Why have you applied to us?

This is one of those questions that you are going to be asked in interview - if you haven’t thought about it and haven't prepared, then be prepared to dig yourself a big hole. Because this is an obvious question - any interviewer will want to find out what you know about the company as well as your motivations for making a move. Often it is one of the first questions that is asked. Asked early it can throw a candidate off balance. Preparation for an interview today is much easier than it used to be. All knowledge is out there - if you are serious about the opportunity it would be damning if you did not know much about the company. So do your homework -  who is it owned by, how are their franchises doing? And you should probably have visited at least one of the locations. In your answer, you need to demonstrate that you have done this. Above all, you need to have thought a little bit about what their problems are and how you can solve them. Remember, recruiters are always looking to solve a problem, whether it's a regional director who needs to sort out a dealership’s financial performance, or a recruiter who needs to find credible candidates for their regional director. They have a problem, you should present yourself as the solution. You should probably also touch on your reasons for wanting to move on. These should be positive, and never, never negative about your current employer (or anyone else you have worked for, for that matter). Like most of these questions, think about it beforehand. Don’t be thrown when you are asked it as soon as you sit down. "I don't know, the agency fixed it up for me" is not going to get you very far. Good luck! Want to subscribe to this blog? click here.