INTERVIEW QUESTION
Why do you want this job? How to give a reason that sounds like yours
Give a reason for wanting this job that's specific to it, built on something you found out yourself.
Most answers to “Why do you want this job?” are compliments: the company is innovative, the culture is amazing, the mission is inspiring. The interviewer has heard that sentence several times this week, sometimes copied from their own careers page.
They aren't checking how much you admire them. They're checking whether you know what the job involves day to day, and whether your reason will still be true six months after you start.
In a walkthrough of the Meta product manager interview process, the motivation question is described as testing two things: interest in the company, and interest in doing this specific job there. An answer that would work for any company suggests you'd accept any company.
What makes a reason specific
A specific reason connects three things the interviewer can check: the work, the company and your timing.
- The work. Which part of this job do you want to do more of, and where have you enjoyed it before? One short example.
- The place. One detail about this team, product or problem that you found yourself. It might come from the job description, the product, a public engineering or design post, or someone who works there.
- The timing. Why this is the right next step for you now.
These don't all need the same weight. One specific detail does more than three general ones.
A real moment from your own work also makes the interest believable. A Netflix engineer's mock behavioral interview makes the same point: use exact stories that show your enthusiasm, then explain why the company fits.
Keep it honest and in your own words
In a thread where experienced engineers describe what they listen for, interviewers say they want an authentic answer, not a canned one. Some companies also ask this in more than one round, so settle on your real reason before the first call.
It's fine to mention something about the company that gives you pause. A reason with some honest doubt in it sounds more considered than pure enthusiasm. The interview is also your chance to check that the team can offer what you want.
Example answers
A quick test with these made-up examples: swap in another company's name. The weaker answers still work. The stronger ones don't, and yours shouldn't either.
Software engineer
Weaker
“Your company is a leader in the industry and has an amazing engineering culture. I've always wanted to work at a big tech company, and I'm excited about the opportunity to grow and learn from talented engineers.”
This could be said about any large company. Nothing shows the candidate knows what this team does.
Stronger
“The work I've enjoyed most in my current job is performance work: finding out why pages load slowly and fixing it. Your job post says this team owns search speed across the site, which is exactly that kind of work.
I also read your engineering blog post on caching search results, and I'd like to work somewhere that writes up what it learns like that.
My current team is moving to mostly feature work, so this is a good time for me to look for a role focused on performance.”
The work, a detail found on the company's own blog, and a clear reason for the timing.
Product manager
Weaker
“I love your product and I use it every day. I'm really excited about your mission, and I think being a product manager here would be a great next step in my career.”
Using the product is a start, but the answer doesn't say what the candidate noticed or wants to work on.
Stronger
“I've spent the last three years on products for small businesses, and the part I enjoy most is working out what busy owners will actually use. This role is focused on the same group.
I signed up for your invoicing product last week. Setting up was quick, but sending a reminder for a late invoice took me a while to find. Your post for this role mentions improving how customers get paid on time, so that's the area I'd be working on.
My current company is moving toward larger customers, and I want to stay close to small businesses.”
The candidate used the product, noticed something specific and tied it to the role. The timing reason is honest and doesn't criticize anyone.
Product designer
Weaker
“I've always admired your company. You're a leader in digital health with an amazing culture, and I love your mission of making healthcare more accessible. It would be a dream to work here.”
There's nothing here the interviewer can ask about, and nothing that shows the candidate looked past the homepage.
Stronger
“The role is mostly research-led redesign of existing flows, which is the work I've enjoyed most. Last year I redesigned our clinic check-in after spending a morning at the front desk watching patients get stuck.
I also booked an appointment in your app to see the flow for myself, and rescheduling was harder than booking. Your posting mentions rebuilding scheduling, so research would shape that work directly.
My current team is moving to design-systems work, and I want to stay close to patients and the people who serve them.”
Each part has something concrete behind it: past work the candidate enjoyed, a detail they found themselves, and a reason the timing makes sense.
Data analyst
Weaker
“I'm really passionate about data and your company has huge amounts of it. I'm excited about the chance to work with large datasets and cutting-edge tools.”
“Lots of data” is true of many companies. The interviewer wants to know which questions you'd want to answer.
Stronger
“I like analysis that changes what a team does next, and in my current role the work I've enjoyed most is testing pricing changes. This role is on the pricing team, so it's a direct fit.
I read your most recent shareholder letter, which talks about testing new subscription tiers this year. That's the kind of experiment I'd want to help design and measure.
I've been in a reporting-heavy role for two years, and I'm ready to spend more of my time on experiments.”
It names the kind of analysis the candidate wants, a specific plan from the company's own report, and why the timing is right.
Program manager
Weaker
“I'm excited to join a company that's growing so fast and doing so much innovation. I think I could make a big impact here and grow my career as a program manager.”
“Growing fast” and “big impact” could describe any startup. The candidate hasn't said what kind of programs they want to run.
Stronger
“The programs I've enjoyed most cross several engineering teams, where most of the work is getting teams to agree on order and timing. This role coordinates launches across your hardware and software teams, which is the hardest version of that.
I watched a public talk your engineering leadership gave about shipping the last device two months late. The changes they described are the kind of process I'd like to help run.
I've mostly run internal tooling programs so far, and I'm ready for something customers use directly.”
The work, a detail from a public talk, and an honest reason for the timing. The talk also gives the interviewer something easy to discuss.
Consultant
Weaker
“Your firm is one of the most prestigious in the world and has an amazing reputation. I'm drawn to the fast-paced environment and the chance to work with smart people on high-profile projects.”
Prestige and smart colleagues describe every top firm. It doesn't answer why consulting, or why this firm.
Stronger
“I want to go into consulting because the parts of my job I've enjoyed most are short, intense problems where I have to get up to speed quickly. In my operations role that happens a couple of times a year. In consulting it's the job.
I'm applying here because of your healthcare operations practice. I spoke to someone who worked on your hospital scheduling project, and it's very close to the staffing analysis I've done in my current role.
I've been at the same company for four years, and I want broader experience before I specialize.”
Why consulting and why this firm are answered separately, each with something specific. The detail came from talking to someone at the firm.
Where to find a detail worth mentioning
The hardest part of this answer is finding a specific detail about the company. Where to look depends on your role, because each role sees a different side of the business.
Use this table to decide where to spend your research time, and what from your own experience to connect the detail to.
| Role | Where to look | What to connect it to |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | Engineering blog posts, open-source repositories, the stack and scale in the job post | A technical problem you've enjoyed solving |
| Product manager | The product itself, recent launches, customer reviews | A product decision you'd like to make here |
| Product designer | The product's main flows, the design team's published work | A design problem you've worked on before |
| Data analyst | What the business measures, public metrics, the team's tools | An analysis or decision you'd enjoy supporting |
| Consultant | The firm's practice areas and published client work | Why consulting, then why this firm. These are separate questions |
| Program manager | The size and spread of the teams, recent launches | A cross-team problem you've coordinated |
Consulting candidates usually get this as two questions, why consulting and why this firm. The consulting guide covers both.
Pay and flexibility are allowed
Money, location, remote work and stability are real reasons to want a job, and interviewers know it. They just shouldn't be the first thing you say or the whole answer. If remote work is why you applied, lead with the work and mention the practical side briefly if it comes up.
What makes it sound generic
Interviewers hear generic reasons all day, so they notice them quickly. These are the usual causes:
- Praising the brand. Reputation and size are reasons anyone could give. If the company has close competitors, have a sentence ready on why this one and not them.
- Reciting the mission statement. The interviewer wrote it, or sits near whoever did.
- Only talking about what you'll get. Learning and growth are fair reasons, but pair them with what you'll contribute.
- Diagnosing their problems from a job post. Saying their architecture or roadmap needs fixing, without inside knowledge, can go badly. Ask about it instead.
- Criticizing your current employer. If your timing involves leaving, see why did you leave your last job?
Expect “What do you know about us?” and “What else are you looking at?” as follow-ups. For the second one, briefly pointing out what the roles have in common shows your search has a direction. If the interviewer turns it around to “why should we pick you,” you're onto a different question.
A quick check before each interview: read your answer with another company's name in it. If nothing needs to change, find a more specific detail.