Why Should We Hire You?
Early in my career this question, and it’s cousin, “Why do you feel you’re the best person for this job?”, would fluster me. While it ultimately stopped throwing me off my game during interviews throughout my career, I know it still makes many people uneasy. Perhaps it’s that they don’t really like selling themselves or they were raised to believe it’s inappropriate to brag. Remember the old adage, “If you’re sharp that’s great, but if you’re stuck on yourself, you’re dull”? Yet there is a confident, non-egotistical way to answer these questions:
Why Me?
Frankly, I don’t know if you should hire me or if I would accept an offer. At this point I don’t know enough about the job and the expectations or the company’s culture to say I’m a good fit. Please tell me more about the qualifications and behavioral attributes you are looking for.
Am I The Best Candidate?
Since I don’t know the experience, skills, and qualitative attributes of the other candidates I can’t claim to be the best fit for this position. I have learned during my career that there are times when the person with the best resume isn’t necessarily the best fit for a particular organization. That’s why I am curious if you tend to hire more for fit than for credentials and what your top three “must have” attributes are for the person that will step into this position?
You should use your own words and you likely noticed that in both cases I pivot to a question to finish my answer and learn more. This is not a time to ramble on making a long-winded sales pitch. The close can come later if you and the hiring manager feel you are a good fit.
Frank Manfre
