This is the dreaded interview question: “Why should we hire you?” This open ended question can make you babble or even answer the question so short that it doesn’t tell the interviewer anything about you. Trying to play it safe and not reveal anything about yourself isn’t the solution either. You can become tongue tied so it is better to have answers prepared ahead of time instead of trying to wing it during the interview.
Employers want you to be enthusiastic and not be there because you need work but that you want the job because you feel that it is a good fit for you. They want a summary of what you have to offer.
It is about them and not you
Expressing your desire to work for the company and telling them that you want to help the company grow is not the right answer for this question because it sounds all about you. That is professional sounding but that is not what they want to hear. What you want is not a concern to the interviewer. He wants to hire the best person for the job who will add value to his team. He doesn’t know you.
Summarize why you are a best fit for the job
Think about your skills, experiences, and knowledge and choose the top 3 that are valuable to the company. You can even use a story in answering this question like you are an expert in using a certain software and managers come to you to interpret critical information. You can also talk about your education, work experience, and a little personal life. If they are looking for someone to hit the ground running you can talk about a past job which provided you a little training and you enjoyed the challenge, learning new things, and excelled at the job while receiving awards or being recognized as a top performer.
There are other interview questions that you need to practice for. The main thing is to practice and be prepared. When answering other interview questions utilize concrete examples, be concise, and practice. Emphasize your skills that are most relevant to the employer. Listen carefully to their questions and give a response that answers their question. You can give a great answer but if it is not answering their question you will leave them baffled. Study the best answers to interview questions.
Develop a connection with the interviewer
Establish a rapport with the interviewers. People hire people they like and who think will be a good fit for their company culture. The resume sold you and now is time for you to sell yourself during the interview and not just come across like you just need a job to pay bills or like you are desperate for a job. Even though you may be in a situation where you are desperate for the job you don’t want to come across that way. Interviewers can sense things. While one person desperately needs a paycheck to pay their rent another person who has a job is walking into the interview more relaxed because they already have a steady paycheck.
Try to stay calm during the interview and monitor your body language because body language says a lot. Follow up after the interview with a thank you email within 24 hours after the interview.
