Interview Question: What Makes You the Best Candidate for the Job?

I have been interviewed several placed and interviewed many people and in almost all cases this question arises. A common question asked many different ways. You may hear, "Tell me something about yourself" or "Why should we hire you?" Regardless of how the question is asked the interviewer wants to know, what you feel makes you a standout candidate.

By the time the question is asked the interview should have covered your background and what the company is looking for in a candidate. This question is typically asked so you can give a summary of your skills and abilities that make you a unique and desirable candidate for the role. The interviewer is listening to see what facts you will give that align with the role. The interviewer is also listening to how you answer the question.

Before I cover some basic answers pay attention to these few highlights:

Never compare yourself to other candidates. If you start off by saying “Other candidates I’m certain do not have my experience……” you will be seen as extremely presumptuous and seen as focused on yourself and not the company.

Rather, be gracious to the other candidates and the company’s time. After all, THE COMPANY chose candidates they fill might be a good fit. Do not insult them by telling them otherwise.

Say something like, “Without knowing who else is interviewing I do not feel it is fair to say what makes me better than them. I can tell you what I feel makes me a strong candidate for the role. My experience with……”

Based off the interview, when this question is asked be prepared with hard facts. If the interview focused on one or two skills explain your experience with those skills. Tell how your skills helped improve your last company and how those skills can now be used to help this company.

Companies do not want to only know you can do the job, they want to know how you are going to help them once you have the job.

Here are some ways to answer this question:

“I have the ability to find efficiencies within an existing process. My last job involved a lot of high volume recruiting. I was able to identify methods that allowed me to reach out to hundreds of candidates a week, maintain conversations, and reach goals. I know this job has similar volume and is an environment which I can thrive”

What I am doing here is showing how my previous experience is relevant to what the current company is looking for in the role.

“While in a role I am always seeking to improve my skills for myself and the company. I consistently reach out to other recruiters and managers to learn new best practices.  I know you are looking for someone who can innovate the position and make your company more desirable to future candidates and I can help you achieve that.”

Here, I am showing what skills I have in developing outside partnerships and how I can use those partnerships to improve the company.

Be prepared with some facts about yourself. Be gracious to your fellow candidates and the company’s time. Practice your answers with someone so you can avoid freezing in the moment or saying something you didn’t mean to say