When an interviewer asks the question "What's your ideal company?" they want to know why you've chosen to apply for a job at this company over all of your other available options. You are being asked what it is about this company that makes it a good fit for your aspirations, values, skills, and priorities.
Points to Emphasize
You will be best equipped to answer this question successfully if you've done plenty of research on the company before going into the interview. Here's what you need to do:
- Know the company's mission and objectives, and describe how they reflect your vision of the ideal company.
- Learn about the firm's structure and inner workings so that you can address your desire for growth opportunities.
- Relate your personal goals to your response.
- Take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate your esteem for the company.
If you go into it well-prepared, this question isn't too difficult to answer successfully.
Mistakes You Should Avoid
There are several ways interviewees tend to falter when answering this question.
- Don't speak off the cuff. If you're not sure whether an answer applies to this company, don't say it.
- Avoid clichés and vague descriptions.
- If your answer is too general, it won't help to accomplish the intended purpose: to find out why you want to work here.
- It seems counterintuitive, but don't speak exclusively about the company – bring your answer back to you and your strengths and goals.
This question gives you plenty of opportunities to show why you're a good fit for this position.
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Sample Answer
A strong answer to this question is clear, specific, and consistent with the characteristics of the firm to which you're applying.
My ideal company is one that offers creative solutions to important problems. I would like to work for a company whose mission to provide reliable, high-quality products aligns with my commitment to customer service. I prefer to work in an environment with a strong emphasis on teamwork, with supervisors and colleagues who value individuals' unique strengths and know how to work together to utilize everyone's talents to produce the best outcomes.
A hiring manager's role is to seek out the employees who will best contribute to the company's success. Use your answer to this question to demonstrate that you're a superior candidate.
