Welcome back to today's Top5 brought to you by DefineTalent a DefinedLogic service. We are an impactful results driven service, working with clients to connect them with quality talent while also making an impact within the recruiting industry. We're here to talk straight about today's professional world with real world professionals, experts in recruitment, job seekers and business owners alike. Have a question for us a topic and idea, send it in and you might
spur our next conversation. I'm Tara Thurber, Director of Talent Innovation at DefineTalent. And joining me to discuss five top ways to answer why do you want this job during an interview? Is our very own Victoria Wright recruiter and Business Development Partner. Hey, Victoria, how are you today?
Doing well, how are you?
I am hanging in there. Thank you for asking. Super excited to have you once again on our podcast, bringing your expertise to the table.
Absolutely. I'm happy to be here.
Awesome. So what would you say your five top ways are to answer why do you want this job in an interview?
Yeah, I think it's a great question for so many reasons.
Right
I want to say that in a lot of ways, there's no wrong answer. But I think there's just ways to answer it really, really well versus just okay. And this is an opportunity to reconnect, everything that you've just highlighted, especially if this is coming at the end of the interview. If it's coming at the beginning of the interview, I think it's a great opportunity to kind of set the stage for all of the things you're going to be continued to ask and continue to highlight.
And then at the end, it's almost like a great recap of everything that you just told them about and kind of like the cherry on top of why you think you're a good fit. My number one reason or answer I should say for that question is just tying into the mission statement, showing the company again, that you've done your research enough to know what it is that drives them? Do they have like a value proposition that they stand by? Are they looking to make a difference in their space? What
makes the company unique? And how does that connect with you and what you're looking for and your goals as a human being as a professional, and as somebody in that industry, that's just going to show them one, you did your research, but two is also probably a great cultural fit, because you know that you're getting involved with something that's going to kind of push you and challenge you. And you'll be more motivated based on the fact that there's a personal tie there.
Right
I think any excuse to get that mission statement or that value proposition ingrained in your answer is just going to really hype them up about overall, how you presented. The second, that's
Sorry, to cut you off, I think that that's a really awesome opportunity to set the stage too, for an individual and their background and highlighting the reasoning in regards to a cultural fit, and cultural fit is so important nowadays, for companies whether you know, it's the cultural fit, or, you know, making sure that overall as a team, this person will be the missing piece to their puzzle.
Yeah. And that was the second point I was going to make is just culture in general, if this is the first round interview, but you've talked a lot about what culture to expect. Or let's say you've gone and looked at reviews and seeing what people say about the culture or just even noting, hey, from talking to so and so about the company, this seems like I would fit in really well.
That's another great reason to not only show Hey, not only am I a great fit for the company, but here's how I think I can amplify your culture and what would I do coming into the company to make your culture even stronger? Am I going to need some sort of mentorship program? Am I going to get involved in like a leadership development team? What are those things that you can bring to the table to not only continue to solidify that culture, but amplify it and make sure it's a good fit on both
ends. So it's just the two I would say the mission statement and the end culture kind of go together in that way, but can still be separate answers.
And just to kind of highlight that it just came to my mind too, that's really important on a client side to make sure that they're for their branding purposes that they are branding, to talent, not only branding to clients, whether b2b or b2c, but it's really important for people company to brand, their internal culture in order to attract the right type of talent as well.
Yeah, and I think that's how you grow, you're not going to grow if your culture isn't great, and people don't want to be there, if you have a very high turnover rate, you probably need to do some investigations with HR and kind of figure out what's going on there so that you can market
yourself that way. I love when I see clients putting on their website, what that mission statement is, what that value proposition is, if they have mentorship programs, or if they have leadership development type of groups in the company, because those are things that are going to be in the candidates face when they're doing their research that might not be evident from just looking
at a job description. So I completely agree with you, I think the clients and the companies have the responsibility as part of selling themselves to attract people to make those things available. Because if I don't know that I have access to any of those things, I might not always think to ask, and I might not always get that information otherwise. So if that information is out there, and you can take it apart and kind of break it down and associate your skills and your personality
with it. That's gonna be you're on both sides. But it's also going to help the the client when it comes down to deciding who's not really the best fit and clearly defining for your entire hiring team, what that looks like, and what is a good fit versus maybe an average or not so great fit, because that might change over time as your culture strengthens as well.
Absolutely. Absolutely.
And then I think on the going back to candidates answering this question, the way to answer it is just going back to your skills and your experience, right? Like, this is the perfect way to re emphasize, I'm coming to the table clearly on paper in my resume with X amount of years of experience, these hard skills, but also these soft
skills. And this is an industry and maybe I've worked in before, or maybe it's a new industry for me, but here's why I think I'm going to be a great asset based on what I've done in the past. So just using those tangible things that they can either read on your resume, or get just out of the conversation, to kind of filter that back in and really play up your strengths in that sense. And maybe it's just Hey, I'm really eager to learn this new industry, because I haven't
done this before. But I've been a proven person who's really great at learning new things quickly. And every challenge that's been thrown my way have been able to overcome just these little things can oftentimes make that answer a lot stronger than just Well, I really want the job and I'm gonna work hard, like those are great. Those are generic answers, how can we bolster that you set yourself apart?
Yeah, I think that's good, setting yourself apart, and digging into the job description. But also allowing yourself as the individual to see yourself with a future within that company, is also something that's going to by highlighting that that's going to really promote your reasoning behind why you think that this particular job is a good fit for you. I think that's an added value when you're interviewing with anybody.
Yeah. And that segues perfectly into my fourth point is just talking about the opportunity for growth and advancement, I think nine times out of 10, the reason somebody is looking for a new job, besides just being unhappy, whether it's culturally management wise, is they feel stagnant where they currently
are. And maybe you're at a company where everybody else there is 15 or 20 years older than you and they're not retiring anytime soon, or it's just a smaller company that doesn't have as many management opportunities, or maybe the company's not doing well. So you don't have a chance to really help it grow. There's so many different instances you can see yourself in. But really understanding what career trajectory looks like for this new opportunity and how that aligns with where you see
yourself going. Is this going to allow you to get a new certification in something? Are you going to have a chance to maybe run a team someday? Or get involved with maybe professional development of others around you? Are you going to be a part of a training program so that you can advance right like what are those things just beyond the regular job description that are going to give you that growth opportunity? That maybe maybe
Hey, our average performers typically see growth potential in in two years are great performers see that in nine months, whatever it might be. use that to your advantage. Talk about where your goals are. And again, to your point, put yourself in that job. All right. That's what clients want to hear. They want to hear that this candidate is thinking long
term. No hiring manager wants to sit there and hear you say, well, in six months, I don't really know what I'm gonna do and who knows where I'm gonna end up? No, you want to really set the stage for them that I'm not only going to be the right fit for you, I'm going to be a long term fit for you. And should I take this job? I have no plans on going anywhere, anytime soon? And here's why.
Yeah, yeah, I think that that's great. And again, walking into an opportunity or an interview, having the mindset that you are in that role already, is a such an important way, just to think positive, and walk in with positive energy. That allows you to really be able to become motivated in so many different ways, personally, professionally, showing up as your very best as you would having that job. And it being your actual real job, walking
into that interview. And, you know, not walking in with a hot ego, but walking in with an idea of what your goals are, what your your dreams are, what you aspire to become. And putting that on the table, I think is extremely important for any hiring manager, because they want to see that they don't just want to see, yes, I just want this job, but they want to see what you want to become.
Yeah, it's it's often like getting asked, What's your five year plan?
Right.
Not only should you just say what your plan is, but what is my five year plan, if I'm getting this job?
Gottcha.
You want to be able to say, Okay, if you gave me the job offer tomorrow, here's what I'm gonna go ahead and do to set myself up for the next five years in your company and make that happen. So..
I think it's sorry to interrupt you. But I think it's so important to I mean, even for new people just out on the job market. I remember myself when I was asked, you know, what, what's your five year plan, I remember thinking, Oh, my goodness, I don't even know what I'm gonna be doing next year, or six months or tomorrow. But and I know that that can be daunting for individuals that are
interviewing. And it can be daunting for individuals, testing the waters with new career paths, but to be able to show up to an interview with full vulnerability and be fully open and honest with your hiring manager or whoever's interviewing you. And maybe you don't have that five year plan, but you have a plan for the next year of where you want to be. Always make sure sure to express that and share that too.
And I think the common misconception that people think they have to have, in that type of question, such a clear cut answer. And you really don't, if you don't really fully understand yet what that hierarchy of the company looks like, because you're not working there, and you've gotten kind of a rough outline, you can still use that to your advantage. Maybe your goal is to be in some sort of management capacity, use that, hey, I see myself being on the fast track to a promotion in
the next year to 18 months. And then once I'm in a management role, I want to grow my team, I want to grow my territory, or I want to take on additional responsibilities. Maybe I want to work on larger projects, or work with a different kind of software, what have you, you don't have to necessarily be this precise, specific answered
person in order to wow them. But get them on that train of thought with you and at least give them enough to show them you've put thought into it and you've visualized yourself there. Because you might not know the exact title somebody has that you might decide you want someday, and there's
intricacies there. But if you can at least lead them down that line of saying, hey, I'd like to end up in this type of role doing this type of work based on where I start, that's really going to get them to believe that you've thought about it. and nine times out of 10 interviews are really just how you show up and the thought you put into it versus just what's on paper. I've seen people have great resumes and bomb
interviews. And so it really is just the the way you're wording things, the research that you're doing the preparation that you're doing, that makes the difference versus just well, and clearly a great fit because of X, Y and Z.
Absolutely. Totally, totally agree with you on all of that.
Yeah, I mean, it's it's not as hard as you think it would be. But it's not as straightforward sometimes either. And it you just got to actually do the work to make an impact, I guess. And then my last thing I think is just tying the role of the company, the opportunity back into what you're passionate about. I know where is not always super exciting 100% of the time, but I'm hopeful that most of us truly do enjoy some part of our
work. So whether this company is in an industry that you're passionate about, maybe they partner with charitable organizations and have philanthropic contributions that they make that really gets you excited, find something about the organization or about the specific role that gets you really excited, because it aligns with just what you are passionate about, not even just as a professional, but even as a
person and a human being. and express that, maybe it's an opportunity for you to work with children, or maybe it's an opportunity for you to work with a marginalized group of people, or to lead a team. And that's something that you've always seen yourself as; find one little thing or multiple things about that, that really get you motivated and mentioned that it doesn't have to be anything grandiose, it can literally just be, hey, I think the space that your company is in is so
beneficial. And it excites me because of the opportunity to do X, Y, and Z, personally or professionally.
That's awesome. It's right, I really, I love all of your examples to these answer. Sorry, sick answers, Tongue Tied here. I love all of your aunt's example, answers to this question. You know, it's really, it's a time for the individual to shine, it's time for you to show off your skills and knowledge to the company, express your personality, describe why they're, you're the best person for the job and, and make an impact with whomever you're interviewing with. So I
love all your examples. And I really think that this is a great way for individuals to take this and and utilize these examples and make them their own.
Yeah, and I think this is such a common question.
Yeah.
Being prepared for even if it's worded slightly differently, just being prepared for that to come up. And having one of these examples in your toolbox to pull from like a little note, put a bullet down on paper, if this comes up, talk about X, Y, or Z and it's it becomes thoughtless, once you put the thought into how you want to answer it, if it gets brought up. It's not something that you necessarily need to go in blind to sometimes people I think don't always plan for it.
But again, interviewing is an art form, but it's not rocket science, either. Like you can get really good at it just by doing a little bit of research and preparation.
Perfect. Thank Victoria, thank you so much, again, for your knowledge and for joining us today. And for being part of the DefineTalent team. We are DefinedTalent, a DefinedLogic service coming to you at Top5. Make it a great day.