What are you hoping to get out of this job, in terms of being able to advance your career?

"I have led teams of up to 100 people; however, most of them were not direct reports. For my career to grow, I need a company who can confidently pass me a larger team. My management style is very hands-on and mentor based. I assure you that, if hired, I could quickly assist with your pain points such as employee turnover and convoluted training processes."

"I am looking for a role in retail sales with will allow me to work closely with clients in a consultative selling environment. In my current role the company wants to see general upselling which I am not comfortable with, knowing that sales method does not necessarily speak to my customers' needs. Your organization offers a sales method that is much more intuitive, and I would feel so great applying my stellar sales skills here. I see that you have some management opportunities available across the country. I would be more than willing to train for one of those roles and relocate as needed."

"I have been a freelance content marketer for many years now and, while it has been very lucrative for me, my biggest wish is to join an agency like yours where I can enjoy more collaborative work with larger clients and more significant projects. I am ready to dedicate my expertise to an organization with a strong reputation for delivering amazing results."

"I have a great deal of experience in B2C selling and have set my sights on moving to a greater challenge, which is - in my mind, B2B sales. I have enjoyed a lucrative career selling direct to consumer; however, I feel that I have loftier goals that include selling to large corporations. In exchange, I can promise you that I will take every opportunity to develop myself and become the best territory sales representative you could imagine. I have already prepared a 90-day success plan, should I be the chosen candidate. I am ready to go!"

"I am an experienced teacher in the public school sector, and with your organization, I would like to make the career-changing move into the private school sector. This move is important to me because this is the school where I wish for my children to attend and it would be life-changing if we could marry the two ideas. If this were possible, I would be a fixture in your school and the surrounding community for years to come."

The interviewer wants to know that this position is not a placeholder until you find the "real" job that you want. A successful placement is one where both the employer and employee know that they are gaining real value through this new partnership. Discuss how this role will benefit your career and how onboarding you will help the interviewing company.

"real"