How to Answer “Why Do You Want This Job?” (With Sample Answer)

The employer does not care about your personal reasons for wanting this job.

That might sound harsh, but after 20 years in recruitment, and asking “Why do you want this job?” hundreds of times, it’s the most useful thing I can tell you about this question.

It’s one of the most common interview questions there is, and it’s where a lot of good candidates quietly lose the job. They give what sounds like a great answer, all about their motivation, and with that one answer they seriously damage their chances.

In this post I’ll show you an answer that sounds perfectly reasonable but would lose you the job, and explain why. Then I’ll give you two ideas that fix it, and a 90-second sample answer you can adapt for whatever role you’re going for.

The answer that sounds good but loses the job

The most common mistake is an answer that’s entirely about what the job will give you. Imagine you’re going for a promotion, the next step up in your career. The interviewer asks why you want the job, and you say:

“I’m looking to move because I feel ready for a promotion and I’d really like to move into a management position. I haven’t had the opportunity to manage people in my current role, so I’m hoping this job will give me that experience. I know I still have quite a lot to learn when it comes to leadership, but I’m keen to develop, and I’m hoping there would be training available to help me build my management skills.”

On the surface, that sounds fine. You’re ambitious, you want to progress, you’re keen to learn. But here’s what the employer actually hears:

• “I want a promotion.”
• “I haven’t done this before.”
• “I need you to give me the experience.”
• “And I’ll need you to train me to do it.”

The whole answer is about what the job will give you. There’s almost nothing about what you’ll give them.

There’s a second problem too. If managing people is an important part of the new role, you’ve just pointed the interviewer straight at the fact that you don’t have that experience. That alone could be what gets you crossed off the list.

Push versus pull: build your answer around what you’re moving towards

Before the sample answer, there are two ideas worth understanding. They matter more than any script, because you can use them to frame a strong answer not just to this question, but to any motivation question an interviewer asks.

The first is what I call push versus pull. Whenever someone changes jobs, there are usually two forces at work.

Push factors are the things pushing you away from where you are now. You’re underpaid, you’re bored, your manager is difficult, there’s no promotion coming. Those can be completely legitimate, and they’re often the real reason you started looking.

Pull factors are what’s drawing you towards this particular job: the work, the responsibility, the problems you’d get to solve, the customers, the sector.

The interviewer isn’t that interested in what’s pushing you out of your old job. They want to know what’s pulling you towards theirs. So here’s the rule: don’t build your answer around what you’re running from. Build it around what you’re moving towards.

The 3Cs framework: Capability, Company, Career

The second idea is my 3Cs framework, a simple way to structure your answer. It has three parts, and importantly, they are not equal.

The biggest part of your answer should be about what you can do for them, not what you hope they’ll do for you.

Capability (60%)

This is all about how well you can do the job. Go to the job description and pick out the three or four things they most need from the person they hire: experience, achievements, skills or strengths.

Those become the backbone of this part of your answer. In effect, you’re saying: “I want this job because it matches exactly what I’m excellent at, and here’s the proof.” From sitting on interview panels for over 20 years, I can tell you that’s exactly what they want to hear. They’ll be ticking each point off against their list of requirements as you speak.

What if you don’t have much experience? The same principle applies. Capability doesn’t only mean experience from a previous job. Think about what you’ve already shown through college, university, volunteering, personal projects, or the strengths you naturally bring. If the job needs organisation, communication or problem-solving, give them evidence you’ve already demonstrated those qualities somewhere. You don’t need to pretend you’ve done the job before. Your aim is to show the underlying capabilities are already there, and this job is the chance to apply and develop them professionally.

Company (20%)

Around a fifth of your answer should explain why you want to do this job for this particular employer. You’re answering the unspoken question: “Why have you chosen us, rather than applying somewhere else?”

Avoid generic lines like “You have a fantastic reputation.” Find something specific instead. Look at their strategy, products, customers or values, and choose one or two things they’re doing that genuinely interest you.

Career (20%)

The final fifth is where it gets a little more personal, but keep it focused on your career goals. In a couple of sentences, tell them why this move makes sense as your next step. Perhaps it gives you greater responsibility, lets you move into leadership, or allows you to specialise.

A lot of candidates forget this part, and it matters. When the employer can see the job fits your own objectives, they can feel confident you’ll stay if they hire you. You’re reducing risk for them, and that is very powerful.

The 90-second sample answer

Here’s a 90-second answer that puts Capability, Company and Career together. It’s for the same candidate as the weak example: someone going for their first management role.

“There are three main reasons this role stood out to me.

First, there’s a very strong match with what I already do well. You’re looking for someone who can manage complex tasks, work effectively with different customers and take responsibility for delivering results. Those have been major parts of my current role for the last three years. I’ve led several cross-functional projects and kept delivery on track when priorities changed. Just last month, I resolved a major system rollout delay for one of our largest customers, and they’ve since renewed their contract for another two years. I’ve also increasingly been supporting and guiding colleagues, so although I haven’t formally managed a team yet, I’ve already started developing those leadership skills.

Secondly, I’ve targeted your company specifically because I’m interested in your project to develop new solar technology for the motor industry. I know it’s part of your core strategy, and I’d really like the opportunity to contribute to it.

And finally, this role fits where I want to take my career next. I don’t see it simply as a promotion. It’s the logical next step, and I’m ready to take on management responsibility and use my leadership skills fully.

That combination is really why I want the job.”

Notice what’s changed from the weak answer. The lack of management experience is still acknowledged, but it’s framed around leadership the candidate has already shown, rather than training they’re hoping to receive. Most of the answer is evidence. The company reason is specific. And the career goal tells the employer this person plans to stay.

Your role won’t match this exactly, so use it as a template. Adapt it, swap in your own examples, and use phrases that match your target job description.

Less push, more pull

Next time an interviewer asks why you want the job, don’t just say you want a new challenge. Don’t spend two minutes telling them how wonderful they are. And definitely don’t spend it explaining everything that’s wrong with where you are now.

Less push, more pull. Tell them what specifically attracts you, why it makes sense for you, and what evidence makes it believable.

The best answer doesn’t just tell the interviewer “I really want this job.” It leaves them thinking, “This is the right person for this job.”

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