Passionate Professional Eager to Contribute to Company’s Goal

Companies want to hire people who are passionate about the job, so you should have a great answer about why you want the position. First, identify a couple of key factors that make the role a great fit for you then share why you love the company.

Your response to this question reveals much about what an interviewer assesses as most crucial: your skills, your enthusiasm for the job and the reasons behind it, and the contributions you will make to the team or company.

Acknowledge the Company’s Uniqueness and Show off what you know about the company and why you’re excited about the Role

Discussing your enthusiasm for joining a team is one thing, but it will only come across as sincere if you have a solid understanding of the company. So, spend some time homing in on a few key factors to incorporate into your pitch for why you’re interested in this job. Talk about how you’ve watched it grow, change, and adapt with interest. Being able to comment insightfully about a brand’s history is certainly a good way to show that your interest in it didn’t develop overnight. Don’t just touch on how driven everyone seems; instead, mention how you thrive in an environment that focuses on goals and that the team’s tradition of setting weekly goals instead of annual goals is appealing. Or if you like how the company shakes things up every once in a while, go a step further and talk about the company-wide hack day. This is the perfect chance to show off that you actually did some research. Besides diving into the history, also consider thinking ahead a little bit. Being able to talk about what areas of the company you think have opportunities for growth and showing your excitement about contributing to that growth is an excellent way to approach this question.

?Connect your skills and experiences to the job description

Next, you want to sell how you’re the right fit for the role. There are two ways you can do this: You can either focus more on your experiences (what you’ve done before that brings you to this point) or your skills (which is especially helpful if you’re pivoting particular position)

Identify the core aspects of the job and a few "required skills" mentioned in the job posting, ensuring you address these points. Be concise, emphasize how you acquired the necessary skills, and share pertinent experiences.

Talk about where this role sits on your career path

Finally, you want to show that the position makes sense for where you’re going in your career. Ideally, you won’t give the impression that you’re just using the position as a stepping stone. Your interviewer will feel more comfortable investing in you if they think you’ll be around for the long. Of course, you don’t have to state specifically that you see yourself in this position for a long time. Just show that you’ve given some thought to how the job makes sense for you right now and how it will continue to make sense in the foreseeable future.

Here are common mistakes to avoid:

Not discussing the company: Focusing solely on your career goals without mentioning the company can be a misstep. The key is to articulate how your skills will help achieve the company's objectives.

Focusing only on personal gain: It's fine to acknowledge that the job may enhance your marketing knowledge or quantitative analysis skills. However, it's crucial to also demonstrate how you plan to apply these skills to further the company's ambitions.

Mentioning irrelevant details: During an interview, resist the urge to share personal conveniences like proximity to your child's school or the company's flexible hours aiding your commute. While these benefits are appealing, they should not be the primary reasons for your interest in the role.