Wanting to make money isn’t a red flag. Saying it when someone asks why you want this role still costs you the offer.
Quick answer: Don’t say money, even though it’s true. “Why do you want this role?” asks which part of the work you want more of. Name that part, then prove you’ve already done it with one specific example from your last job. Money answers a different question.
Is it okay to say you want the job for the money?
It’s honest, and it’s fine to think. It’s the wrong answer, though.
A recruiter recently ended an interview because the candidate said they wanted the job “mainly for the money,” then posted it online as a punchline. The pile-on missed the point. Everyone wants the money. The recruiter does, the hiring manager does, and the CEO definitely does. We all just agreed to pretend otherwise.
I’ve passed on a lot of people when hiring, and never once for saying that out loud. That candidate didn’t give a dishonest answer. They gave the wrong one.
Why do you want this role is a different question
“Why do you want this role?” isn’t “why do you want a job.” Money answers the second one. So do boredom, health insurance and the need for adult conversation. You wouldn’t say those in an interview either.
The first question asks about the work. A hiring manager is choosing between finalists who can all do the job, so they look for the person who knows what they want from it. Someone who can name that looks like a lower risk. Someone who can’t sounds like they’d take any offer.
Harvard Business Review tells candidates to prepare for this question even though it seems obvious. Skip that prep and you go vague, and vague sounds like you’d take any offer.
How do you answer why you want this role?
Answer the question they actually asked. Use three moves:
- Name the part of the work you want more of. Use a verb and a noun, like “own a product end to end” or “run the whole renewal cycle instead of one slice.” Skip “growth” and “a great culture.”
- Prove you’ve already done it. One real example from your last job. This is the evidence that keeps the answer from sounding like a wish.
- Tie it to their problem. Say what this team needs and why your piece fits it.
Here’s the version I’d coach for a product manager: “I want to own a product end to end. I did it at my last company, and it’s the piece of that job I’d love to keep doing.”
That’s two sentences, and it’s true. It also tells the hiring manager that you’ll show up on day two already doing the thing they hired for.
Does this mean you should hide the money?
No. Hide it from this question, not from the process. Compensation has its own moment, and it comes with its own script in salary expectations: what to say when a recruiter asks. Raise money there, with numbers, and nobody blinks.
The same goes for leaving a job that underpaid you. You can say it without the grievance, and why are you leaving your job shows how to run toward something instead of away.
Why do candidates sound rehearsed?
Because the true answer feels off limits, so they build a safe one. That’s what rehearsed sounds like: a safe answer built to hide the real one. In mock interviews, I see people go smooth and vague because they think the real reason would end the conversation.
A specific answer fixes both problems. You can’t recite a story about your own work in a stiff, memorized voice. If you want to dig into that, read rehearsed interview answers are costing you the offer.
FAQ
Is it a red flag to say you want a job for the money?
It isn’t a character flaw, but it doesn’t answer the question. Hiring managers want to hear which part of the work you want, so lead with that.
What should I say instead of “I need the money”?
Name one part of the role you want more of, then show you’ve done it. For example: “I want to own a product end to end, and I did it at my last company.”
What if I really only want the paycheck?
That’s normal, and it doesn’t make you a bad candidate. Still, you can find the part of the work you’d rather do than the alternative, and say that. If you can’t find one, the role may be the wrong fit.
When do I talk about money in the process?
When the recruiter or hiring manager raises compensation, or at the offer stage. Don’t use the “why this role” answer for it.
What to do next
If you want to see what a stalled search costs you each month, run the job search cost assessment. It takes ninety seconds.
If the “why you” half of this answer is where you stall, read Why Should We Hire You? Answer With One Story, Not a List next.
If you’d rather have someone listen to your answer and tell you what to change first, book a free strategy call.