The most basic and common question that would be asked to you no matter which job you apply for, and is a given to prepare for is Why are you interested in this position. One needs to keep in mind that because it’s common, it does not necessarily make it not important enough. The commonality only guarantees one thing, that the interviewer is aware of all the answers in the book and all the stories under the sun, therefore, you need to be very creative and personal in your approach to answer this very question.
This question of why are you interested in this position might seem to have a very obvious answer as most people opt for any job for the sole purpose of being employed and to make money.
So in such a scenario, Questions like why are you interested in this position can seem unnecessary however as and when you provide a detailed answer that reflects your passion for the job, the chance for you to be considered for the same increases in your next interview if the job fits your skill set and what you are searching for.
Throughout the course of this article, you will get to read different ways of answering this question of why are you interested in this position which allows you to choose the one that is the closest to your thought process and personality and give it a personal touch in framing the best answer to your interview questions in your search for a new job.
A good answer to this otherwise common question would make the interviewer take you more seriously and they might actually consider you for the position that you have applied for.
1. Understand the Job Description
In order to answer the question of why you are interested in a particular job, it is extremely significant for one to look over the job description and to try and understand it to the best of their ability.
Having a look at all the qualities they are searching for in an employee could prove to be really helpful in framing answers like why are you interested in this position for the particular position you are applying for as you would come to know what it is that the employer is looking for, if it fits your skill set and reflect the same in your answer through the job description.
Having a good understanding of the job and its description would be of great help for you to not only align and frame your answer accordingly but it would also be helpful for you to figure out what matches your true interests and qualities and then really play on your strengths, referring to the same.
It would make the interviewer feel that you are truly the right fit for the job and your qualities would stand to be highlighted in comparison to the other candidates who might also be as talented and passionate but don’t fit the position that well in front of you because of your professional goals.
2. Research Well
While preparing for any position or job that you wish to bag, doing your research beforehand is extremely significant as it helps you frame not one question like why are you interested in this position but each and every question that would be thrown your way.
Every question that you come across can be handled in a way that it is aligned with your research regarding the company. It will provide you with a much cleaner and clearer image of how the company you wish to be a part of functions and if you really want to go through with the whole process.
A very important factor here can also be filtering certain keywords that you can use to frame your answers and tailor them accordingly. This would make the interviewer feel like you are a part of the same clan and that you could eventually fit in the company the way they wish for you too.
Apart from getting to know the whole functioning of the company, one also gets a window to understand and comprehend the culture of the very company, its short term as well as long term goals as well as the strategies that the particular company focuses on making it its strength.
The company website would have in-depth information about how it was founded and how it is right now. The people that have worked in that company from the very start might have also shared their stories on their site which can prove to be an inspiration for you and will you help you in answering the job interview question of why are you interested in this position at hand.
3. Explore Beyond What Meets the Eyes
Even though doing your research beforehand and going through the face of the company, like their website, is extremely important, one needs to go beyond that to truly reflect how passionate you are about getting a certain job during the job interview to your hiring managers.
After you have read and come across all the stories of the company leaders and the success story or even the growth of the company, you can also keep your focus on how they are viewed beyond their company.
When we say beyond the company and the job interview question, it is regarding how the particular company is viewed in the eyes of the media or the total media coverage and therefore the rest of the world.
Any company would put their best image on their website and cover the most formal of all the aspects that they have covered since the time they have come into existence, bringing us all the way back to why are you interested in this position. It is extremely significant in times like these to go through the different and various platforms that they have a good presence on.
You could get a good understanding of the research media coverage that is on the internet or in the newspaper. To go beyond that, you could also get to focus more on the press releases that the company had indulged in, in the past and focusing to indulge in, in the coming days.
4. Focus on Networking
When you have done your research well enough beforehand you start to have a good understanding of the functioning of that particular company and the kind of people who they employ and consider good for their company you can surround yourself with them.
Getting to know the right people who might be known to you owing to your current position could be of good help to you as forming the connections can be of huge help in not only getting a job but it also helps in crossing the first step which is to get to know of the career opportunities that exist in your specific area of interests or expertise.
Such networks can prove to be of great help if not in bagging a particular position then to at least form more connections, in front of the hiring manager during the job interview.
This gives you a good chance to look out for networks that overlap with the company that you are interested in and it could be of benefit to you for finding out an easier way to reach out to that particular position and make it more tangible for yourself.
As there is not a single particular place for you to bump into such people, you need to keep your horizons and options open and also prepare an answer to explain this to them as well that why are you interested in this position.
It’s important to surf the internet and it would be of great help to surf different social media platforms and then find the right people to get to know and network with. You can start by listing people’s names who you think would be of help to you and then reach out to them whenever it feels best.
5. Have a Clear Idea of your Career Path
Apart from “Why are you interested in this Position” another very common question that pops in almost every interview and one which requires an extremely clear-cut answer is “Where do you see yourself or your career in a few years?”
This is one job interview question that should always have a very clear answer in your head as it would eventually help you to not only answer the question that you are being asked, better but also to get a clear idea of the future you want to have and if it even aligns with the company you are applying to work within the front of the hiring manager for your dream job and to achieve your career goals.
You can also drive your attention towards what are the roles that you need to focus on to get where you want to or wish to in the coming 5 years of your role and if this particular company that you are searching for the answer to, “why are you in interested in this position” is even offering that to you.
You need to have a very clear idea of the same so that it in a way starts to reflect in all of your answers and not only that but it could also start to translate your passion into your answers.
Do follow the same trajectory of roles to reach your dream position as that would be the stepping stone to the destination you eventually want to reach within your career goals.
6. Give a Few Examples to your Hiring Manager
The Hiring Manager or Recruiter who is in charge of interviewing you is the first person that you need to impress and make sure you are in the good books of. To impress someone like that, it is important to know what the job entails so that its easier to give instances and examples from your everyday life, how you are open to new challenges in an organization, and its benefits.
Cover your past experiences, how you would bring benefits to the organization and the team with your skills, and prove to be a good match in comparison to the other applicants as well as your success stories during these job interviews.
This is so that it not only gives a personal touch to your answers but it would also to some extent, show how serious and passionate you are as a person for them to hear your skills through the phone if it’s a telephonic interview.
Also, talk about your technical skills, current job if any, and come up with your own answer that might impress the interviewer or hiring manager of the organization and the team with more leadership and teamwork-oriented stories to start considering you for the job at hand for the to hear it loud and clear by listening to you talk about how excited you are for this to happen to your career.
These examples could be inclusive of the reputation of the company that you are applying for then be it an accounting position or anything else that has elaborate and specific products and services that appeal the most to you on a personal and professional level, talk about the very culture of the company that drives you and makes you excited to be a part of it.
The company’s mission, company’s culture, what lacks in your current job in the current company and get inspired from there to write an answer for why are you interesting in this position or one that you think you would be able to contribute to the most and line your career trajectory during your interview with your skills.
These examples could also be as simple as the mentions of the company leaders that could prove to be a good answer for “why are you interested in this position” , moreover, such mentions are easier to find just by going through the website of the company in a good enough manner it also shows how excited you are to be a part of them for the growth of your career with your skills.
7. Story Behind a Job Interview and Hiring Managers
One aspect that you need to keep in mind while answering any of the interview questions is that your interviewer is the only person interviewing you but you are most certainly not the only person they are interviewing as they are a number of job seekers in this job search. Therefore, you need to stand out and prove to be the right fit for the job in each and every question that is thrown your way for your career growth.
They most probably would have heard every story under the sun so it is of extreme significance to come up with an answer that is more personal, creative, and reflective of everything that you would be offering to the particular company you are seeking a job in and you can prepare an example answer or any sample answers for a better approach towards the interview to avoid many common mistakes and to have clear final thoughts.
From answering questions that an employer or an interviewer asks like “Why are you interested in this position” to all the cliche questions that are asked in each and every job that you apply for, each and everything needs to be filtered and tailored according to what you think is needed and required during your interview. Aligning one’s answers and framing them according to the need of the hour is a very important quality that is required in an interviewee.
You need to keep in mind that they would only consider you for the job if you prove to be an asset to their company, are an admirer of their company culture, and are a big fan of the products and services that they are offering to their customers and that you are not just another one of the job seekers on a job search pretending to be someone they are not for a job offer for the sake of your career.
During the course of your interview and just to tailor an answer to why are you interested in this position. but are genuinely interested in that particular position because of your skills.
Final Note
This journey of finding an answer to, “Why are you interested in this position” helped you visit a number of answers in the form of sceneries that we got to visit on our way. This makes us realize how important the simple and the most common things in life are and how they play the role of a stepping stone in order to make your story successful, therefore, they need to be prepared for.
Keep in mind that there would be a number of candidates applying for the same job which is why you will have to focus on coming up with a unique answer so that they don’t consider you as someone who is just applying to a bunch of similar positions.
One wrong answer might in all honesty spoil your chances of standing a chance or even being considered for a particular position. Even though almost nobody would have wanted to be employed for the mere fun of it and that you are applying for it only to make more money and wouldn’t do it if there was no money in the picture, it doesn’t make a good answer, this being the reason such answers need to be avoided.
Focus more on why you opted for that job among the number of other areas you could have chosen and you would be able to come up with a much better, clear, and great answer.