The question of what actually ‘interests you about this job‘ is a common interview question. Why do recruiters ask this question? When recruiters ask this question, they are trying to find out:
- If you are really interested in the company and
- Why you are interested in the position.
A good answer must cover the two areas. This is a question asked to confirm if you understand the mission and vision of the company and the importance of that position job. It is also important that you have all the required qualifications, skills, and experiences that match the recruiter’s requirements.
Learn more about commonly asked job interview questions and how to answer them!
What Employers Are Looking For
The recruiter wants to understand the following:
- What you know about the company, and the role of the job post.
- Your career goals and the path that you want your career to follow and how the opportunity matches with most of your career goals.
- To learn about your preferences and priorities, including the aspects of the job that interest you the most and
- That you are honestly interested in the post and will have the drive and commitment that is required for the job.
To demonstrate you’re interested in the job, you have to prepare to answer this question by pointing out what aspect of the job and the company that interests you the most. And to do this successfully, before you attend an interview, draw up a list of your experience and skills that match the requirements of the job post. Once you have your list, think about any experience that made you use any of the skills. Your answer should include aspects of the role that you believe you will be suitable for, based on your experience. You also have to back your answer up with a good example.
Learn more about honesty & integrity interview questions and how to answer them!
Research the company and the job
You will need to find out as much as you can about the company, and there are several ways of getting most of the information about a company such as:
- The Company’s Website: you can get information on a company by going to their website, go to their “About Us page” read about the history of the company, their mission, and vision, about their products or services, any award or press release or news and also check their social media platforms like their Twitter page, Facebook page, LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, go through their career page to get more information on vacancies and recruitment processes.
- Google Search: you can also browse the company online to get additional information like the latest news and people opinion that may not be on the company website.
- You are reading the job advertisement page or paper to get information such as the qualifications and requirements which you must possess before applying for the position. This information can provide you with the details that you need to build up a comprehensive picture and the role of the job post.
Learn how to research a company and job description.
How To Construct Your Answer To ‘What Interests You About This Job?’
When answering this question, identify a few aspects of the job that matches with your existing skill set. Explain how your experience matches these requirements.
Avoid focusing your answer on how the job will benefit you, for instance, avoid saying that you believe the job will help you to advance your career. An answer such as this may indicate that you are more focused on your own goals rather than the company’s goal.
A good answer includes one of the following points:
- The reputation of the company, its culture, awards, and recognition
- How you admire their products or services.
- The training opportunities for that company
- The mission and vision of the company
What to avoid while answering ‘What Interests You About This Job?’
As with every interview question, there are some responses that you should not give:
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A General Answer
This is a common mistake most candidates make, giving answers that are not tailored to the company or the job they are applying for.
Giving answers, such as “It is a great company, and I would love the opportunity to become part of the team” or “because it is a big company and l always wants to work in a big company.” Good, but many people want to work in big companies, and some prefer small companies. Your answer should be related to what makes the company special, whether big or small, since there are other similar companies out there and how your goal fits in. This answer will also prove to the recruiter that you are not well informed about the company and the opportunities it can present to you.
Note that giving a general answer is not going to set you apart from the other candidates.
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A Rehearsed Answer
This is very similar to the above, but rather than providing a generic response, the candidate provides a cut-and-paste answer that demonstrates you only have a basic understanding of the role or haven’t bothered to do any research.
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A Lack of Enthusiasm
Answering such as “I heard this company is a great company, and it’s recruiting, so decided to apply.”Whoa! Then get ready to send an application to all the companies you heard are great and recruiting. This answer will not show the recruiter that you are a thrill to work in the company or thrill about the job post. You just read the job, and any job can do. And it wouldn’t give the recruiter any confidence in you at all.
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Lack of Professionalism
A job interview is an opportunity to demonstrate how you would act in a professional environment. Don’t give answers that are unprofessional. For instance, so that l can pay my bills or because I really need the money. This is not a good answer; everybody needs the money and has bills to pay; this means you are not passionate about the job. It means if you have any other means of getting money or paying your bills, you wouldn’t care about working in that company or taking the job post
In summary
Keep your answers brief and on point. Don’t start with any long story or irrelevant information. The recruiter may think you are not well prepared, or you don’t have all the relevant information about the job post.
When answering this question, you should be able to give a brief explanation on
- Why you are interested in working in the company
- Why you are interested in the role and why you think are well suited for the opportunity
- How the opportunity matches your career goals;
- Why you think you will fit in with the team.
Job Interview Topics – Common Job Interview Questions & Answers
Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!
- Accomplishments
- Adaptability
- Admission
- Behavioral
- Career Change
- Career Goals
- Communication
- Competency
- Conflict Resolution
- Creative Thinking
- Cultural Fit
- Customer Service
- Direct
- Experience
- Government
- Graduate
- Growth Potential
- Honesty & Integrity
- Illegal
- Inappropriate
- Job Satisfaction
- Leadership
- Management
- Entry-Level & No experience
- Performance-Based
- Personal
- Prioritization & Time Management
- Problem-solving
- Salary
- Situational & Scenario-based
- Stress Management
- Teamwork
- Telephone Interview
- Tough
- Uncomfortable
- Work Ethic
