What Does It Mean When Your Boss Asks For Your Background

Every interview question is an endeavor for a hiring manager to gather as much information most your skills, noesis, and previous experience as possible. All of this data will aid them ameliorate sympathize if you are the person they are looking for.

Many hiring managers will give you lot an opportunity to sell yourself by request one of these questions:

Why should we hire you (or a variant similar "why should I hire you")?
Why would you exist a good fit for this position?
What makes you unique?
Why are you the all-time person for this chore?
Explain why your background and experience would be a proficient fit for this job.

To close the deal on a job offering, you lot MUST be prepared with a concise summary of the tiptop reasons to choose you. Even if your interviewer doesn't enquire one of these questions in and then many words, you should be prepared to tell them well-nigh yourself and communicate your tiptop reasons for why you are the all-time person for this task.

Why Do Hiring Managers Ask This Question?

The interviewer's job is to hire the best person for the position. About of the candidates that make it to the interview stage are qualified for the job. And so simply having the qualifications won't be enough to separate yous from the crowd. In one case you've been invited to the interview, it mostly comes down to a battle of who tin sell themselves better.

Recollect, every hire is a run a risk for the company. Your interviewer volition besides exist taking a personal career risk in recommending a particular candidate to hire. If the candidate performs well, Mr. Interviewer looks brilliant and gets a pat on the back (and maybe a bigger annual bonus).

If the candidate turns out to be a dud (doesn't perform well, doesn't get along with the team, leaves the job prematurely, etc.), the interviewer looks like a dummy and his professional person reputation suffers.

This is why "why should we hire you" is one of their favorite questions. With this question, your interviewer is request you to sell him on y'all and your status as the all-time person for the position.

Your job is to convince him that:

YOU can do the piece of work and deliver infrequent results to the company
Yous will fit in beautifully and exist a great addition to the team
YOU possess a combination of skills and experience that brand you stand out
Hiring YOU will brand him expect smart and make his life easier

The better you are at convincing (or selling yourself), the greater the chances that you will be the i to get the job. So, permit's get y'all packed up with proven "why should we hire you" answers.

Crafting the Perfect "Why Should We Hire You" Answer

This is your take chances to "wow" them with your highlight reel. So permit's start from the starting time.

When preparing the ultimate answer for the "Why should nosotros hire yous" question your answer should summarize the top three (or four) best reasons to hire you.

Our Big Interview tool can help you prepare you for not only why should we hire you question but many other as well

Our total video curriculum inside Big Interview has total lessons on answering "why should we rent you?" and many other questions!

Take a notepad and write down your most impressive strengths. Write 3-4 bullet points that include any combination of the following:

Industry experience – this refers to the years you've spent in your industry, not the specific jobs you've held. For instance, the total corporeality of experience you've had in Education, Finance, Customer Service, or whatever your field is.

Feel in performing certain tasks or duties – these could be tasks that normally wouldn't autumn in your role, merely you take experience with. For case, if you are a graphic designer, but also a trained photographer, you tin offer your future employer custom photography every bit well equally custom pattern, and that puts you higher up the competition.

Technical skills – these are the "on-the-chore" skills that are needed to be successful in your function. For example, understanding how to diagnose an engine problem or using QuickBooks for accounting.

Soft skills – soft skills are things like organization, disharmonize resolution, or communication skills. Be ready to give examples of how y'all've displayed these competencies in past jobs.

Key accomplishments – big projects, new clients, creating systems, or just thorough, daily efficiency all count as accomplishments. What you lot've accomplished in your past roles are the types of things that volition help you stand out, so mention them.

Awards/accolades – being awarded for your outstanding operation is a good indicator to future employers that y'all go above and beyond and do neat piece of work. You can build whatsoever special recognition yous've received into your answer.

Education/training – make annotation of whatever impressive education or training accomplishments, especially if you've made extra efforts to go on up on your manufacture-related skills and certifications.

Accomplishments and success stories are always practiced bets, specially if you can describe how a fundamental accomplishment(a successful marketing campaign, for example) demonstrates a desired competency (inventiveness, results-orientation).

TIP: If this is your first job, you might find this question difficult to answer, especially since you are expected to build your case on previous work experience. Check out this commodity that we wrote just for you.

The best arroyo to this question is to focus on a combination of skills(s) and experience that you possess. If you can recollect of the skills that y'all have and your interview contest may be lacking, you might win the case pretty rapidly.

For example, if you are applying for an Information technology role, you are probably aware that your competition will have a whole set up of programming skills, but they often lack project management or team leadership skills. If you lot happen to take programming feel and these other skills, that is your golden mine. Write these skills downwards and brand a powerful reply based on your complete set of competencies.

Or, if y'all are applying for a instructor position, you can put your focus on creative thinking and classroom innovation rather than only mentioning that you work well with children. (This is expected and obvious, after all, or y'all wouldn't be in your profession.)

If you still need some extra assistance coming up with the best "why should we hire y'all" reply, keep reading. We will guide y'all through the whole process, step past stride.

Step 1: Brainstorm

To go started, review the job description and write down every single skill you have that matches the skills asked for in the job clarification.

In one case yous are done with job clarification analysis, focus on your resume and ask yourself these questions:

What are the nearly of import qualifications for this position from the company'southward perspective? Highlight these skills specifically.
In which of these areas practise I really shine?
First, get through the highlighted list and circle the ones that are your strongest skills. And then review the rest of the listing, and circle the strengths that you are very skillful at, but aren't on the highlighted list of company preferred skills. These are your secret weapon strengths that you can use to separate you from the other candidates.
What are my most impressive accomplishments?
Focus on your near impressive accomplishments, instances where you lot showcased the skills that are highlighted and circled on your list.
What makes me different from the typical candidate?
This is your opportunity to outshine your competition. What are your skills that are not mentioned in the chore description just will highly do good the employer?

Brainstorm and jot down everything that comes to mind. This will be the core of your perfect respond to the "why should we hire you" question, so be thorough and accept your fourth dimension.

Step 2: Structure Your Sales Pitch

Now that y'all have the core for your perfect reply, information technology is time to give it a body and make it beautiful.

Next, choose the 3-4 bullet points that make the strongest argument for yous. Utilize those bullet points to structure your sales pitch.

You don't want to write a script to memorize — simply capture the bullet points that you want to convey. Each bullet will describe the selling point with a brief caption and/or instance for context.

TIP: Proceed it concise — y'all still want to proceed your reply in the 1-2 minute range and so you won't be able to rattle off every skill and achievement on your resume.

This is your gamble to demonstrate to them what you will bring to the position. However, you lot have to actually think nigh what sets you lot apart from the competition and explain why your background and experience would exist a proficient fit for this job.

Step 3: Practice

Once you lot feel pretty skillful nigh the points you want to make, information technology's time to practice. Again, it's not a good thought to memorize a script — you can end up sounding like a robot or experience more nervous because of pressure to call up specific wording.

The better approach is to capture your bullet points, study them, and and then practice until you experience comfy talking about them off the gage. Your answer should come out a lilliputian chip unlike each fourth dimension, but it should e'er cover the points that you desire to make.

Remember: It'south also very important to come beyond as confident and enthusiastic when you evangelize your pitch. Make them believe in you — your abilities and your delivery.

If you project confidence (even if you have to imitation it a piffling), you're more likely to brand a strong impression. Every bit for enthusiasm, keep in mind that true passion for the piece of work required is a pretty compelling selling bespeak.

Yeah, experience and qualifications are important, but the correct attitude tin can definitely give you an border over those with like professional backgrounds.

Afterward many years of experience in recruiting and hiring, I'd rather hire someone who has a little less experience, but who is driven and motivated to learn and succeed.

Yous tin can practice in front end of the mirror (or in front of a family fellow member or a friend if y'all feel comfortable doing so), or y'all can utilise the interactive practice tool within Large Interview to assist y'all gear up.

With dozens of scenarios (and industries) covered, y'all tin can easily prepare for any potential atmosphere earlier going to your job interview.

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Gear up with Big Interview and our interactive practice tool! Choose from dozens of Practice Sets that prepare you up for success every fourth dimension!
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Still not certain if your answer is a skillful sales pitch? Don't worry! We prepared a couple of example answers to assistance you boom information technology. Just keep reading.

"Why Should Nosotros Hire You?" Answer Examples

Here are a couple of answers you can apply and accommodate to your situation and specific job description:

Why should We Rent You Case #1: Project Manager

"Well, I have all of the skills and experience that you're looking for and I'g confident that I would be a superstar in this project management role. It's not just my background leading successful projects for tiptop companies — or my people skills, which take helped me develop great relationships with developers, vendors, and senior managers alike. But I'm also passionate nigh this manufacture and I'm driven to deliver high-quality work."

Why Nosotros Like Information technology:

She has a lot of conviction and is able to concisely sum upward how she meets the position'south top requirements (project management experience, human relationship and squad skills). This answer is a lilliputian bit full general and could perhaps be farther strengthened with examples (describing a successful project, naming one of those top companies, offering prove of those great relationships).

However, bold that the candidate has already discussed some specifics of her past roles, this respond does a good chore of reiterating and emphasizing. She doesn't brand the interviewer put all of the pieces together on his own.

She does it for him and naturally does it with a very positive spin. We also actually similar the terminal line: What'due south non to love nearly passion, drive, and loftier-quality work?

Why should Nosotros Rent Y'all Example #ii: Developer / Developer

"Honestly, I almost experience like the task description was written with me in mind. I have the half-dozen years of programming experience y'all're looking for, a rails record of successful projects, and proven expertise in agile development processes. At the same time, I have developed my communication skills from working directly with senior managers, which ways I am well prepared to work on high-contour, cross-department projects. I have the experience to start contributing from day i and I am truly excited about the prospect of getting started."

Why We Similar It:

This is another adept approach to summing up cardinal qualifications and demonstrating a great fit with the position requirements. In detail, this candidate is probable to win points with "the experience to showtime contributing from mean solar day 1." She won't need much training or hand-holding and that'south attractive to any employer.

Why should Nosotros Hire You Example #3: New College Grad / Fresher

"I have the experience and the attitude to excel in this production assistant position. I accept most two years of telly production experience — including two summers interning at The Ellen Evidence, where I was exposed to all aspects of Goggle box production and worked so difficult the first summertime that they invited me back for a 2d summer and gave me more responsibilities. During my senior yr at UC San Diego, I have been working part-fourth dimension for a production company, where I take served in an assistant part but as well recently had the chance to help edit several episodes. I have a reputation for getting things done — and with a smile on my face.

That's because I love working in the tv set manufacture and am excited to learn and go experience in every style possible."

Why We Like It:

This candidate has some nice internship and office-time experience, only he's a new college grad and doesn't have whatever full-time positions to talk nearly.

This answer highlights the experience that he does have (and the fact that he performed well — he was invited back to his internship and was given an opportunity to edit at his part-time job).

He also expresses his enthusiasm for the task and his stiff piece of work ethic. These qualities are of import for an entry-level hire, who will likely exist doing quite a bit of grunt piece of work at showtime. Overall, it'due south a cracking answer to the "why should we rent you?" interview question.

Common mistakes when answering the "Why Should We Hire You?" question

Ask whatever salesperson. It's tough to close a deal in a buyer's marketplace. It'south the same thing in interviews – many candidates sabotage themselves with avoidable mistakes.

Answering Mistake #1: Lack of training

Don't try to wing it. You should take the fourth dimension to set up your iii-four bullet points and await for opportunities to customize for any new opportunity. Then, you must Practice delivering your sales pitch until information technology feels comfy.

This is best done out loud, either in forepart of a mirror or in front of someone y'all trust who won't hesitate to point out areas you could improve.

And of course, Big Interview is specifically designed to quiz you on practice questions and give you the opportunity to record yourself answering as many times every bit you'd like.

You tin can even ship your recordings to others for review to give you helpful feedback on your interview performance.

Answering Mistake #2: Modesty

This is non the fourth dimension to be minor or cocky-deprecating. Yous must know how to answer what makes you unique. This will require some practice if you are naturally a bit modest.

You don't have to be super-confident like the candidate in the video instance above. You can use your own style. If y'all're non comfortable making value statements about yourself (i.e. "I am the perfect candidate."), you can stick to facts("I have x years of experience, got promoted, broke the sales record, won the honor, delivered on fourth dimension and on budget, received kudos from my director/client, etc.")

Some other way to "sell" yourself with facts is to quote other people'southward opinions. Quote your manger, "My director told me that he's never seen anyone with more avant-garde Excel skills." You can also reference your general reputation: "I have a reputation for always closing the bargain" or "I take a history of always completing my projects ahead of schedule."

Answering Error #3: Being too general

Do your all-time to add some personality to your answer. Don't but rattle off the bullet points listed in the chore description. Actually think about what makes y'all unique and express it in your ain vocalization.

Answering Mistake #4: Talking too much

Remember the constabulary of answering interview questions: Y'all should limit each answer to 1-2 minutes in length (not counting any follow-up questions or requests for additional detail).

If y'all endeavour to walk through your entire resume when answering this question, the interviewer is likely to tune out.

Focus on your most compelling selling points. Keep in mind that y'all'll be more believable if you focus on a few strengths and don't attempt to merits that you are a main of every concern skill imaginable.

What If They Don't Inquire Me?

"Why should we hire you" is a very constructive interview question, only not every hiring managing director realizes that. What if you prepare a beautiful pitch and they never ask you why you're the best candidate?

You may take to expect for an opportunity to share your thoughts on the subject. At a minimum, the process of preparing the answer will help to inform your response to other questions including:

Tell me about yourself
What are your strengths?
Why exercise you desire to work here?
Tell us about your terminal chore
What are your greatest accomplishments?

Big Interview question library screenshot

Our full Big Interview preparation system too has a complete library of interviews and questions for your manufacture and experience level.

Also, retrieve that a good salesperson ever finds a mode to evangelize his pitch. 1 approach is to look for an opening at the terminate of the interview — possibly afterwards you lot have asked your questions and the interviewer asks if at that place is anything else on your mind. You could lead in with a transition like: "I just want to say that I'm very interested in the position and I think I would exist a great asset in the function considering…"

Conclusion

Before nosotros close the topic, let'south apace get over the almost important takeaways from the article.

To actually ace the "why should nosotros hire yous" question, you should always prepare in accelerate past focusing on your strongest skills and how they can do good the company.

You tin can exercise this past:

Researching the company. Understanding the company and their struggles can help you showcase how your skills can assist them overcome the challenges they have.
Evaluating the task description. The better yous understand what the role is near, the better y'all volition know how your skills fit.
Write down your strengths (and weaknesses). Evaluate how your strengths can assistance them reach their goals and be prepared to speak almost your weaknesses in a way that does not heighten any blood-red flags.
Practicing your answer. Do is the only matter that will build your confidence and make y'all better at interviewing, so don't skip this step!

Y'all have everything y'all need to build a powerful answer to the "why should we hire you lot" question and ace your interview. Good luck and start practicing!