But if you do a little prep work on how to handle the question "Why did you choose your field of

study?" you should experience smooth sailing in the interview.

Know this: The interviewer is asking this question to understand how much planning went into your
career selection. Are you there in the interview seat completely by chance, or are you there because
the job at hand is part of a well-designed plan?

There is no right or wrong way to answer this interview question. What the interviewer wants to get
a handle on is how much thought and effort you've put into your career goals. You should use this
opportunity to showcase your relevant natural talents, as well as skills you've learned that would be
relevant to the position you're interviewing for.

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If your field of study doesn't necessarily apply to the position, focus on how what you learned can
transfer or apply to the job. An education is invaluable, so if you answer carefully, you will be able to
convince the interviewer that your degree will help you fulfill the job responsibilities.

Continue on for more tips on how to answer the "Why did you choose your field of study" interview
question, and at the close, check out some sample answers.

Tips for Answering the Question

Explain how your field of study ties to the job you're interviewing for.

You'll need to connect your field of study, and what you've gained educationally, to the job you're
interviewing for. Write down the list of skills and experiences you gained through the process of
getting your degree. If you're struggling with that, think of all the assignments and projects you
completed in school—what skills did you develop working on those assignments and projects? How
many of those skills relate to the requirements of the job? Then, focus on those skills when
answering this question in an interview.

Even if your degree is not directly related to the job, you can probably find some connections
between the two. Let's suppose you graduated in law, but you're applying for a job as a researcher
or analyst in the financial services sector. You might emphasize how you developed critical thinking
skills while in law school, and that these skills will be useful when conducting research or analysis at
a financial firm.

While you should do your best to connect your field of study to the job you're interviewing for, it is
also important to be honest, as an interviewer can likely easily spot if you're being insincere. So give
an honest answer to the question (but try to tie it back to the job you're interviewing for).

Show you think through options before making an important decision.