WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER? (Interview Question & TOP-SCORING Answer!)
In this article, not only will we will teach you how to answer the interview question, “what are your career goals?”, but we will also cover the following three parts:
#1. We will explain WHY the interviewer is asking you the question, Why Did You Choose This Career?
#2. We will tell you the 3 things you MUST include in your answer!
#3. We will then give you 5 example answers. We will give you a generic answer suitable for all job roles, an answer for customer service and retail roles, an answer for sales roles, healthcare roles, and an answer for technical job roles.
WHY IS THE INTERVIEWER IS ASKING YOU THE QUESTION, “WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?”
The interviewer wants to be assured that you are going to be happy in your work, and you are going to be committed to their organization for the long term.
Remember, it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to recruit and then train someone up for a job, so the interviewer wants to be certain you are going to be satisfied in your work.
By asking you the question why did you chose this career, it allows the hiring manager to assess your motivations for the job!
THE 3 THINGS YOU MUST INCLUDE IN YOUR ANSWER TO THE QUESTION “WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?”
#1. SAY YOU HAVE HELD AN INTEREST IN THIS CAREER FOR A LONG TIME.
If you say you’ve held an interest in your chosen career from a young age that perhaps stems back from your education, it tells the interviewer you are going to be more passionate about your work because you have invested a lot of time and effort into learning about it.
#2. TELL THE INTERVIEWER SOMEONE OR SOMETHING INFLUENCED YOU TO CHOOSE THIS CAREER.
Perhaps you have seen someone you admire choose this career, and you want to emulate their success. Perhaps a teacher encouraged you to go down this career route or maybe you read a book that influenced your choice of career. Whichever it is, make sure you reference the main influence for you choosing your career of choice!
#3. ALIGN YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GOALS WITH YOUR CHOICE OF CAREER.
A good thing to say in response to the interview question, why did you choose this career, is to say you have ambitious plans in life and this career will help you to achieve them.
For example, if your choice of career is SALES, you could say the earning potential is good in sales, and this will allow you to eventually buy your dream home. If you are working in retail or customer service, you could say the opportunity to work additional hours inspires you because you are saving up to buy a car or you want to support your children through their education.
EXAMPLE ANSWER #1 (GENERIC) “WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?”
“I chose this career because it is one where I feel I will get the most job satisfaction from. Everyone I know who works in this career has said how happy there are in their work. I have also been influenced by the positive feedback I have received from people, including my teacher, who recommended this career to me based on my skill set and qualities. I also chose this career because it is something I am very passionate about, it is a career where there are opportunities to learn new skills and develop existing ones, and there is a chance for me to eventually progress and gain promotion.”
EXAMPLE ANSWER #2 (CUSTOMER SERVICE) “WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?”
“I chose this career because I get lots of job satisfaction from helping people, from responding to their needs, and from making a positive difference in people’s lives. Being a sociable person, I enjoy interacting with people and I will also find the busyness of a career in customer service appealing. Having spoken to friends and colleagues who already work in customer service, they agree I have the personality and resilience to excel in the position. Finally, because there is the opportunity to work additional hours in this career, this quickly will help me to reach my financial goals outside of work.”
EXAMPLE ANSWER #3 (SALES) “WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?”
“I chose a career in sales because I prefer the type of work where I have challenging targets to work towards, where I get the opportunity to increase my earnings, and where there is a competitive nature in the working environment. Being an enthusiastic and driven person who has numerous goals outside of work, a career in sales is most suited to my personality. Furthermore, because I can quickly build positive, long-term relationships with people that will benefit your business, I feel a career in sales is one where I will be able to succeed and excel in.”
EXAMPLE ANSWER #4 (HEALTHCARE) “WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?”
“I chose a career in healthcare because I want the type of work where I get to make a positive difference to people’s lives, where no two days are ever the same, and where I will be able to develop a diverse range of skills and qualities. I have wanted to work in healthcare ever since I was at school, and because a member of my family was a nurse, I have always had a connection with this type of work. I also want to work in healthcare because the employment is secure and the benefits in terms of the pension are appealing to both me and my family.”
EXAMPLE ANSWER #5 (TECHNICAL ROLES) “WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS CAREER?”
“I chose this career because I am naturally an inquisitive person whose diverse range of technical skills and knowledge will be beneficial in the role. I enjoy developing myself, and because continuous learning is a vital part of working in tech, I feel I will be most suited to this type of work. Being an avid reader, I have read numerous books and blogs over the years and I feel my ability to apply myself and solve challenging problems make me most suited to technical work. Finally, because there is the opportunity for enhanced earning potential in tech, it is a job I feel I will be highly motivated in for the long-term.”
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