You invest your blood, sweat and tears into preparing your written application for a job at your favorite company. You have an impressive, jaw-dropping resume which is only enhanced by a personable yet professional cover letter. Eventually it is the day of the interview and you are waiting in the lobby in with anticipation. You are brimming with confidence, positivity and excitement. You can’t wait to show the interviewer that you are the right one for the job – that is right up to the point that the interviewer asks a deceptively innocent question: “Why should we hire you?” You feel your palms becoming sweaty, your heart is pounding faster and the only sounds that you can produce is a long line of “ers,” “ums,” and “uhhs.”

Why Should We Hire You?

Why should we hire you? The question can help the interviewer get to know the applicant a little better. It can show up any discrepancies between looking good in your documents and being unprepared for the full extent of the interview. Here, the employer is giving you a unique opportunity to sell your attitude, interest and personality among other things. They may have selected you for an interview for your skills, but they need to see if you have the right fit with their organization. In fact, this question forces you to prove that you deserve the job over every other candidate.

General Ideas

Before you can answer this question, you must first consider how well your skills, experiences and knowledge base fit the position that you’re interested in.

Next, you see how you can go above and beyond the required role. Think about the ways in which you can “add value” in improving the organization.

Lastly, try to appreciate how your future role in the company fits into the bigger context of the particular industry.

Prepare the Interview

  • Carry out thorough research on the company. Then consider how your own personal beliefs, ambitions and values line up with theirs.

  • Make a list of four or five things which you can bring to the job role beyond fulfilling the basic requirements. In order to do this effectively, you must understand what qualities make you unique in the context of the position. These are essentially the reasons why the employer should choose you over the other applicants.

  • Think about how you can communicate this to the interviewer and then rehearse how you’ll go about it. 

During the Interview

  • As the interview progresses, try to spot cues of what the employer is looking for.

  • Be honest about your achievements, strengths and experiences. Honesty will make you more relaxed and help your personality to shine through even more. Remember that the interviewer will be paying just as much attention to other nonverbal signs as well.

  • Prove that you’re excited about getting the job by expressing yourself with enthusiasm, positivity, conciseness and clarity.

List of Strengths

There are about 10 traits that top the list of points that employers desire to be found in their employees:

  • Proof that you are an achiever, especially if your accomplishments match what the employer is looking for.

  • That you are intelligent.

  • A strong moral and ethical base.

  • That you can fit well within the corporate environment.

  • That you are likeable, positive and have a sense of humor.

  • You can communicate well.

  • Willingness to go the extra mile.

  • Have a strong sense of purpose.

  • That you are enthusiastic and highly motivated.

  • Confidence and a strong sense of leadership.

Here is a vidoe sharing more helpful tips from professionals about answering such questions in job interviews:

Variant of the Question

What makes you the best candidate for this position?

If you are in my shoes, why should I hire you?

What make you unique?

What are your strengths?

Why should we choose you over everyone else?

What makes you different from the other candidates?

Tips
  • Be confident. Be proud and confident about how you can be an asset to the company. This is no time to be shy. Smile as you relate your best achievements and notable work history.
  • Don’t be too cocky. While it is ideal to be confident, overdoing it can quickly be construed as rudeness. Don’t ever say, “Because I’m the best person for the job.” It is cliché and meaningless.
  • Clarify details of your achievements. Be specific about your successes and achievements, even if this means repeating an important point. Highlight all the ways in which you added value to your former employer and relate this to how you will do the same for this employer.
  • Try not to make it seem too rehearsed. Although practice is important, you want to make sure that your responses have feeling and sound like you actually care about what you’re saying.
  • Be concise with your responses. Get straight to the point and try not to be too repetitious. If you have to talk about work experiences or something you've mentioned earlier, try to reword.
  • Try not to wing it. Spend time beforehand going over potential questions and related answers. Even if a question is repetitious, make sure to have something new to add to every repeated point.
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