“Why did you choose this career?” or “Why did you choose this course?” Interviewers often ask these questions. So you should think about answering this type of question once you start searching for a job. Also, we will discuss what to say, what not to say, what would be the best answer on this that can impress an interviewer, etc. So let’s start the discussion.
First of all, interviewers are curious about asking this question. They want to know why you are looking for a job or profession. They want to find out how much you are interested towards your career job, are you really passionate about it or not and If interviewer really feels, like you are interested in your career then they will think about you and give you a positive attitude towards your job at the time of interview. So, you have to make sure that your answer seems like you are really interested in it. It would help you to build a positive impression and increase the chances of getting selected for the job.
Here are some points which will explain the things that you should include in your answer.
You can say “I choose this career because I enjoy it” - interviewer mostly like candidates who genuinely like their field of work. So, here it indicates that the candidate really enjoys his work, he will engage more with it and he will work solidly for it.
You can say ‘I choose this career because it fits in perfectly with my career goals –So, here it indicates that the job you have chosen to do is a part of your long term plan and you will be more loyal towards it.
Also, we must understand that there is nothing wrong with being ambitious or having big aspirations so make sure to give answers confidently. It will prove all the above things like you are really passionate and enjoy your career and you have all the information about the career you have chosen.
Some points are here, which we should avoid while answering questions related to our career.
You avoid saying things like ‘it will help me to earn a lot of money’- might this kind of answers will make the interviewer believe that you are not really passionate about the job you are just looking for a good salary only.
You avoid saying ‘I choose this career because my parents/teacher told me to’- avoid saying this while answering questions regarding your career objectives. It will show that you are not very passionate about your career or you don’t have any dreams or there is no motivation.
We have tried to discuss some points that will help you to prepare your own answers in an effective manner.
We have to make sure that we should focus on the skills and experience we have which will relate to the job we are looking for. Even if your goals do not directly match with it try to find out some differences between these two. You should think about your past days and make a list of the skills and experiences you have gained and think about how they relate to the job you are applying for. You can use your college or previous job website they often include how the course or company is useful for students or employees.
If your skills do not match with your role in the job then you should try to explain it in other ways that how you have developed the skills that will help you to fulfill the job requirement in the job you are looking for. For example, if you were a human resource professional and you are looking for a job in a marketing profile you can tell the employer that you have done a marketing course part-time related to marketing that will help you to a lot of to perform your job.
Also, you should keep in mind that while connecting your skills with the job you are applying for we should also have to be honest. Interviewers are so sharp that they can find it quickly if you really have the skills or not. So try to be truthful but make sure to link your answer with the job you are applying for and they will assess you accordingly.
We will see, what would be the best reasons to say while answering questions like ‘why did you choose this career or field?
You can say, I always had an interest in this field or career- it is always better, to tell the truth. So if it’s true with you it is a good reason to give it during your interview.
You can say, I always believe in helping people and this career helps me to do that - we can use this only if it’s related to the job like teaching, etc. and if it is related to this is the best answer ever to impress any interviewer.
You could give the reason as I discovered that I really enjoy this job’ which will help to convince the interviewer that you are really interested in this field.
Let’s discuss some Sample answers for the interview question ‘why did you choose this career?’ which will help you to get the idea for answering such type of questions. The following are some sample answers. With the help of these answers, you can prepare your own answers.
You can say - I choose to become a teacher because teaching is something that has always come naturally to me. And when I am in the classroom I do not feel like I am working I always enjoy being in the class and taking lectures for my students. I also, feel that my passion for teaching and liking for the subject always helps me to connect with my students. [ 15 Common Teacher Interview Questions and Answers ]
You can say - If you are an engineer but looking for a job in sales you can give an answer like- I decided to complete my degree in mechanical engineering but the marketing or sales field always attracted me. I like to connect with people and I have good convincing as well as communication skills. I always think my passion for the field of marketing and skills I have will definitely help me to perform well in the role in the marketing field.
It is always better, to tell the truth, you can come up with your own story while answering questions about why you choose this career. The following are some bad reasons we should avoid saying while answering these types of questions.
We should avoid saying things like – I am not sure - this is not a question where you can remain silent or give no response so always prepare a real answer which can convince the interviewer that you are really passionate about your career. Interviewers always expect to have a specific reason behind choosing a career or job.
Don’t make the interviewer feel that you are not sure if it’s the right career for you or not- make sure you will sound excited. Because if you do not sound excited about the career you choose why would any company shortlist you. Here, you can prepare the answers for such type of question in advance because during your interview it is not time to figure out an answer.
We should avoid saying ‘I chose this job because it allows remote work, flexible working hours’ - even if that is true keep this with you only and avoid saying in front of the interviewer. The interviewer tries to figure out that if you are really excited and passionate about the career or job you have chosen or not.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed some sample answers for ‘why did you choose this career or course?’ Questions will help you to get a better understanding and which will help you to prepare your own answers. Sometimes interviewers can get specific with your specialized area of study for example, “why did you choose information technology as your career?” so always think about answering such questions before going to the interview. With the help of the tips given in the article, you can prepare an effective answer.
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Thank you for sharing. It is very interesting and helpful for those interested in IT job ready program .