difficulty: 3/5. The difficulty of questions belonging to this area depends a lot on your future place of work. Obviously if you apply for a job with Google or Tesla, or want to study at Harvard, it isn’t difficult finding a reason why. Actually a lot of reasons, and stroke their ego along the way, something almost all hiring managers will enjoy time and again… Things get more complicated when you apply for a rather dull job, try to get to a school with not the best reputation, and so on. But do not worry, I’ll explain how to deal with all these situations.
- Main goals of the hiring managers with questions belonging to this area: Assessing your initial level of motivation, and understanding how committed you are to their particular offer, when compared to other offers you may be applying for simultaneously.
- Your main goals with answers to questions belonging to this area: Convincing them that they are your first choice, or second choice at worst (even when not true). Showing that you did your homework and learned something about the company and the job offer, which is a clear indication that you actually care, and the interview with them isn’t just “another interview on your list”.
6 sample answers
* Make sure to read also the “advanced info” below the sample answers, to understand what attitudes you actually show with this or that answer, the most common mistakes you should avoid making, etc.
Sample answer no. 1: A woman applying for a place at a nursing school:
Before anything else, I chose this study program for my passion for nursing. I spent a lot of time in hospitals when I was young, and I know what a difference a good nurse can make in one’s life. On the top of that I’ve always felt an urge to help others. Nursing is an ideal field for me really. But I chose this place also because your school has an excellent reputation, and I love the area, and the opportunities it offers when it comes to after-school activities. All in all, I cannot imagine a better place for myself, and hope you will give me a chance to prove my words.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Notice the word “passion”. To have a passion for your field of work or study is always a big plus. Personal stories are also very powerful (“I spent a lot of time in hospitals when I was young…”)
Sample answer no. 2: Student applying for a place at a rather average college:
In all honesty, I am simply realistic about my chances. It isn’t particularly hard getting into this program, even with the GPA I have. At the end of the day, the name of the school you attend does not determine the level of success you’ll attain in your career. And you will find better and worse teachers at every place, including this one. I live in the area, and won’t have to stay at the dorm while studying here, which is also a big plus for me, since I do not come from a well-off family. Anyway, I like your study program, and will be glad to get a chance to study here.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Being honest and realistic is your best bet when applying at a place that lacks strong reputation. At the same time, however, it is pivotal to point out some positives, and clear reasons why you are applying. You should never sound desperate (“I am applying simply because I cannot get a job anywhere else”).
Sample answer no.3: Fresh grad applying for an entry level job in a big corporation:
I chose this job for several reasons. First of all, I identify myself with the corporate values you promote here, especially with putting people first, and with always emphasizing relationships, on all levels of the organization. Then I also like the types of projects you work on here, in the sphere of industrial automation. I find it fascinating and useful, and only see this field growing down the road. And last but not least, I consider the job a great fit to my strengths, and an ideal starting point to my professional career.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Mentioning specific products, services, or projects your future employer specializes in, is a great way of clearly showing how they differentiate in your eyes. Realistically you can apply for entry level jobs in so many places. The key is to show them why you chose their place, and specific details help a great deal with this goal.
Sample answer no. 4: Man in his forties applying for a job in a random small business in the town:
I chose this job because I prefer the environment of a small business. Daily contact with customers, knowing everyone in the company, having a chance to come up and actually progress with new ideas, and so on. Your reviews on Google are excellent, and no doubt you try your best to create lasting relationships with your customers, which is something I strongly resonate with. For me it is simply easier to see a meaningful purpose in my daily job in a place like this one. On the top of that, I consider myself a great fit for this job, after everything I read online about your place.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: Finding a meaningful purpose in anything you do in life is the key. If you feel like you may find it in the job you are trying to get, it is never a bad idea mentioning it. Seeing purpose helps a lot with overcoming crises of motivation and other challenges all employees face sooner or later, in any kind of a job.
Sample answer no. 5: Young student applying for a part time job with a low pay, in a fast-paced restaurant:
At this stage of my life and with my study obligations, I am aware that I realistically cannot get many jobs. But I do not see it as something negative–it is simply a part of a journey, and everyone has to start somewhere. I believe I can learn a lot in this job. Not necessarily in terms of skills, but in terms of having a daily routine, working hard, belonging to a team of employees, delivering great customer service, and so on. Of course, the extra income will help with financing my studies and daily life. The shift patterns here fitting well my schedule at school, I simply decided to apply.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: You can find something positive about any job, even when applying for jobs nobody really wants to do. It is crucial expressing these things while explaining your choice, especially when you apply for a hard job which pays a minimum wage.
Sample answer no. 6: A rather philosophical one:
Did I really choose this place? And do we really make any choices in life? Or do we simply decide as we have to, considering what we know and all we’ve learned and done in life up to this point, and of course taking into account the circumstances of the given moment? Maybe this job has chosen me, and not the other way around. When a moment came to make a decision, I immediately chose your place. Because that’s where my life has taken me, and I believe I could not really make any other choice at that moment. With my skills and experience, with my desires and hopes, this is the one fit for me.
- Quick thing to notice about this answer: An interesting answer, and no doubt a similar one will help you stand out in any interview. However, in order to make it even better, you should add some specific details, explaining why exactly this job, or this company, is your “destiny”. But sometimes the main goal of your answer is to awaken the HR person from the half-sleep reading the applications, all of them being so similar to one another. Answers like this one certainly do a great job here.
Advanced information
Mistakes people make while explaining their job choice
- Focusing on salary and benefits. Realistically, the remuneration package is something we always check when applying for a job offer. In many cases it can be the deciding factor, the reason why we apply for job no. 1, and not for job no. 2 or no. 3. And while you can mention “a good salary offer” while explaining your choice, it should never be the main point, or the only focus. Because hiring managers know that someone can always offer you more money or better benefits. And if money is the deciding factor for you, you’ll leave as soon as a better offer lands in your inbox. Nobody wants to hire such an employee.
- Making negative comparisons and remarks. Speaking from my experience in hiring and interviewing, this is a very common mistake. Especially when changing jobs, people often explain their choice by comparing their existing (or last) place of work with the new one, or with their ideal: “The management in my last place was just terrible.” “There is no system in the other company. Simply a complete chaos.” “They pay me very badly over there, I feel I deserve better.” While there may be a lot of truth in your words, you should avoid any negativity in the interview, especially when explaining your reasons for applying for the given job. Because negativity is also an attitude, and once you have it working in one place, you will likely have it in another one as well. And negative employees who always find something to complain about are a nightmare for any employer.
- Vague reasons, lacking specific details. Answers such as “this is simply the best company“, or “I am a perfect fit for this job and that’s why I chose it” simply won’t do the trick nowadays. First of all, there’s nothing like the best company, or a perfect fit. But there can be “the best company” in your eyes, or an almost perfect fit. The key is to explain why you see it that way. The more specific you are, the better. On the contrary, vague answers won’t take you anywhere in your job hunting efforts.
- Sounding desperate. This is a mistake people make especially when applying for jobs with bad pay, or for hard jobs almost nobody wants to do. However, even if your situations seems desperate, and you are ready to accept any job, it is crucial to still find something positive about your future place of work, and mention it in your answer. It can be simple things like good shift patterns, job that one leaves with a clear mind after shift, belonging to a team, and so on. Make sure you never sound as if you’d simply do any job. Not only it isn’t a good way to convince the hiring managers that you won’t leave the job after a week. It also puts you in an unfavorable position when it comes to agreeing about salary and other terms of your contract.
Few points from the perspective of the hiring managers/interviewers
- We are aware of how the job hunting works, and that you certainly apply for more offers. But we still want to hear why you apply for our offer, and that we are at least your second choice, if not the first one. Now you do not have to tell us some fairy-tales about our business that even we are unaware of. Do your homework, find things that resonate with you, be realistic, and praise the offer at least a bit. That’s the way to succeed.
- We know that we aren’t the only one deciding–also you do decide. When we like you and your answers, we will also try to make a good impression on you, and present the offer and the company in the best possible light. At the end of the day, however, the only good fit is the one that works for both parties. Keep it on your mind when making your final decision about applying for an offer, or accepting one.
- Your words form just a part of your answer for us. Remember that we always take notice of your non-verbal communication. Is there some spark in your eyes when you talk about the reasons why you chose our place and/or our job offer? Can we hear any enthusiasm in your words? Naming the reasons why you chose our company is one thing, convincing us about your reasons another. Unless your non-verbal communication indicates that you really want to work for us, we simply won’t believe you…
7 keywords to remember when answering questions belonging to this area
- Specific reasons, meaningful purpose, no negativity, stay realistic, minimize mentions of remuneration package, there is something positive about any job, correlation of your non-verbal communication with your words.
So that’s it! You’ve just covered area no. 2 out of 25 areas that cover 99% of questions you may ever get in the interviews. Just 23 areas left! Check the next one: Experience, or go back to homepage for the full list of 25 areas and pick one you want to learn about and practice right now.
