Q3: Why should we hire you?

You might not be applying for a job in sales but this question will turn you into a salesperson who has to sell himself.

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Hello!

I hope you are enjoying reading the series of articles this week on cracking the most common job interview questions. Today I am going to address probably the most intimidating interview question of all time – ‘Why should we hire you?’

The interviewer is basically asking you to give a sales pitch of your self. You have to maintain a skillful balance between humility and confidence. The real test is how do you avoid extremes; present yourself without being arrogant or needy.

Again, it is an opportunity to talk about yourself. You need to highlight how you are a good fit for the company and an apt choice for the position. I suggest that you break down the answer in three parts and substantiate your claim. How? Allow me to explain.

1. What motivates you to work for this company?

Begin by telling why you are keen to work for this company. In this part, you are claiming that the interviewer should hire you because you are eager to work for this company and are passionate about it. You want to communicate that you will be an enthusiastic employee who cherishes the opportunity to work for the company and prove to be an asset.

Example – I share the core values of ownership, innovation, and frugality of the company. In my previous employment, in the team I led, I introduced new practices (see if you can give specific details) that resulted in reducing expenses. I especially appreciate the way this company values its customers and I have had 4 years of experience in customer management where I have developed skills to effectively deal with customer queries.

2. What do you have to offer?

Continue by highlighting your skill sets that are in line with the job requirements. Give an example of how you applied your skills to solve a problem. The more details you provide better it is. Because this will allow the hiring manager to clearly assess the value you add to the company. If you can show your direct impact on the organization, the chances of you landing the job increases.

Example – I have 5 years of experience in digital marketing. I am especially good at managing email marketing campaigns and SEO marketing. I was handling the marketing of my last company’s website and social media platforms. Within two months of the launch of the new website, I was able to increase traffic by 50 percent and add 2000 followers to the LinkedIn account.

3. What about the downside?

Now, it is natural to assume that you do not fulfill all the criteria for the job. There will be a few places where you lack. It could be lesser years of experience in a particular field or lack of experience of working with a big company/team. So how do you still sell yourself as the perfect pick for the job?

Acknowledge it. Yeah, admit that you do lack in certain areas and then direct the focus on how you can make up for that. Say you lack direct skills and knowledge, highlight soft skills like prioritization, quick-learner to make up for it.

Example – I know that what I lack experience in managing a team. However, I want to highlight that I have led projects successfully. I am confident that I can be a good manager because I am good at organizing and at the same time I am empathetic.

Share Your Experience

Today I want to ask you all to share an awkward interview experience and how you handled it. Reply to the email or leave a comment on the website!

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