参考回答
A classic used in pre-onsite screening rounds and as an icebreaker in final interview rounds, this question tests how well you did your research about the company you're interviewing for.
Interviewers ask “Why our company?” to test whether you've got the motivation to last in their kind of environment. If your interviewer senses that you are not motivated enough, or that you're motivated for the wrong reasons (i.e., just a paycheck), then they will be unlikely to push your application further.
Interviewers also want to get an idea of how well you've researched and prepared for the interview. For example, if you're applying for a highly data-based company like Amazon, they're looking for employees who know how to put in the work and make major decisions based on analysis.
Coming to the interview with well-researched and specific reasons as to why you want to work for your target company shows them that you're the profile they're looking for.
What does a great answer to this question sound like? Here are a few best practices:
Components of a great answer to “Why do you want to work at this company?”
Let's assume you're interviewing for a TPM role at Amazon:
- Network: Make an effort to meet with or call one or more current employees, ideally from the team you're applying to. Ask them what it's like working there, why they chose Amazon, and what is unique about it. This will give you good, specific talking points for your answer, and mentioning their names shows the interviewer that you've put in effort to get to know the company.
- Make it personal: If you have any examples from your personal experience that tie in with Amazon, now is a good time to bring them up: an Amazon product that shaped how you see the world, an Amazon initiative that has made a difference in your life, etc.
- Make it specific: Your answer for “Why Amazon?” should not apply to any other company. Try swapping out “Amazon” with other big tech names like Google and Meta. If the answer also works for other companies, that's a sign that you need to keep polishing your answer.
- Give more than one reason: Aim for two to three concise reasons as to why you want to work for Amazon, as well as in your team and position specifically. Adding any more reasons risks making your answer too long, and only having one reason likely won't be a strong enough answer.
- Talk about your team: Amazon is an enormous company, which means that some of the reasons why you might want to work for Amazon as a whole may not be specific enough. So talk about the team and role that you're applying for, and why that is a perfect fit for you as well.
- Keep it balanced: While you want to answer this question enthusiastically, overly praising Amazon or yourself will come off as disingenuous. Give real reasons as to why you want to work there, without offering empty compliments.
Below, we crafted a brief sample answer to this question. Note how it takes less than one minute to recite, and it aligns the candidate's experience with Amazon's company culture.
Sample answer for “Why do you want to work at Amazon?”
"I want to work at Amazon for three reasons.
First, I admire Amazon's customer obsession leadership principle. This is something I've experienced first-hand when dealing with Amazon's customer support, and it's also a principle I've been pushing at my current company. I was able to spearhead an initiative to update our support ticket system based on customer feedback, which decreased complaints by 20%.
Second, I greatly admire the Amazon Video product and its positioning in the market. I'd be excited to bring my experience to the Amazon Video team, as I've spent the last five years of my career in the streaming space, producing videos on my own as a hobby and working for a content production startup.
Third, I'm drawn to Amazon's scale and culture of innovation. The opportunity to work on products that reach millions of customers worldwide—while constantly experimenting and iterating—really motivates me. I want to be in an environment where big ideas are encouraged and executed quickly, and Amazon embodies that mindset."