Job seekers are often asked… “What are you looking for?” or “What is most important to you in your next position?”
Those sound like legitimate questions… and they are.
However, the reality is that a potential employer is not really all that concerned about what you want!
The Real Question:
“What Does the Employer Want?”
Employers know what they want and need for a particular position.
When they ask you what you want, they are trying to determine if you’re the person who can best do the job for them.
Sure, they would ideally like to get someone who loves their work, and feels fulfilled in their job. However, those concerns are secondary to getting those tasks accomplished.
For many job seekers, the idea that their employer doesn’t really care what they want sounds cold, and they never thought of their job search from that perspective. Time for a mindset adjustment!
How Should You Answer “What Are You Looking For in Your Next Job?”
When networking, or in an interview, most job seekers respond to the “What do you want” question with answers usually focused on their own interests, ambitions, and desires… whether – or not – those interests match the opportunity.
Should you give up pursuing the things you really want? Of course not!
Carefully targeting the kinds of companies, teams, and positions that interest you is a key part of creating a fulfilling career and an effective job search.
So, does that mean it’s best to be disingenuous, or make something up? Not at all!
You should think about which of your interests, desires, strengths, and abilities best match the opportunity at hand, and then help the employer connect those dots!
When you prepare your “elevator speech,” craft your interview answers, or have casual conversations with networking contacts in your job search, always think in terms of… What qualifications, experience, and desires do I have in a job that would potentially be of interest to the person I’m talking with?
You can be sure that when they ask the question, employers are thinking…
Is this person interested in anything I need, want, or know about?
If their conclusion from your answer is “No”, then it’s unlikely the networking discussion or the interview process will go much further.
Bottom Line on Answering “What Are You Looking For?”
A job search mindset is really about adopting an employers’ mindset! It is the difference between having an “Objective” at the top of your resume, or having a professional “Summary.”
The resume Objective is all about what you want; the resume Summary is about what you have that satisfies what the employer wants. Which one do you think will generate greater interest?
So, in your job search, the next time you’re asked “What do you want?” …be prepared with an answer that will show that you are who they want!
More About Job Interview Tips:
- Smart Answers to Interview Questions
- Smart Strategies to Answer to Behavioral Interview Questions
- 3 Steps to Interview Success: Build Your Interview Checklist
- Guide to Writing Thank You Notes After an Interview
Answering Common Job Interview Questions:
Questions About You:
- What Is Your Greatest Achievement or Accomplishment?
- Tell Me/Us About Yourself
- Why Should We Hire You?
- What Do You Want?
- Why Do You Want THIS Job?
- What Is Your Greatest Weakness?
- What Is Your Greatest Strength?
- Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job?
- What Is Your Current Salary?
- What Are Your Salary Expectations?
- When Can You Start?
- Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?
- Smart Strategies to Answer to Behavioral Interview Questions
Handling Special Career Situations:
- Why Did You Quit Your Last Job
- After a Layoff: Why Did You Leave Your Job?
- After Being Fired: Why Did You Leave Your Job?
- Explain Your Gap in Employment
Interview Questions About The Employer:
Questions for You to Ask The Employer:
- Do You Have Any Questions? — choose from 50+ good questions to ask them
- 5 Absolute Must-Ask Questions for the End of Your Next Interview
- The Second Interview: 5 Key Questions to Ask
- 45 Questions You Should NOT to Ask in Job Interviews
How to Prepare for an Interview:
- 3 Steps to Interview Success: Build Your Interview Checklist
- The Winning Difference: Pre-Interview Preparation
- How to Prepare for a Job Interview: 10 Steps To Follow
More About Different Types of Job Interviews:
- How to Ace Telephone / Phone Screen Interviews
- Top Tips for Lunch Interview Success
- Ace Your Video Interview
- 12 Keys to One-Way Video Interview Success
- 5 Tips for Acing Your Video Interview
- How to Handle Speed Interviews
- How to Handle Panel / Group Interviews
- How to Interview for a Temporary Job
- Questions to Ask in Informational Interviews
About the author…
Harry Urschel has over 25 years experience as an independent recruiter in Minnesota. He currently operates as e-Executives, writes a blog for Job Seekers called The Wise Job Search, and can be found on Twitter as @HarryUrschel and on LinkedIn.
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