How To Answer Interview Question About Geographical Preference
During a job interview, an employer may ask you if you would rather work in a certain area. It’s important to be honest about where you want to live and show why you’d be a good candidate in your answer. If someone asks you where you want to live, it can help to have an answer ready. In this article, we talk about why a job interviewer might ask where you would like to work. We also give you some answers to try and show you how to answer this question. Question About Geographical Preference
Why your employer wants to know where you want to live
Often, employers want to know where
preference to see if you are interested in the job and if you are willing to work somewhere else. They sometimes ask because the business might move or grow to a new location. If the company has locations in more than one country, the interviewer may also ask where you would like to work in case a job opens up in a branch overseas. This question is sometimes just a way for the company to find out if the person can move to a different part of the country or the world.
How to answer when people ask you where you want to live.
The best way to answer this question is to think about and practice your answer before the test. Follow these steps to answer where you want to live questions:
1. Decide if you want to move or not.
Think about how your life is now and how it might change if you have to move. If you live with family or a spouse who would need to move with you, talk to them about this decision so you know what they think. List the pros and cons of moving, such as getting to see new places and meet new people vs. the cost of moving and the fact that you won’t see your current friends as often.
2. Decide where you want to live.
If you decide you can move, think about where you want to go. For example, if you like cooler weather, you might not want to move to a city where the weather is usually warmer. Think about how far you want to go as well. For example, if you have family nearby, you might not want to move more than a certain distance from where you are now so you can still see them. If you’re going to a different country, you should also think about how the language might be different and if you want to learn a new one.
3. Practice
Ask someone you know to interview you and ask you about where you’d like to live. This lets you practice your answer and get feedback from someone else on how it might sound to someone else. If they have interviewed other people before, you could also ask them what they would expect a candidate to say or how they would respond to a certain answer.
4. Be honest
It’s important to tell the truth during the interview, even if you say you can’t or don’t want to move. Even if you say no, be sure to say how much you want the job. Show them you are passionate and flexible in other ways to show that you are still a good candidate. You should always be honest, no matter what you say. If you agree to move and then change your mind after the interview, your employer might think twice about keeping you on the job.
How to respond
Here are some ways to answer this question in an interview, depending on whether you want to say you can move or not:
Example 1
“I’m happy to work for this company because it helps people in the area. I know a lot of people and businesses in this area, so I think I would be most useful in a job there. I like to travel, and if it were part of my job, I would be happy to go to other places or company branches.”
Example 2
“I traveled all over the country when I was a young adult. I loved going to new places and meeting new people. If this job required me to move, I would think about it. I would love the chance to work in a new place. I would love to learn a new language if my company sent me somewhere where English is not the main language.”
Example 3
“I’ve learned a lot from the jobs I’ve had in this field, and if your company gives me the chance, I’d love to use what I’ve learned in new ways. I wouldn’t mind moving, but I’d like to stay somewhere in the north of the country. I’d like to stay within driving distance of this city, but I’m open to other options and would be willing to work for your company in other places.”
Example 4
“I’d love to work with your company in this area if I had the chance. I can’t move to another area right now, but I’m flexible about my commute time and will drive up to an hour to another branch.”
Example 5
“If this company hired me, I would love to move. My last job required me to move, and I liked how much I learned from my new coworkers and managers. Because of what I learned when I moved, I was recently promoted to sales manager. I’d love to share what I’ve learned with people who work for your company in other parts of the country. I know I would keep learning and get better at my job.”
