We Hire You?
Interviewing skills are not taught at school yet they are very key. Since our aim is to make sure that you are always on top of your career game, we tackle different interview questions so that you can be able to deal with them in an interview setting. In this post, we cover a very common interview question-Why should we hire you? It can be a tough question if you are not well prepared.
I was recently on an interview panel where the candidate talked for only about 2 seconds and went quiet. The other candidate went on to talk about what qualities a successful job candidate should have. Thankfully, this blog post will let you in on how to go about tackling this very common interview question, so that you are not lost for words when it comes us up in your next interview.
You may be the most qualified person for the job, but if you are not able to articulate to the interviewer why he would be making the best decision by hiring you, you might lose out on the job. Other versions of this question may be phrased like this:
- Why are you the best candidate for the job?
- What makes you the right fit for the position?
Here is how you can go about answering this question:
Prove yourself
This interview question wants to test your confidence. It is an open ended question so you have to be ready to elaborate how valuable you are to a potential employer. Sell yourself with confidence. Prove to the interviewers that you are the right fit for the company. This can be through any formal training, your past experiences, Soft skills, industry experience, key accomplishments, soft skills, and awards/accolades.
This interview question wants to test your confidence. It is an open ended question so you have to be ready to elaborate how valuable you are to a potential employer. Sell yourself with confidence. Prove to the interviewers that you are the right fit for the company. This can be through any formal training, your past experiences, Soft skills, industry experience, key accomplishments, soft skills, and awards/accolades.
Know the job description
The job description lists the desired characteristics that an employer is looking for in a potential employee. You will not sell yourself well if you do not know the job description of the position your interviewing for. Prior to the interview, read every line of the job advert and apply your experience to it. Ask yourself: What are the most important qualifications for this position from the company’s perspective? The answer should guide you on how to articulate how your experience makes you the perfect fit.
The job description lists the desired characteristics that an employer is looking for in a potential employee. You will not sell yourself well if you do not know the job description of the position your interviewing for. Prior to the interview, read every line of the job advert and apply your experience to it. Ask yourself: What are the most important qualifications for this position from the company’s perspective? The answer should guide you on how to articulate how your experience makes you the perfect fit.
Quantify your achievements
What have you done in the past that helps you stand out from the competition? What quantifiable the results have you achieved in the past? These could include past projects you worked on, former jobs, etc. Emphasize these so that you can sell yourself better. (Ex) If you are a top performer who increased your company’s sales by 200%, be sure to mention that.
What have you done in the past that helps you stand out from the competition? What quantifiable the results have you achieved in the past? These could include past projects you worked on, former jobs, etc. Emphasize these so that you can sell yourself better. (Ex) If you are a top performer who increased your company’s sales by 200%, be sure to mention that.
After describing the above points, summarize your case for why you are the best fit for the position is. Talk about how your prior experiences have shaped you for the role, what your present career looks like, and where you want to go.
From practice, I know that memorizing interview questions might not go so well. You risk sounding like a robot or sticking closely to a script that your answers do not appropriately address the interviewers’ specific questions. The best way to practice answering interview questions is to have some key points that you want to emphasise and build your answer around them. Never the less, an example of a perfect way to answer these questions would include:
If you are a seasoned professional….
“As you can see from my CV, most of my employment history has been as a finance manager which has given me a good understanding of how to manage a company’s finances. I noticed in your job advert that you are specifically looking for a candidate who has … As a finance manager, I was not only responsible for managing cash flows but also for managing business relationships. I developed a good understanding of how the finance department can help a company reach its strategic objectives. I am confident that my past experience makes me a good fit for this job and I am excited about the opportunity to grow my career with you!”
“As you can see from my CV, most of my employment history has been as a finance manager which has given me a good understanding of how to manage a company’s finances. I noticed in your job advert that you are specifically looking for a candidate who has … As a finance manager, I was not only responsible for managing cash flows but also for managing business relationships. I developed a good understanding of how the finance department can help a company reach its strategic objectives. I am confident that my past experience makes me a good fit for this job and I am excited about the opportunity to grow my career with you!”
If you are a recent graduate…
“I am a motivated worker and fast learner though I am new to this world of …because I just recently graduated from university. I noticed that in your job posting a lot of the work would involve…. During my internship working at…., they loved me so much. I realized how much I loved working with numbers. I am excited about the prospect of being the same level of commitment and enthusiasm to this new and exciting opportunity and I think the job is a great fit for me”
“I am a motivated worker and fast learner though I am new to this world of …because I just recently graduated from university. I noticed that in your job posting a lot of the work would involve…. During my internship working at…., they loved me so much. I realized how much I loved working with numbers. I am excited about the prospect of being the same level of commitment and enthusiasm to this new and exciting opportunity and I think the job is a great fit for me”
If the question is asked at the beginning of the interview, give a more detailed answer than if it’s asked at the end. This is because at the end of the interview, you have already discussed specifics of your job experience and given good examples of why you are a strong candidate. Your answer should just emphasize your good traits.
The common mistakes that people make when preparing for this interview question is lack of preparation. In addition, some candidates are too much modest to blow their own trumpet. Remember, this is your time to shine so be ready to sell yourself in the best way that you can. Even if the interviewer does not bring it up, you can find a way of sneaking it in when the interviewer asks you if you have any further thoughts or questions.
Practice answering this question. Remember, your enthusiasm should show in your answer
Photo Credit: Hongqi Zhang (aka Michael Zhang) | Dreamstime.com
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