Why Should I Hire You?

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Why should I hire you? If you were asked this question in an interview, would you know what to say?

What the Recruiter and Hiring Manager are really asking when they ask this question is….

“What sets you apart from all the other candidates I’ll be interviewing?”

This is one of the most important questions in an interview because it’s your chance to sell yourself. The Manager wants to know what you bring to this job that no one else does, and what value you can add to the team and company.

Don’t make the mistake of answering “because I am honest, reliable and dependable.” That’s just not going to cut it. The interviewer expects all candidates to be honest, reliable and dependable. What’s special about you?

Here’s the trick to selling yourself and your skills: you need to emphasize how your qualities fit with the needs of the position and the company. Prepare yourself to speak about three or four key qualities you have to offer, matching them with what the Hiring Manager is looking for. Let them know that you understand their problems and requirements, and explain how you are the solution.

Here are two sample scripts:

Script 1: I have ten years of experience as a Sr. Software Developer. One of the projects I’ve worked to develop is similar to what your company is currently creating. I want to contribute my skills to your start-up company to be part of this initial development phase.

Script 2: From our conversation it sounds like you need someone that can come in and manage the team that has just gone through reorganization. At my previous company we went through three reorganizations while I was there. I successful managed the team and am proud to say that I was able to keep my team focused and productive during the changes within the company.

BeCarlson