Anyone actually say during an interview that the reason they want the job was because they need money?

I say it sometimes as a bit of a joke. It depends on when it comes up. It's moreso with third party recruiters through forms that refer your resume to other places because they ask things like "what are your top 3 wants." So I'll typically say salary is number one because I wouldn't work for free.

If the question is ever "why are you looking?" No. I wouldn't say I "needed money", even if I was taking a sort of unpaid sabbatical and ran out of savings. The reality is everyone knows you need money. Another reality is looking "desperate" is a negative at times. Frame yourself as someone confident and ambitious. "I'm looking for the next step in my career journey." "I'm looking for an increase in responsibility and an increase in compensation to match." Things like that.

I'm essence, yeah. I had nothing but nice things to say about the current company I was working for. Liked my job, like the company, boss, etc. Whenthe interviewers asked why I was leaving I told them that it was a small, family owned business (not my family). I loved working there but I'm only making about half the market value for my degree. The current boss told me from the start that he wouldn't be able to pay what I'm worth, but asked that I learn what I could there, then let them know when I'm going to move on. I relayed all that to my interviewers and they loved it. Later they cited that answer as one of the reasons they hired me.

I said that on the interview for the job I'm currently working. Sure I didn't it with those exact words, but pretty much. Guess it worked.

No, because I need that job to get money but saying so would most likely prevent me from getting that job and, by extension, money.

They're not asking "why do you want a job" they're asking "why do you want this job".

As in, out of all the jobs that will pay you money, why do you want this one in particular?

There are other points during an interview process to lay out your pay expectations.

I absolutely joke with the interviewer by saying I like being able to pay my bills. It always gets a laugh, and then I go into fake reason I want to work there.

Said it in every interview I've ever been in. It's the truth, usually not my only answer though.

Yup.

But in the field of work I did, I had multiple advantages.

First was the high turnover rate. Most nursing facilities and home health companies have trouble keeping staff. So, chances are high that if you apply, you're getting hired unless you're absolutely horrible.

Second, I had experience out the wazoo by the point where I realized the above. Which meant not only did I have a good work history, it was also a history of sticking at a given employer, so I knew I could almost guarantee being hired even if there were applications stacked deep.

Third, I was visibly strong. Men were much rarer in my area as nurse's assistants back then, so we tended to get snapped up fast for what is a physically demanding job. Since I'm a big ol' fella that looks like he can throw people around easily, I could have gotten hired most places even if I had a shitty work record and been an asshole to whoever was doing the hiring.

Luckily, I'm not that kind of asshole (and was less of one in the ways I am an asshole back then), and I am instead charming as fuck in person. Which was my other advantage. It doesn't show online, but if someone isn't biased against sasquatches, they tend to respond well to me.

So, after the main company I worked for folded due to the administrator embezzling it into the ground, the first interview I had when they asked that I was able to be honest and say "look, this is what I do. I take care of people. I want to get paid for doing it, and word is that you pay the best in the area. Hire me at whatever your pay cap is, and I'll be your best NA. Might take a few weeks before you believe that, but you will."

On screen, that looks cocky and snide. But in person, it got a smile and an immediate hire. At the pay cap, and a promise of full time hours as long as I wanted them. Worked there until my body finally gave out.

Yes, when discussing pay. I said flat out "I need to be making X/week, is that realistic here?" Got that job, working it now. I don't have time to mess around.

This is a sales job, though.

The comic: https://smbc-comics.com/comic/2014-08-17

Always, every time.
"Why do you want to work here?"

"Because you have an opening, and the pay looks commensurate for the responsibilities. So far, the role looks like a good mutual fit. But I'm going to need more details to ensure we're good for each other."

Yeah when I was 15. 😂 The manager suddenly got huffy. The interview was at Target, so no big loss.

Not that I recall. The trick to answering the question, I think, is to say a few nice things about about the organization, or the position, or yourself.

"I'm interested in working for a dynamic institution like Yoyodyne Industries...." or "As you can see from my resume I have a wealth of experience in spline reticulation...."

I found it was useful to write out my own cheat sheets of answers for common/likely interview questions, including some "personal experience"/"tell me about a time you..." type questions just to drill with.

It's honestly trickier with overtly shittier jobs/orgs, like sales, food service, or cleaning. Kinda hard to say why you love Target or Walmart or McDonald's. You can touch on how you like the product, but best to circle back to talking about your work ethic.

As long as I can remember, I've had a strong passion for eating food.

They humour our statements that we want to work for their company for altruistic reason but suggest that they give us some cash anyway.

We humour their protestations that the job spec in any way resembles the actually work we are expected to traverse.

It's an ongoing dialogue of falsehood in the understanding that no-one will break the spell.

Honestly I've never been asked this question

I almost always say this. I usually turn down the job and state that the pay being offered is a little too low ... they sometimes raise it.

Yes

Kinda, but it was for a temp job doing physical labor.

An interview is an opportunity for both of you to decide if it's a good fit. Unfortunately the seeker is usually happy to accept anything. Lying is counter productive. They only want to hear any reason that you picked their workplace. Consider it structured small talk and focus on your energy.

I generally say: "let's be realistic, I'm not passionate about what your company does. I am here to trade my time for wages and I have heard good ones about [company name].

Elaborate by mentioning something from their website to appear engaged and interested. Say you were a perfect fit because you meet all the requirements, talk about a friend who works there, mention using their products or services, or just mention that it's close to your house and will be a short commute. Ultimately this is a soft question that is just to get a quick idea of each person applying.

I've had a few candidates openly say that they took some time off and now their savings for that time period were used up and they needed to find a job to begin paying bills from income again. I enjoy such comments because it leads to me asking how they've spent their time away, what brought them to the realization that they wanted a dedicated time for themselves and how the last job before this time off went for them. Lots of opportunity to learn about the human in front of me.

I did, while in high school and well before I realized I had ADHD and probably autism too, given the familiar behaviors in my diagnosed kids. That's relevant because I had to work hard at learning social norms and conventions for stuff like interviews. Wal-mart offered me the job anyway, but I missed out on it because I missed the call and kept forgetting to check my voicemail.

Iirc I have said that. But it was because the interview was going well. By that I mean that when I left the two looked at each other, said their sides hurt from laughing, and they said "Let's hire him even though he isn't qualified and just see what happens." Best job I ever had.

Tbf, I interview well. It is far more about being comfortable and competent in the topics you would be doing. It takes reading the room. In the case of the interview above I could tell that humor was my best option and had them in tears multiple times through the interview.

The last time I was asked that question was in 2012. Every interview since has been all about how I go about doing the job and case scenarios.

If we were allowed to be honest that's what everyone would say. But honesty doesn't pay. Lying does. Spinning a yarn of bullshit about opportunity and gratitude yields a better result sadly.

That's the kind of stuff I'm, today, mature and emotionally stable enough to force myself to lie about, lol. I'm good at yapping so I think that the one time I was asked that I just BSd my way out of it, what else would I do? Should I tell the company that consumerism is vacuous, stupid and immoral and as such they should also consider doing something prosocial instead of selling Nespresso machines?😅

Let's reverse roles for a second. You're the employer. What reasons would there be, for you to advertise an opening? Could your primary motivation possibly be paying people money? (Rhetorical question) Considering you already have a team, what kind of person do you want to fill the position? What profile should they have? And how would their motivation reflect on their expected performance?

P.S. I'm not saying, not to talk about money, but there's a time for talking about that vs. finding out, whether you're a fit. And answering a question about your main motivation on why you want to be part of their team with money, doesn't reflect well on you or any expectations of you.

I moved from a small company to a big one and one of the reasons I said of why I wanted to change in the interview was that I didn't felt I was properly compensated for the job I did and there's not space for me to growth up.