Applying for a position is an easy task but getting through the screening process is where the hard part begins. Companies only want the best candidate to work for them, and that’s why a rigorous screening process is something every applicant must expect.
Acing an interview with potential employers is an excellent way to distinguish themselves. Because educational qualifications and other metrics do not have the same impact as they used to about two-three decades ago. It’s easy to find that almost every other candidate applying for the same job is highly qualified with nearly identical qualifications and in other qualifying metrics. So, naturally, the only place one can shine is during the interview.
No matter how much one is prepared for an interview, these questions nearly stump every individual:
- What makes you stand apart from other candidates?
- Why should we hire you for the position?
Something similar to these questions is apparent in every interview, and the interviewers are looking for a confident, direct answer. Interviewers actually look for evidence that the applicant is familiar with the role they are applying for and do they have relevant skills needed to succeed in the role.
This is something that trips most of the applicants, but with the proper preparation, one can easily guarantee their position in the company. Here are some ‘why are you the best candidate for this position sample,’ answers that will prepare an applicant for this inevitable question.
You should thoroughly read the following pointers, including tips on what to say and, more importantly, what not to say in your following interview.
Know About the Job and the Company History
Any answer to the question of why you are the best candidate for the job involves a comprehensive understanding of what the role of the position offered is in the organization and how they contribute to the function of the company. This is the first stumble for many people. They simply apply for as many vacant positions without even studying the job description comprehensively, and what the company would want from the applicants.
Another common mistake in these scenarios is the lack of preparation an applicant can do about the company’s history. It is a piece of wise advice that every applicant should take to their heart as sooner or later they will be asked about the workings of the company. Generally, these questions do come upfront:
- How is the company generally perceived in the market and something noteworthy?
- How do they make money?
- What are the goals?
- What are the target audiences?
These are some of the more common questions you will find yourselves on the other end of. That’s why it is smart to heavily research the company’s history and working procedure to be prepared for such questions.
Highlight Ways that You can Contribute to the Role Offered
Interviewers always look for something concrete to determine whether the candidate interviewing would be able to fit in the role being offered to them. Education, working experience, recent work, etc., is something that would overlap and would play a crucial role in interviews gauging your potential.
But the crux of the matter is that every competent applicant would answer what the role asks from them. But seldom does anyone answer this question from their point of view. This is something that will not only draw their attention but would also stand you apart from the rest of the interviewing herd. Capturing their attention with your answers would only benefit you, wouldn’t it?
Short, Precise, and to the Point
One guaranteed way the interviewers would take you seriously is by giving short, precise, and to-the-point answers. The logic behind this is that your interviewers only have a limited amount of time to interview you and other applicants for the job. Giving out a rambling and lengthy answer would be counterproductive. And this would negatively impact your hiring chances. Whereas, being strategic in your responses would go a long way in making a compelling case for your hiring.
A tip you can follow here is picking out one or two areas where you are certain to contribute most to the role being offered to you. And do not forget to adhere to emphasizing the point in your answers. If you can address a couple of critical areas, it would make a solid case for your hiring.
Practice Your Answers at Home and Perfect them
More or less, you know which questions will be asked in the interviews, especially if you have prior experience in taking part in such interviews. So, it would be wise for you to practice answers to these questions well in advance. You don’t have to memorize these answers word to word. It would be best if you practiced these answers as much as possible.
But what is the point of this if I already know the answer to these questions? The point is not to question whether you know the answers or not but to be able to answer them confidently. Record yourself on your smart device and play it back to see how you sound and whether any adjustments need to be made.
Make Sure to End your Answers with a Question of Your Own
The key to having a successful interview is keeping the attention of your interviewers at you. This will help the interviewer recall your name when it comes to selecting candidates for the next round. And to do that, you must ensure that your answers are not only informative and correct but engaging as well. By answering the question with a question of your own, you can ensure a response from the interviewer’s side. And while it is not necessary to use this technique 100 percent of the time, it still is a useful way to shore up your chances of success during the interview.
Sample Answers
Here are some examples of answers to the question of why you are the best candidate for the job or something similar. You should thoroughly study these answers, take them all in and model your answer something along the lines.
I understand that this role emphasizes the need for someone who can handle pressure and manage many accounts simultaneously. Organization and multi-tasking are the key features of this role. In my last job, I averaged 30 accounts each month, which involved personally responding to 15 to 20 emails and voicemails on a daily basis. I believe myself to be capable of handling high volume and high-pressure roles like this. Is my analysis in terms of what you are looking for someone to fill the role being offered?
Now, as you can easily see, this answer considers several of our listed tips. It is an on-the-point, confident answer that simply answers the question without adding any unnecessary information that is not relevant. It easily emphasizes a couple of key characteristics that the applicant must have to succeed in the role. And it also highlights how the applicant’s contribution to the role being offered. Lastly, it also ended in a question, which obviously will need a response from the interviewer’s side. This could be easily considered as the correct answer for the question of – Why should we hire you for this role? But let’s take a look at another example to get a better understanding.
I believe myself to be the candidate for this job. I have direct experience in many areas listed in the job description, where customer service and project leadership have been given particular emphasis. I’ve been passionate about the software industry for a long time and wanted to get involved. I am highly motivated and excited to start the work at your firm. Am I right in thinking that you prioritize someone who can not only assist your customer service team but can also handle some projects?
This is another excellent answer that can help you in your quest to find the right answer to the question of why we should hire you for the role being offered. Similar to the previous sample, you will find that not only it is short and on point, but it emphasizes the key characteristics for the right personnel for the job, and their primary responsibilities. Interviewers are more focused on these two things in answer to this question; they want to know whether the applicant understands the role offered to them. The above sample answer beautifully emphasizes both of these points as well as adds how the applicant is uniquely suited to the role being offered. And again, it ends in a question that would prompt a response from the other side.
I am confident that I will not only succeed in the role being offered, but thrive, given that I have the necessary skills you are looking for. I have worked as a sales and marketing agent and well-versed in the job requirements. And I understand what needs to be done to excel in the role. My impeccable sales record speaks for itself, but apart from that, I am the leading sales and marketing agent in the region, with flawless communication and interpersonal skills that I believe are the key to success in the role.
This was another great answer that hits all the keynotes and would make you an instant consideration for the next level and propel your chances of getting hired.
While the following answers are excellent and would easily result in getting you hired for the position offered, it does not mean that you have to memorize them verbatim. Because this would not only lack the personal touch, but it would also go against the fourth tip we have listed above. Moreover, adding some personality to the answer would not only make it more appealing for the interviewers, but you will also create an answer that would not take much effort as well. Take this example listed below.
I have practically lived off of Starbucks since I started working professionally. So, by hiring me, you hire someone who is hardworking and brings hard skills that are the core requirement for the job and customer service experience and supervising experience to the role. You would not be able to find someone as excited and passionate in this line of work as I am.
Now, this answer does not go into many details into what the job on offer is or what the skills required are. It even does not say much about the working experience of the applicant answering the interviewer’s question. One thing this answer indeed has is a personality. And sometimes that is the one thing that wins the day and the position for the applicant. Companies do not just hire competent personnel who can do the job asked of them in their position, but they want someone who can contribute positively to the work as well as the company environment. By being someone with a personality, you would not only attract more attention from your interviewers, but it would also boost your chances of success in the long run.
Now you have all the necessary tools to answer why we should hire you for this position question, which in all honesty is not tricky but does need some deep thinking. Remember, no one correct answer exists there. As you can see from the listed sample answers, all are good; you only need to find the one that is perfect for you and your next job interview.
