When asked the question, "Why do you want this job" what's the best way to respond?

When answering questions in an interview, it is just as much, if not more, about HOW you answer the question, rather then WHAT you say.

Showing you are passionate about an aspect of the role/company, and that it aligns with your own view of your development/career path demonstrates you can think ahead and this is not "just a job application" to you.

Try to keep that in mind when answering, and be as honest as possible, interviewers are looking for honesty and openness from my experience on both sides of the panel.

I used to interview quite a bit to maintain a large team and this was one of the questions I would ask. I myself didn't really feel it was a bad question to ask and it was mainly used to gain a little insight into some intangibles such as: quick thinking, leadership, articulation, good communications skills, etc.

Good answers:
1) I feel I have a great skill set to do this job and I with to improve this skill set to become great at a job that I love to do.
2) This company has a great reputation in the industry and is projected to grow in the next 5 years (do your research here). I want to develop and grow along with it.
3) I love being a part of a high-functioning team which to my understanding is an aspect of this position.

These answers are similar to what Daniel wrote above but preparation will help you articulate the answers better.

An important things when answering this question is to try to be as prepared, honest and smooth as possible. Interviewers are looking for good candidates but what they really want are excellent ones. They know the standard answers so any verbiage above and beyond the norm will set you apart from other candidates.

Key to answering that question is demonstrating how the job can help you learn and grow and at the same time you can bring new/fresh ideas to the company you are applying for.

Try to be as specific to what interests you most about the opportunity

Honestly. Think about what you want to do and where you want to go and make sure the job your applying for aligns with your goals.

==Not very sure if this a correct way to answer here but want to put this out in my style. Apologies.==

"Why do you want this job? " An ambiguous question & answer. When we all start our education , we heard many of them telling us that (At least in India ) "Education is the best way to escalate in social ladder/high status , get a job & be in safe zone."

so when i first interviewed by a company after my collage & been asked this question, i said I want to make it big in the industry , later i am confused with which industry? What stream? to which stream they are hiring me? .. .. As usual my mind whispered "Who knows , I need a job , just to let everyone know i am just moving up through the ladder, will figure out all other things later". Thats the day i started my IT career.

I am not saying above is the story of all the people , but very sure that there are people out there who can relate to what i said.

At first my journey was just like riding a car at night , even though you can only see 100 meters ahead of you but still you will take a leap & reach the destination & trust me the journey didn't disappoint me , it excite me every day , still am in the same excitement had in the first day.

So with my experience & learning from my mistakes , my suggestion here is that if you want to answer the question "Why do you want this job?", you should be in a position to imagine the accomplishment can be achieved by the job you are a applying to. Keep in mind that you can offer so much more than your job & job should be only a way to reach your intended destination. So do not engage in a job that doesn't excite you enough.

The first thing to do here is to ask yourself, what was the main professional reason you applied for this job or be a part of a particular company. Check the job description, Company history and a thorough research of the company before answering that question. Most of us dream to work in a respective companies like Google, Microsoft, Cisco etc. And having an opportunity to work in such company where the desired skills and roles matches with your area of expertise, I think it should be simple to answer such question.

You can answer like:

1) I learned a long time ago that doing the same thing every day is not for me as I enjoy problem-solving in fast-paced environments. I am also a people-person who likes to build relationships. Based on what you have told me, I would be the point-of-contact with customers resolving issues and overseeing their product delivery. So every day would be different and interesting. I would get to know my customers and build long-term relationships with them.

2) This job opening at your esteemed organization has the potential to give my personality a boost as well as render me sufficient opportunities to leverage most of my acquired skill sets – professionally as well as personally. It can bring out the best in me as this platform will let me show my potential. Also, your organization can give me one of the best professional workplace environments to work to my full potential and collaborate with experienced professionals. I am sure that once I join here, I will grow myself in my career as well as contribute to the organization’s overall growth as well.

3) Working with a team of experts in the field can make me grow in this field and grow as a professional. It can help me acquire much-needed abilities to grow in my career. It can also cement the development that is much needed for freshers like myself. I also need to point out that the goals I have marked for a longterm career growth can be easily attained if I consistently work hard towards my final goal, which is to become a senior manager in an organization, which is as famous as yours. This job is a significant push which I need to fly high right now. I cannot ask for anything less than this as I feel I am the best talent for this position.

This question is your opportunity to sell them on why you are the right fit.

1-What made you decide that this company is the right place for you? (Think mission, vision, credo, etc)

2-What excites you about this role? (The skill set you will use, what you would be proud of, etc)

*Do your research on the company

*Interview them while they interview you

*If you know who’s interviewing you, check them out on Linked In

When going into an interview you should prepare to speak to the job you are applying for by researching the company and role as much as possible. This should give you an idea of what will be required of you to do the job. During the interview you should explain what makes you passionate about that job and how your skillset will help you get it done.

Interviewing can be stressful and nerve racking, but you are doing a great job recognizing areas of opportunity and seeking insight.

I did interviewing for several years and I always ended my interviews with a very similar question. I will share what I was looking for, as too maybe give you some insight on how to answer.

This is an opportunity to sell yourself, confidence is key. Confidence is gained through preparation. Have you done your research? This is an opportunity to share what you know about the role and the company. This shows you are invested and not just another stop on a long list of interviews you may have. What do you bring to the table? Highlight your key attributes, and how they can contribute to the business. Keep it simple, but unique. Set yourself apart.

Remember Umatter, good luck and you got this.

That's a great question. Too often we try to give the answer that we think they want to hear. The best track is to be honest. Other than the fact that it is a job with a paycheck why did you apply for this job. I recommend that you read the job posting carefully. Review what about the job description caught your attention. Then ask yourself; what about this job do I feel I can do right now ? What about this job will challenge me? Why would I be valuable to this company in this role? Digest those points and you should find a substantial answer to why you want THIS job.

Don't over think it. Think about what got you to that interview, how did you find this position, what made you apply, what about it seems interesting, where you see it going, etc.

We often hear this question in interview. The hiring manager asks 'Why do you want this job' because he/she wants to -

• Learn about your career goals and how this position fits into your plan
• Make sure that you are sincerely interested in the job and will be motivated to perform if hired
• Find out what you know about the company, industry, position (and if you took the time to research)
• Understand your priorities and preferences — which aspects of the company and/or job are appealing to you and why?

However, you must approach each part of the question differently, and you’ll need to build the foundation for your answers by researching the company.

Yes you are right and this is the most common question which is being asked in interviews of all levels. I would suggest you to look at the requirement or job description you are applying if you can and match them to your strengths. You can base your answer on the following:

1. While answering you need to mention how your strengths are inline with the company's requirements which makes you a very good fit.
2. You can also talk about the company's future/latest updates which have made you interested for this job and this will also show your interest in joining the company.

Hope this helps :).

Here the answer for "WHY" is to define your skills and interest you hold and how it is suitable for the job profile.