Interview Questions – ‘Why do you want to work here?’
or Service-leavers who haven’t got recent interview experience, the prospect can seem daunting. Here, we dissect another of the more common but no less difficult interview questions so that you can show your best side to interviewers and land your next post-Services role.
‘Why do you want to work here?’
Linking up
Even if you’re really good at explaining how your classic Service-leaver transferable skills will work on civvy street, you still need to link them up properly with the company you’re being interviewed by.
A different focus
Although the question might seem to be an invitation to talk about what you’re looking for, you need to view it differently. Instead of purely focussing on what the company will do for you, consider what you can do for the company.
Do your research
Make sure that you have a good idea of what the company does – then you can show that knowledge in your answers, making the crucial link between your inputs and the organisation’s output.
About us
Reading one page of corporate speak on a company website won’t cut it. Look into the organisation properly. Ideally, you would find news reports involving the company to quote, supporting the notion that you’re enthusiastic about what they do – and how they do it.
Commit
Showing your knowledge reflects commitment. Make sure you echo this by talking about your potential contribution – especially if the person interviewing you is going to be the person you report to. Your success is dependent on your commitment – and so is theirs.
Don’t say
Anything along the lines of ‘I just need a job’ or ‘I’ve heard the pay and conditions are decent’ or ‘I see it as a stepping stone to bigger things’ is not going to impress.
A recruiter won’t expect you to be with their organisation forever, but they don’t want to go through the effort of recruiting somebody who isn’t that committed to them or who will leave after just a short time.
Do say
Attempt to suggest that this question has been the one you’ve asked yourself during you job hunt, above all others. Your answer should be something like: ‘I feel my skills are ideally suited to this role because…’
Discuss the relevance of your previous successes
Consider how your previous successes could potentially benefit the organisation you’d like to join. For instance, you might say ‘I took a team of scratch learners to a level where they were able to succeed in projects like…’
Discuss your cultural fit
If you possibly can, find out what the culture of the company is like. For instance, if they like people who can follow strict procedures or perhaps, act on their own initiative; you can reflect these experiences from your Military career within your answers.
