Hi,Recently i had an interview with a mgt consulting firm and received some feedback from HR. One area they highlighted was that i gave a text book answer to "why do you want to work for .... ". How can one overcome this and give a natural answer that is coming from yourself and not a script? Any advice would be good, thanks.

Try being totally honest...I went to talk to a bank recently and when they asked that I said that I was sick of where I lived and the working hours at my current employer and that their location was much more appealing and the people I'd spoken to seemed to have a balanced approach to life!If you have to think too much before answering this question, maybe they were'nt the right firm in the first place!

Honesty is a definitely a good place to start. Here are a few suggestions:- I know someone who works for you and was impressed by what they had to say about...- I know that you have recently won a project that interests me...- I like the position you have in the market, and think that you are in a good position to ...- I have worked with some of your consultants before and thought they were....- I have heard good things about your culture / approach to training / client group, etc...Don't say any of these unless you can back it up with some additional commentary!RL's suggestion is valid, but be sure you understand the differences between your current employer and the firm you are interviewing with. There is no point in highlighting your desire for a better work life balance if you are interviewing at, say, Accenture! It's never a good idea to badmouth your current employers - this is an extremely networked industry! If you must say something negative, at least start out with "There are lots of things I like about working for Joe Bloggs Inc, but I feel a little frustrated by their approach to training/sales/bureaucracy/whatever.."Please, don't say "I just think it is time for a change". I hear it all the time, and it doesn't tell me anything...A semi-related topic - If you want to tell us that you are interviewing with all the big players, then try to demonstrate that you have been a bit selective in your choices! What do I mean by that? Well, applying to KPMG, E&Y and PWC makes sense. Applying to Accenture, IBM and Atos makes sense. Applying to McK, Bain and BCG makes sense. If you tell us that you are applying to, say, Cap Gemini, McKinsey, KPMG and MA Partners, my first response would be to think - do you actually understand the differences between those firms?Good luck in your next interview!

All - listen to RecruitGal, for she is wise!