Today’s post provides tips and advice on how to effectively respond to the interview question, “Why do you want to work for this company?” Being prepared to respond effectively to this question boils down to two things:
- Research – You must conduct thorough research about a potential employer in order to make an informed decision regarding your fit as a potential employee. The graphic in slide 3 offers four ways to research an employer. They are via Linkedin, on career websites, by talking with recruiters, and/or via first-hand research. Linkedin is great because you can connect with current or former employees of the company and ask them for advice on working for that employer. They can also provide you with insight regarding their typical workday, the amount of work/life balance that the company’s employees enjoy, and what community causes, such as fighting poverty and homelessness; increasing reading skills; protecting animals; etc.
You can also go to career websites such as Glassdoor and Indeed.com to see how many, and what types, of vacancies the employer is currently interviewing for and the characteristics that they are looking for in a new employee. Glassdoor also surveys current and former employees of organizations regarding the company’s workplace culture, pay and benefits and other employee engagement issues.
If a recruiter contacts you about a career opportunity with a particular employer, ask them for any information that they may be able to share with you about the employer to find out what they know about the employer
Conduct first-hand research – Go to the company’s website or Google them and learn about the products and services it offers. Determine if they stress integrity, a high quality of work, etc. and determine if any of their attributes conflict with your core values. Read recent news articles about the employer to determine what the public perception of the employer is as a corporate citizen.
- Relatability – It is important to keep in mind that this question is not concerned with your education and credentials. The purpose of this question is to determine how well you will assimilate into the employer’s culture. If your core values pose any potential conflicts of interest to what the company stands for, etc.
The bottom line is that you must be prepared to respond effectively and truthfully to any type of interview question. The key here is to identify where your and the employer’s similarities lie, then capitalize on those mutual characteristics and interests by formulating your answer around them.
For more advice and insight into the successful career search process, refer to my resources page at www.nnamtique.com/resources.
Here’s to your successful career search. Go get your dream job!
