How to Answer “Why Do You Want to Work Here?” (Examples)
“Why do you want to work here?”
Why interviewers ask it
The interviewer wants proof that you chose them, not just any job, and that you understand what they do. People who want this particular job tend to do it better and stay longer.
What they want to hear
- Specific knowledge of the company
- A genuine link to your experience or values
- Enthusiasm that sounds real
How to structure your answer: Them, you, the fit
- 1Something specific about themA product, a project, how they work: something you couldn’t say about a competitor.
- 2Why it matters to youConnect it to your experience or what you care about.
- 3What you’d bringOne line on how you’d contribute.
Example answers
Made-up examples to show the shape of a good answer. Yours should use your own experience and numbers.
Two reasons. Your ED introduced a nurse-led rapid assessment zone last year, and I read the evaluation showing it cut waiting times for lower-acuity patients. I’ve been doing a lot of triage on nights and that’s the model I’d like to work in. And your graduate programme has a reputation for real support, and I’d like to keep precepting new nurses as I do now.
I use your freight tracking myself for my family’s business, so I’ve seen the product from the customer side. I also read your engineering blog post about moving invoices to event sourcing, and it’s the kind of problem I like: I spent last year making our invoice queries fast enough to run live. I’d like to work on it at your scale.
Mistakes to avoid
- Anything you could say about any company (“great culture, room to grow”).
- Only what you get from them: salary, location, perks.
- Getting facts about the company wrong. Check before the interview.
Other ways it’s asked
- “What attracted you to this company?”
- “What do you know about us?”
- “Why are you interested in this role?”
Practise it out loudAnswers that read well often run long when spoken. Practise in a mock interview and get feedback on content, pace and filler words.
See mock interviews