How to answer, Why do you want to work here

How to answer, Why do you want to work here Sometimes the most obvious interview questions are the toughest. You prep and prep for the job of your dreams and do all the right things- meticulously tailor your resume and cover letter, carefully follow the steps involved in the application process, wait patiently for a response and, if you’re lucky, get invited to an interview and come face-to-face with the hiring manager. At some point in the conversation, they ask â€Å"Why do you want to work here?† And†¦ you freeze. This can be the question that separates the serious contenders from the unprepared. It is often among the first to be asked during an interview, which means it may be your chance to make a great first impression. It’s what’s known as an â€Å"open-ended question,† which means that rather than seeking a single-word â€Å"yes or no† answer, the interviewer is looking for a more thoughtful, in-depth, and carefully considered response. So, step one: take this question ser iously and prepare for it in advance of the interview. Use the following strategies to help you craft a response that will put you in good standing during your next job hunt.Demonstrate your passionThe truth is, your answer to every question on an interview should demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for the position and for the notion of joining the company and team; your answer to this question should be no different. Hiring personnel are looking for driven candidates who are excited to come on board to this job, not just any job.  You’ll want to convey that you have the energy and motivation to potentially lead, innovate, and move the needle in a positive way. Is this you? If so, then make sure your answer details specifically why you want the exact job available.Are you passionate about the company? Do your research and be prepared to explain why. Make sure your response demonstrates that you have an in-depth of knowledge of both the industry as a whole and the speci fic company you’re applying to. Although companies are aware that there will invariably be an onboarding and training period to get new hires up to speed and fully prepared to handle all of their new responsibilities, hiring personnel are much more apt to consider candidates who already bring in a wealth of experience and an understanding of how the business operates.Explain why you’re a good fitYour reasoning for why you want to work at a company should include why you’re a â€Å"good fit† for them. Hiring personnel these days are looking for candidates who aren’t just qualified and look good â€Å"on paper†- they want to hire folks who will fit in well with their existing teams and into their culture. When preparing for an interview, be sure to do your homework to get a good sense of a company’s culture (social media and corporate websites are excellent sources of information); then, when you’re on the interview, try your bes t to give the impression that you’ll blend in well.Sell your skill setIt never hurts when answering a question to take the opportunity to demonstrate why the skills you bring to the table can translate to task effectiveness and potential success on the job; consider working into your response that your background and skills will make you great at the job (as long as you do it strategically and avoid sounding like a boasting broken record).Come ready with examples of how you’ve excelled with those skills in past jobs. Love that you’ll be working with people? Tell a specific story about a time you shined with a customer and how happy it made you. Excited to crunch numbers all day? Talk about how your love for spreadsheets has made you a whiz your whole professional life.Discuss how you can help fill their needsSure, there are lots of things you hope to get from a company if and when they hire you, but this shouldn’t be the focus of your messaging on an inte rview. Instead, the reverse should be your â€Å"main message†- how you can help address and fill the needs of the company that you want to hire you. Therefore, when answering this question, make sure your response includes why you’re in the perfect position to benefit them, not yourself. Ultimately, you want them to know that hiring you will be the best decision for their company. Your job is to convince them that hiring you will be the best decision they can make.

Five Tips for Landing Business Clients as a Writer

Five Tips for Landing Business Clients as a Writer The definition of writer can be a narrow view (â€Å"I write only women’s fiction†) to a broad view (â€Å"I use words any way people need me to†). I quickly learned to embrace the latter when I took the freelance plunge two and a half years ago, because, frankly, only pitching editors wasn’t adding up to my monthly income goals. This approach has led to a wide variety of contracts: website copy, blogs, social media posts, newsletters, emails, press releases, descriptions for online directories and more. With this approach, I was able to triple my income from 2012 in 2013. Here are five ways you, too, can land writing gigs for businesses that need content now more than ever in this fast-paced, online-heavy life. 1. Create a list of every business you’ve ever written about.Have you interviewed business owners for any of your articles? Then these folks are great people to pitch your other writing services to. Start your email 2. Make a list of businesses you’d like to write for, and pitch them.  Pitching a business owner is not that different from pitching an editor. You introduce yourself and share a couple of ideas, then follow up in a week or two. Start with flattery just like you would an editor, but instead of writing, â€Å"I loved this recent article,† say, â€Å"I love your wine† or whatever product/service they provide. Flattery works. 3. Seek businesses that do not have a blog or newsletter.Content is needed now more than ever, and if a business isn’t blogging or writing a newsletter to their fans, they are missing out on some major benefits. Offer to write one blog or newsletter for free to get your foot in the door, and share some stats about the power of blogging like this article, â€Å"Top Blogging Statistics: 45 Reasons to Blog.† 4. (Gently) point out a flaw in their online presence.Are they posting to Facebook three times a day? Do they still not have a Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram account? Do they have a dismal online listing score on getlisted.org? Be friendly and flattering at first, but then point out the hole in their online marketing that you’ve found and offer to fill it. I’ve landed several clients this way. 5. Don’t be scared to try something new. Business owners need all kinds of support, so don’t shy away from opportunities that might involve tasks that aren’t necessarily writing related. I once ran a usability testing session for a new tech startup and had absolutely no idea what that even was up until two weeks before I led the group through the developing website. I’ve also taken more photos than I care to remember for social media even though I don’t consider myself a stellar photographer. But you learn as you go and take on each new challenge with professionalism, which will help you establish a great reputation and eventually get businesses seeking you out instead of you constantly hustling for more work. Good luck and tweet me with any questions at @ShawndraRussell.