Why Do You Want to Become Part of Our Team?

Common Interview Question: Why Do You Want to Become Part of Our Team?

It may come as a shock, but companies want to hire people that actually want to work there. They don’t want to hire people that simply applied to any job that looked like it met their criteria. They want to hire people that know about their company and chose, specifically, to apply with their organization and its products/services.

So they will ask you why you want to “become part of their team” and you need to have a good answer – one that incorporates the company research you did before your interview and how your skills and experiences have made you want to pursue that job.

How to Answer

The key is to focus on the company, not the specific job description. The more you focus on the job instead of the company, the more your answer appears to be you saying “I applied here because it looked like you might hire me” which is not an acceptable reason. Also, try your best to integrate less blatant information into your reasoning – meaning, present thoughts that aren’t available on the first page of the company website or in the company description box located in the job description. Show that you really did your research.

Bad Answer

“I want to become part of your team because I feel that my skills and experiences have prepared me to be a considerable force in the marketing world.”

This basically says “you were hiring” in more clichéd speak. One of the reasons researching the company is so important is to be able to easily avoid answers that are too broad to relate specifically to the company.

Good Answer

“Your company offers several marketing packages that I believe will soon be on the forefront of modern marketing tactics. For example, your Web 2.0 marketing package integrates social media  engines that I firmly believe may easily overtake Facebook and MySpace in the near future, leading me to believe that your company may experience considerable growth over the next 5 years – growth that I would love to be a part of.”

Here you focused on the job, and you brought up something completely unique in your reasoning, showing that you truly researched the company beforehand and put thought into applying. To show the employer that you really do want to be part of their team, an answer that references the company on a deeper level is going to be the best way to impress them.

Take Away Interview Tips

• Focus on the company, not the job.
• Make sure you research the company thoroughly.
• Show that you have done your research.