Hello,
I’ve got a few first-round interviews coming up for entry-level analyst roles, and I keep stumbling over the “Why finance?” question. I know my answer can’t just be about liking numbers or wanting a high-paying job, but I’m not sure how to show genuine motivation without sounding rehearsed. Does anyone have examples of responses that felt authentic and worked well for them?
Hi Anonymous,
no worries, this is a common challenge and completely normal to face.
From what I’ve seen, the best answers to “Why finance?” feel personal and grounded, not overly polished. You don’t need a dramatic story, but you do want to show curiosity and a moment where finance started to click for you.
I know someone who talked about a student project where they analyzed a company’s earnings. At first, it was just a class task, but they found themselves going deeper than required, really trying to understand the drivers behind the numbers. That genuine interest became the core of their answer.
Something like: “I first got interested in finance during a university project where we built a financial model for a company. I realized I enjoyed connecting financial data with business decisions and thinking critically about value creation. That experience made me want to explore the industry further.”
It doesn’t have to be perfect. If you can point to a real experience, even a small one, it’ll come across as authentic.
I hope that helps! 😊
