Give yourself a pat on the back. You’ve made it past the resume round of the job search process and have been asked to come in for an interview. That means an employer recognizes your current abilities and wants to explore your future potential with their company. Not everyone makes it to this step, so you should feel proud.
But you still have some work to do. You need to prepare for your interview if you hope to land this opportunity. While no two job interviews are exactly the same, one question you can anticipate needing to answer is, “Why should we hire you?”.
It’s a bit of a strange question, right? Theoretically, they’re hiring you because they saw your resume and think you can do the job. But there’s more to it than that. When a hiring manager asks why they should hire you, they’re really asking why are you, specifically, the best fit for the job?
Think of it this way: what they saw on your resume made them curious. They’re intrigued and have a feeling you may be a good fit, butut now they want to be sure. Hiring managers want to know you understand the job duties and can deliver at a high level. Your resume got you in the door; the interview will keep you there.
Now that you know why hiring managers ask this question and what they expect, you need to prepare to give your best answer. Here are some steps to help get you confident before you step into that interview.
Your interview is not the time to wing it. You may think you know why a company should hire you, but brainstorming reasons beforehand ensures you’ll give the best possible answers. More often than not, the process of brainstorming will capture perspectives you didn’t think of, which provides even more ammo for when you’re in front of the hiring manager.
To get the most out of your brainstorming session, ask yourself these questions:
Structuring your answer may seem unnecessary, but it’s actually super important. Once you figure out what answers to include, you need to figure out how to deliver those answers to the hiring manager.
Here’s how to structure your answer to “Why should we hire you?”:
Practice, practice, practice. As much as you can. You want the answers to roll off your tongue with confidence during your interview. This would be the time to utilize our AI interview tool, which allows you to record answers to selected questions and get real-time feedback on points like pacing, energy level, and your facial expressions.
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when answering this question. Practice and preparation will go a long way to performing well, but we thought we’d provide some examples of ways you can answer “Why should we hire you?”.
“That’s a great question. Based on what you've said today, your company is looking for [this is where you include what you’ve learned through the job description and your own research]. Although I don’t have that precise experience, I have completed projects where I accomplished [list the accomplishments]. I believe those accomplishments, paired with my skills as a [whatever you’re skilled at], will be a valuable asset to your company.”
“I believe that my skills and experience designing [websites, apps, etc] show that I’m capable and prepared to excel at this position. Not only did I design the [website, app, etc.], but I also [state one thing that you did extra]. More than anything, I love what I do and what I’ve already accomplished. Given the opportunity with your company, I know I can bring new ideas and new energy to [name a job duty you found on the job description].”
“I’m glad you asked. I’m a natural leader and will apply creative and strategic ideas to the clients your company works with. I may not have experience working in a corporate environment, but I know people and I know [name the industry you’re discussing]. I understand how to rally support and push to get things done. My understanding of culture means my recommendations will always be thoughtful, with an understanding of the broader implications.”
“For starters, I have all the skills listed in the job description, and I'm confident that I can apply those skills in my role as [name the role]. What I think would be helpful, though, is if I tell you of a successful marketing campaign that I was fortunate enough to lead. [explain campaign, keeping it as concise as possible.]”
As common as this question is, it’s not guaranteed that a hiring manager will ask it. You may feel like all your preparation was for nothing, but that’s not true at all. First, you can never be too prepared. Brainstorming and practicing for this question will never be a waste of time, because preparation leads to confidence and you’ll need every ounce of confidence sitting in front of a hiring manager.
The next thing to consider is that, while you may not get the exact “Why should we hire you,” question, you may get something similar. They may ask you “Tell me about yourself,” or “What is your biggest strength?” The preparation you do for “Why should we hire you” will be useful when answering either of these questions.
At Prepped, we have the resources you’ll need to succeed in your job search. From helping you build and optimize your resume to getting you prepared for your interview, we’ve mapped out every part of the job search process with tools for each step along the way. If you sign up for Prepped Premium, you’ll get full access to all of our AI tools, including our AI Interviewer.
Kern Carter
January 19, 2022
The step-by-step approach to job search success.
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