For every open position, employers receive something like 100 to 500 applicants at minimum. Jobs get a lot of resumes. Can you confidently say that you are more qualified than all of those applicants? Probably not. Chances are you have the minimum qualifications, maybe a bit more, and that someone else applying for the job as had a greater amount of experience in the field. Still, you need to come up with a good reason that you deserve a job more than other people, and you need to deliver that answer confidently.
How to Answer
There are two things that employers are looking for with your answer:
- Real Reasons – The employer wants to hear that you have real reasons that you deserve to be hired.
- Confidence – You must deliver your answer with confidence, which involves planning your answer to this question about beforehand so that you can recite it proudly.
Bad Answer
“I… uh… I guess you should hire me because I am a really hard worker, and I have experience in the field, and I’m smart, and I have intelligence, and I am a good fit for your company.”
Good Answer
“I have a history of success in the field. I improved revenue by 150% in just six months with company X. I was team leader for several projects, and I have always shown the ability to learn and adapt to any new situation, so you can be sure that I will seamlessly fit into your department’s dynamic.”
Your most important tool will be to focus on real accomplishments and use those to establish yourself as a great employee. Don’t simply state random things that anyone can say, like “I have great communication skills.” Show them with confident answers that display why you are a great communicator, such as in the above team leader example.
Take Away Interview Tips
- State real examples of your abilities.
- Practice your answer.
- Answer confidently and without doubt.