Common Interview Questions Answered: “Why Should We Hire You?”

When you’re already faced with the interview jitters, this can be the last question you want to hear. Unfortunately, it’s not acceptable to just scream: “Because I’m broke and I need this job!” You need to formulate an actual, well thought-out answer.

We thought we’d break it down for you and give you a fighting chance.

Sell yourself

If you are going for a job in sales then you will come across this question. Why? Because they’re testing you can do your job. How? They’re asking you to sell yourself to them. If you’re not in sales? Well, realistically every job requires a sprinkling of persuasion and big ol’ helping of communication skills.

You need to sell yourself and tell them why you are the best option for their role. Tell them what you’re good at, what you would add to their team and why they should hire you above all others. Tell them, simply, what you can offer that others can’t.

Do your research

At the end of the day, these people are hiring someone for a particular job. You need to tailor-make your sales pitch to the job in hand.

How? The best way to start is by reading the job description and matching your skills and experience to each required trait. Pick up the key buzz words and work them into your sales pitch.

If they want someone who has marketing experience, talk about the internship you did that summer. If they want someone who can easily build relationships, talk about how you liaised with multiple parties to organise the university summer party. If they want someone who can work as part of a team, talk about how you were part of the rowing squad at uni. It all counts.

Don’t waffle

When you’re given free rein on a question, it’s so easy to just keep talking. Everyone does it if they let themselves. After all, you’re pretty desperate for that job.

First things first: prepare three points. Just three reasons they should hire, you, or three reasons you’re the best fit for the job.

Next, keep the points succinct. Your interviewer will switch off the moment you stop delivering genuine content, and you want them to listen at all times if possible. This is basically a test of your presentation skills, so present.

Finally, practice. This is the type of thing you want up your sleeve at all times. If you were in the lift with your dream boss and you had only that one ride to wow them, what would you say? That’s your sales pitch right there.

Stand out

You aren’t the only person to be invited to interview and you don’t want the interviewers thinking ‘here we go again’. Don’t mention the buzzwords of organisation, teamwork and leadership without anything to back them up. You don’t want to be easy to forget, so say something memorable. Remember that you’re an incredible person. You have varied experiences. You have huge potential. So show them that.

Tell them the funny little details of your internship challenge. Tell them about how you negotiated a good price for the sausages at your department barbecue. Tell them the random details of your life that make you the person for them. Tell them your unique selling point – your wow factor.

Show them why you are the person they are dreaming of. Show them why they should hire you.

Inspiring Interns is an internship and graduate recruitment agency. To browse graduate jobs, click here. For senior digital and mobile jobs, please see Inspiring Search.