Is this the same as "Why do you want this job?"

They overlap. This one starts with you and what you want; "Why do you want this job?" starts with the role. Use the same research for both, but different emphasis. See why do you want this job?

Can I mention salary?

Not as one of your three points. If they ask about pay directly, see salary expectations.

What if I'm not sure what I want?

Look at the last job you enjoyed most and ask what was true then: the work, the team, the progress. Those are your three things.

Should I mention remote or hybrid work?

If it's important and the role offers it, a short mention inside "how I work" is fine. Don't make it your first point.

What if what I want isn't in this job?

Then it's worth asking yourself whether to take it. In the interview, lead with what does overlap, and ask about the rest when they invite questions.

What are you looking for in a new job? How to answer it well

Turn the question into a fit argument

This question sounds like it's about you. It's really about the overlap between you and them. If you list things the job doesn't offer, you've talked yourself out of it. If you list things everyone wants, like "good pay" or "a nice team", you've said nothing. If you name three specific things you want that this job clearly has, you've made the case for why you'll be happy there and stay.

That's why the three-point structure works so well: it lets the interviewer tick three boxes in under a minute.

Step 1: Find what the job offers

Before the interview, read the job post and the company's careers page and write down what stands out. Look in these places:

Where to look	What it tells you	Example
The first three duties	The core of the work	"Building weekly dashboards for clinic managers"
"You'll work with…"	Team and collaboration	"Cross-functional team of clinicians and engineers"
"Growth" or "development"	How you could grow	"Mentoring programme, conference budget"
Company mission or product	What the work is for	"Reducing waiting times for patients"
Working pattern	How and where	"Hybrid, two days in office"
What the interviewer said today	What they care about most	"We're trying to move from reports to decisions"

Step 2: Pick three that are true for you

From that list, choose three you genuinely want. A balanced answer usually covers:

The work itself. The kind of problems you want to spend your days on.
How you'll work. The team, the pace, the people you'll learn from.
Where it leads. A specific skill or direction you want to grow in.

Skip salary, perks and location as main points. They matter, but they're for later in the process.

Step 3: Link each one to this job

Say what you want, then point to where you saw it here. "I'm looking for X, and I noticed in the job post that you…" This is the step that turns a wish list into a fit argument.

The whole answer should take about 45–60 seconds, roughly 110–150 words.

Example answers

These are examples with made-up details. Use what's true for you and the job.

Data analyst at a healthcare company

"I'm looking for three things. First, analysis that leads to decisions, not just reports. In my current role most of my dashboards go into a monthly pack, and I'd like to work closer to the people using them, which is what you described with the clinic managers. Second, a team where I can learn from more experienced analysts; I saw you have a senior team doing forecasting, and that's where I want to grow. And third, work that matters beyond the numbers. Helping reduce waiting times is a lot more motivating to me than optimising ad spend."

Customer service to team lead, internal or external

"I'm looking for my first step into leading people, a busy environment where I'm still close to customers, and a company that trains its leaders rather than just promoting them. Your role has a team of eight, which feels like the right size to start, and you mentioned that new team leads go through a six-month programme. I've been the person training new starters on my team informally for a year, so I'm ready to do it properly."

Graduate's first job

"I'm looking for a role where I learn by doing real work from the start, with people around me I can learn from, and a clear sense of how I'd progress. Your graduate scheme puts people on live client projects in the first month, which is exactly what I want. I also liked that each graduate has a buddy from the previous year, and that the programme moves you through three teams before you choose."

Experienced professional

"At this point I'm looking for more ownership, a product I believe in, and a smaller team where decisions happen quickly. In my current company I manage one part of a large process; here I'd own the whole onboarding experience end to end. I've used your product as a customer for two years, so I already care about it. And from what you said about the team being twelve people, I'd expect a lot less waiting for approvals."

Mistakes to avoid

Mistake	Why it hurts	Try instead
Listing things this job doesn't have	Shows poor fit	Choose the overlap
"Good salary and work-life balance"	Generic and about perks	Lead with the work
Describing your current job's problems in reverse	Turns into a complaint	Talk about what you want, not what you're escaping
One vague point ("growth")	Says nothing specific	Name how you want to grow
Copying the job post	Sounds hollow	Use your own words and connect to your experience
Seven things	Nobody remembers seven	Three, clearly numbered

Say it with the numbers

Signposting your three points out loud ("first… second… and third…") makes them easier to follow and remember. It can feel stiff on paper but sounds clear when spoken. Practise until each point takes about 15–20 seconds, and time yourself with the speech length calculator if you've written it out. In Speaking Coach, you can add the job post so the interviewer knows what the role offers, and it follows up on the point that sounds weakest.