Why Do You Want This Job? How to Answer in a UK Interview

Quick answer: in a UK interview, answer "Why do you want this job?" in three parts: what specifically attracts you to the role, why this employer rather than a similar one, and what you bring that makes the fit credible. Keep it to about 60 to 90 seconds, use evidence from the job description and person specification, and never make the reason about pay, commute or "I just need a job".

Almost every interview in Britain contains some version of this question. It arrives as "Why did you apply?", "What attracted you to this role?", "Why do you want to work for us?" or, in a public sector panel, "What interests you about working in the NHS?" The wording changes. The purpose does not: the panel wants to know whether you chose this job or simply sent your CV to every vacancy on Reed.

This guide covers how UK interviewers hear the question, a structure that works in any sector, and worked answers for the NHS, the Civil Service, a graduate scheme and a private sector role.

What UK Interviewers Are Actually Testing

The question looks like small talk, but it usually tests three things at once.

Motivation that is specific. A generic answer ("it looks like a great company with lots of opportunities") could be given to any employer, and panels notice. Specific detail proves you read the advert, the person specification and the organisation's own material.

Realistic expectations. Employers lose money when new starters leave within months. If your reason describes a job that does not exist, such as a mostly creative role that is really 70% reporting, you look like a retention risk.

Fit with the stated values. Public sector and large employers recruit against published criteria. The NHS uses values-based recruitment tied to the NHS Constitution. The Civil Service uses Success Profiles, which combine Behaviours, Strengths, Ability, Experience and Technical skills. Many graduate employers, such as Deloitte, PwC and John Lewis Partnership, publish their values and expect you to connect to them without reciting them.

Your answer is scored, formally or informally, against those criteria. That is why the same sentence can pass at one employer and fail at another.

The Three-Part Structure

Use this frame for a 60 to 90 second answer.

1. The role. Name two concrete things in the job that attract you, taken from the job description or person specification.
2. The employer. Say why this organisation, using something you can check: a service, a programme, a stated value, a recent piece of work.
3. The fit. Close with one piece of evidence from your own experience showing you can do the work.

Order matters. Starting with the employer sounds like flattery. Starting with the role sounds like you understand the job. Ending with evidence stops the answer drifting into enthusiasm with nothing behind it.

A useful test: if you could swap the employer's name for a competitor's and the answer still works, it is too generic.

Where to Find the Material

Do the research before the interview, in this order.

• The advert and job description. Highlight the verbs. "Coordinate", "lead", "analyse" and "advise" each point to a different reason to want the role.
• The person specification. Essential criteria tell you what the panel will score. Pick two and build your answer around them.
• The organisation's own pages. Annual report, strategy, values, and recent news. For public bodies, the departmental business plan or trust strategy.
• Independent sources. Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and job boards such as Reed, Totaljobs and Indeed UK can show how a company describes itself and how staff describe it. Use this to sense culture, not to quote reviews back to the panel.

Ten minutes on this turns a generic answer into a specific one.

Sample Answers by Sector

These are models, not scripts. Replace the details with your own, and say them in your own words.

NHS: Band 5 Nurse

"Two things drew me to this ward. The first is the mix of acute and step-down patients, because it lets me use the assessment skills I built on my final placement in respiratory while developing care planning for longer stays. The second is the trust's focus on reducing falls, which I saw first hand on placement and care about. I chose the NHS because of the value of compassion in the NHS Constitution: on placement, I stayed with a distressed patient beyond my scheduled break, and a colleague told me it changed how the family felt about the ward. I would like to build a career where that kind of care is the standard, and this role is a place to do it."

Why it works: it uses a named value, one real example and a specific ward feature rather than "I've always wanted to help people". Band 5 roles are on the national Agenda for Change scale, so pay is not a reason to give and should not appear.

Civil Service: Executive Officer

"The role interests me because it combines casework with policy input, and the advert says officers contribute to how guidance is written. I enjoy work where I can see the effect on real people. In my current job I noticed our complaint replies were confusing, rewrote the template, and repeat contacts fell by around a fifth. The Civil Service also matters to me because of Seeing the Big Picture, one of the Success Profile behaviours: I want to understand how my part of the work supports what the department is trying to achieve."

Why it works: it echoes a behaviour by name without sounding rehearsed, and it backs the claim with a measurable result. Check the numbers are true before you say them.

Graduate Scheme: Consulting or Professional Services

"I applied to your scheme rather than a general graduate route because of the rotation structure. Spending time in two service lines before specialising suits me, as my degree combined economics with a data module and I do not yet know which I enjoy more. I also spoke to two current analysts at the campus event, and both described being given client-facing work in their first six months, which is the kind of responsibility I am looking for. My society treasurer role gave me an early version of that: I managed a £6,000 budget and presented the accounts to 40 members."

Why it works: it shows research beyond the website, honesty about uncertainty, and a small but genuine piece of experience. Graduate assessment centres and interviews at firms such as the Big Four reward candidates who can explain why the scheme, not just why the brand.

Private Sector: Marketing Manager

"The role attracted me because it covers the full funnel, from brand through to conversion, and I have spent the last three years on the top half only. I want the accountability of owning the whole number. I also looked at your last two campaigns and liked that you tested locally before scaling nationally, which is how I ran our regional launch. That approach suits me. In my current role, that launch produced a 30% lift in qualified leads over the previous quarter."

Why it works: it links the role's scope to a real career gap, references the employer's actual work, and supports it with a figure.

What Not to Say

• Pay, benefits or commute as the main reason. They are legitimate factors and you can raise them at offer stage. See our guide to negotiating salary in a UK job interview. As the answer to this question, they suggest the job is interchangeable.
• Negativity about your current employer. "I'm bored" or "my manager is hopeless" makes panels wonder what you would say about them.
• Fake passion. "I have dreamed of working in insurance since I was a child" is rarely believed. Genuine, modest interest with specifics is more persuasive.
• Pure flattery. "You are the market leader" tells the panel nothing about you.
• Reciting the website. If the panel can hear the About page, they will assume that is all you read.

Changing Career, Returning to Work, or Coming from Unemployment

The same structure works, with one adjustment: address the gap in a single sentence, then move to the future.

• Career change: name the transferable skill first, then the reason for the move. "My eight years in retail management gave me strong stakeholder skills, and I want to apply them in customer success because it lets me solve problems earlier in the customer journey."
• Returning after a break: be brief and factual about the break, then focus on what draws you to this role now.
• Between jobs: avoid sounding as though this is the only vacancy you could find. Concentrate on what about this job matches your skills.

You do not have to explain private reasons. Under the Equality Act 2010, employers should not make hiring decisions based on protected characteristics such as pregnancy or disability, and you are not required to share health or family details to answer this question.

Follow-Up Questions to Expect

A good answer invites a second question. Prepare for these:

• "What do you know about our organisation?"
• "Where else are you applying?"
• "What would you find least appealing about the role?"
• "How does this role fit with your longer-term plans?"

Have a short honest answer to each. For the last one, see our guide to competency-based interview questions and answers, which also covers the STAR structure for backing up claims with examples.

A Short Checklist Before You Go In

• Two specific things about the role, taken from the person specification
• One checkable fact about the employer
• One example from your own experience
• No mention of money, commute or dislike of your current job as a main reason
• Timed at 60 to 90 seconds when said out loud
• Says something a competitor's name could not be swapped into

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long should my answer be?

Aim for 60 to 90 seconds. Under 30 seconds sounds unprepared. Over two minutes usually means you have drifted into your life story.

Is it OK to say I applied because of the salary?

Not as your main reason. Pay is a fair consideration, but the panel is judging motivation for the work. Mention the role, the employer and your fit, and keep pay for the offer conversation.

What if I have no experience in this field?

Use transferable evidence: coursework, volunteering, part-time jobs, society roles or projects. Explain what attracted you to the work itself, and name one concrete thing you have already done to explore it, such as a course, shadowing day or conversation with someone in the field.

How do I answer if the NHS or Civil Service panel asks about values?

Choose one published value or behaviour, name it once, and give a real example that shows it. Do not list all of them. NHS panels look for evidence of values such as compassion, respect and dignity, and Civil Service panels score against the Success Profile behaviours listed in the advert.

Should I mention other jobs I am applying for?

You can say you are applying for similar roles, but make clear why this one is your priority. Do not name competitors unless asked directly.

Is "why do you want this job" the same as "why do you want to work here"?

Nearly. "This job" points at the role, "here" points at the employer. Your three-part answer covers both, so you can use one prepared answer for either.

For the interview that follows this question, see our guide to competency-based interview questions and answers.

Another question that appears in most UK competency interviews: tell me about a time you failed.

MockWise analyses your CV and builds interview scenarios around it, so you can practise this exact question out loud and get feedback on structure, clarity and impact. Try it free with 5 credits, no card required.

More UK interview guides: MockWise UK blog