In these short pages, we provide a sample answer for each interview question in relation to the industry shown. We then analyse the answer, pointing out valuable information so that you can adapt the answer to your specific circumstances.

Retail - Why Do You Want This Job?

Answer

I love the brand! I've been a huge fan of the company for many years. When I was in college, I was scouting for potential career suitors and I always felt myself leaning towards you guys. I don't think there are any products that have come through your doors that I haven't been a fan of! As I said, I love the brand and I feel that would make it so much easier for me to sell. There wouldn't be much you'd need to bring me up to speed with in terms of what you sell, as I keep up to date with your merchandise. This is the reason I want to work for your company in particular.

But I've been chasing a career in Retail for a number of different reasons. One of them is because I enjoy dealing with people. I'm the eldest of a family of seven and I had to be the diplomat, mediator, best friend, negotiator, and many more roles between my siblings and I over the years. This gave me a range of different skills for dealing with tricky situations in my everyday work life. I feel Retail suits me and is the perfect industry for me to showcase my skills.

I'd like to add that I'm naturally a very helpful person. It has worked well for me in Retail as I always keep an eye out for any customers needing assistance. If I come across somebody needing help, I tend to go out of my way to make sure the customer is satisfied. I enjoy this part of the job. I love it, actually. It all pieces together and makes up the reasons why I really want this job.

Analysis

The Interviewee opens with so much enthusiasm that it's almost infectious. Their love for the industry and the company in particular oozes out from the opening. The Interviewee ensures they compliment the products available from the company and highlights how familiar they are with them. This is a huge positive for the employer as they will take confidence from the fact that the candidate can easily sell their products. This puts the Interviewee on the front foot over other applicants.

The Interviewee gives a glimpse into their personal life when they touch on their family background. This could potentially open up a line of questioning, but at the very least it shows trust. The Interviewee opens up about their background with details relevant to the position, and an employer would appreciate the honesty. This is a good direction to take, as it combines emotions with professionalism.

Finally, the Interviewee closes their answer with their work ethic. Every employer likes to hear how hard someone might work and how they might use their initiative; and this Interviewee ensured they mentioned points to that effect. They showed how they enjoy going above and beyond for a customer to see them enjoy their shopping experience - this caps off a really strong answer.

Overall, they had three main points they wanted to relay to the Employer: 1. Love of the product; 2. A transferable life-skill; 3. Work ethic. They highlighted these and built their answer around them.