The interviewer’s job is to hire the best candidate for a job role. Most of the candidates that make it to the interview stage are qualified for the job. So merely having the qualifications won’t be enough to separate you from the crowd.
Once you’ve been invited to the interview, it mostly comes down to a battle of who can sell themselves better. The better you are at convincing (or selling yourself), the greater the chances that you will be the one to get the job.
So, let’s walk you through proven ways to answer the interview question “why should we hire you”.
This interview question is a sweeping question, and there’s no single correct answer. However, there is a formula to answer it correctly. When a hiring manager asks you, “Why should we hire you?” they are really asking, “What makes you the best fit for this position?”
Your answer to this question should be a concise sales pitch that explains what you have to offer the employer.
Remember, employers hire workers to solve a problem, whether it’s boosting sales, streamlining processes, or building a brand. Your goal when making your pitch is to show that you’re the best person to solve that problem.
Consequently, don’t just respond with a generic answer like, “I’m smart, qualified and I want this job.” Of course, you do, or you wouldn’t be sitting in this interview. It’s almost certain that every other candidate is going to be saying nearly the same thing.
You need to be unique and separate yourself from the talent pool. Otherwise, you risk falling into the same category as everyone else, which is what you're trying to avoid in the interview.
When you’re getting ready for the interview, take a moment to review the job description. Make a list of the requirements for the position, including personality traits, skills, and qualifications.
Then, make a list of the qualities you have that fit those requirements. Select five to seven of your strengths that correspond closely to the job requirements, and use these as the core for your answer regarding what distinguishes you as a candidate.
Your strengths may include any combination of the following:
Technical skills – these are the “on-the-job” skills that are needed to be successful in your role. For instance, understanding how to diagnose an engine problem or using QuickBooks for accounting.
Soft skills – soft skills are things like organization, conflict resolution, or communication skills. Be ready to give examples of how you’ve displayed these competencies in past jobs.
Industry experience – this refers to the years you’ve spent in your industry, not the specific jobs you’ve held. For instance, the total amount of experience you’ve had in Education, Finance, Customer Service, or whatever your field is.
Experience in performing certain tasks or duties – these could be tasks that normally wouldn’t fall in your role, but you have experience with. For instance, if you are a graphic designer, but also a trained photographer, you can offer your future employer custom photography as well as custom design, and that puts you above the competition.
Key accomplishments – big projects, new clients, creating systems, or just thorough, daily efficiency all count as accomplishments. What you’ve achieved in your past roles are the types of things that will help you stand out, so mention them.
Awards/accolades – being awarded for your outstanding performance is a good indicator to future employers that you go above and beyond to do great work. You can build any special recognition you’ve received into your answer.
Education/training – make note of any impressive education or training accomplishments, especially if you’ve made extra efforts to keep up on your industry-related skills and certifications.
The best approach to this question is to focus on a combination of skills(s) and experience that you possess. If you can think of the skills that you have and your interview competition may be lacking, you might win the case pretty quickly.
For example, if you are applying for an IT role, you are probably aware that your competition will have a whole set of programming skills, but they often lack project management or team leadership skills. If you happen to have programming experience and these other skills, that is your gold mine. Write these skills down and make a powerful answer based on your complete set of competencies.
Or, if you are applying for a teacher position, you can put your focus on creative thinking and classroom innovation rather than just mentioning that you work well with children. (This is expected and obvious, after all, or you wouldn’t be in your profession.)
N/B If this is your first job, perhaps as a fresher, you might find this question difficult to answer, especially since you are expected to build your case on previous work experience. In which case, you can center your response around your educational qualifications, soft skills and awards/accolades (if any).
Here are some examples to help you craft your response to this common interview question:
“Honestly, I almost feel like the job description was written with me in mind. I have the 6 years of programming experience you’re looking for, a track record of successful projects, and proven expertise in agile development processes. At the same time, I have developed my communication skills from working directly with senior managers, which means I am well prepared to work on high-profile, cross-department projects. I have the experience to start contributing from day one and I am truly excited about the prospect of getting started.”
“You should hire me for my passion and proven abilities in organization for office efficiency. I pride myself on my time management, coordination and interpersonal skills. In my previous role as an administrative assistant, I came up with a plan to reorganize the office supply closet by category. We placed fewer orders and saved 30% on office supplies year over year. I’m excited to bring my skills to this role.”
“I have the experience and the attitude to excel in this production assistant position. I have almost two years of television production experience — including two summers interning at The Ellen Show, where I was exposed to all aspects of TV production and worked so hard the first summer that they invited me back for a second summer and gave me more responsibilities. During my senior year at UC San Diego, I have been working part-time for a production company, where I have served in an assistant role but also recently had the chance to help edit several episodes. I have a reputation for getting things done — and with a smile on my face.
That’s because I love working in the television industry and am excited to learn and get experience in every way possible.”
“You've explained that you're looking for a sales executive who is able to effectively manage over a dozen employees. In my 15 years of experience as a sales manager, I've developed strong motivational and team-building skills. I was twice awarded manager-of-the-year for my innovative strategies for motivating employees to meet and surpass quarterly deadlines. If hired, I will apply my leadership abilities and strategies to achieve profit gains in this position.”
“You describe in the job listing that you're looking for a special education assistant teacher with an abundance of patience and compassion. Having served as a tutor at a summer school for dyslexic children for the past two years, I've developed my ability to be extremely patient while still achieving academic gains with my students. My experience teaching phonics to children aged 6 to 18 has taught me strategies for working with children of all ages and abilities, always with a smile.”
“My manager recently told me that he’s never seen anyone with more advanced Microsoft Office skills than me!
But, I would like to admit that I have acquired all my skills on job, from my past experiences, which when implemented at your organization, can bring much value and growth to this esteemed organization.
I think the job role being offered will serve my purpose along with the development of the organization.”
“You've explained that you're looking for a sales executive who is able to effectively manage over a dozen employees. In my 15 years of experience as a sales manager, I've developed strong motivational and team-building skills. I was twice awarded manager-of-the-year for my innovative strategies for motivating employees to meet and surpass quarterly deadlines. If hired, I will apply my leadership abilities and strategies to achieve profit gains in this position.”
Always remember, a great way to prepare for interview questions is to have a friend or family member pretend to be the interviewer who asks you questions while you practise your answers.