From the course: Job Interview Tips for Software Engineers

How to approach this question

From the course: Job Interview Tips for Software Engineers

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How to approach this question

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- This question is intended to break the ice at the very beginning of the interview and understand your motivations. Candidates have several reasons to work for a company, and as a hiring manager, I'm trying to place you into a frame of reference. Explain your reasoning to me clearly. For some candidates, it's the company, the roadmap, and the market goals that are a great challenge. These companies define and change how we live. They create new paradigms and connections. Explaining this motivation will help show that you are making a conscious choice that compliments your goals and my needs. For some candidates, after all the excitement of a startup, for example, stability is key. And then for others, a company is about culture and specific individuals. For many candidates, their reasoning depends upon the life stage, career goals, past experiences, and maybe many other factors. Understand yourself and your goals so that you can tell me what your honest and relatable answer is. So as you craft your response to this question, here's some areas to consider. Create a career narrative and arc. Explain how the employer and the role fit into your career trajectory and career goals long-term. Show interest in the company, show that you care. Tell me that you're aware of and you know what I'm doing and what I wish to achieve in the next two or three quarters. Identify the aspects of my company and my role that resemble an overlap in terms of your goals and your skills. Connect your future to the hiring manager's future. Connect your skills and long-term interests to the company's direction. Show me how your medium and long- term goals align with mine since I'm the one looking to make the hiring decision. The more you can establish a link between what you are good at and what I need as a hiring manager, the better match you will be for the role I have open. The more you can connect your long-term goals to the company's goals, the better the fit will be. And more importantly, the happier you will be if and when you get the role and start working for the potential employer at hand.

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