Interview: “Why should we hire you?” – so you answer

The first hurdle is over: You have received an invitation to an interview. But the new job is still a long way off. Because in the job interviews, the future boss or the HR department sometimes ask nasty questions. One of the classics: “Why should we hire you?” Alternative phrases are “Why are you the perfect person for the job?” or “How will we benefit from you and your cooperation?”

Regardless of how the question is phrased, in the end the HR department wants to find out why it should decide in favor of one and thus against all the other, possibly equally well-qualified candidates. The question is deliberately formulated openly, after all, you should reveal something about yourself. But what is the best answer to this question in order to make an impression without bending the truth or overshooting the mark?

There are three things to keep in mind

JT O’Donnell is the founder and head of Work It Daily, an online platform that helps people solve their biggest career problems. She has more than 15 years of experience in human resources (HR), recruiting and career coaching. On the US broadcaster “” she explains how to respond to the question “Why should we hire you?” responds best from their point of view.

“Be specific about your key strengths and qualifications,” is O’Donnell’s first advice. Because even if you have many strengths, that doesn’t mean you should talk about all of them. Instead, she advises focusing on two or a maximum of three of the most important skills that are absolutely necessary for the position.

Just as important: Don’t be stingy with examples. “Show off your relevant skills by giving a short story or example for each. Sure, you may be good with people, but how did you successfully demonstrate that in a previous job?”

Instead of a vague answer such as “I have already led a team and have a lot of experience in the social media sector”, you should include details that are as precise as possible, which also provide insights into your own work philosophy. “I have more than six years of experience as a marketing manager and led teams of up to seven or more people. My goal is to always listen to people what they need to get their work done. In my previous roles, I could mine Motivate teams to meet and exceed quarterly expectations. I also have a strong background in social media marketing. Last year, I led the launch of a huge campaign that increased our social media followership by 2000 percent, ”it says one of O’Donnel’s sample answers.

So that the answer to this question does not slide into a minute-long, self-admiring monologue, one should pay attention to the right balance between self-confidence and modesty. “Avoid being too cocky.” It is usually important for HR managers to be grounded and to work well with other people. “The best – and most personable – employees are not selfish or selfish. They have a real desire to make a strong, constructive difference in their company.”

Just don’t be cocky

O’Donnell also clears up a common misconception: in an effort to stand out from the rest of the applicants, many allow themselves to be carried away to make statements that are as daring as possible. But that usually backfires. “You don’t have to be cocky. Rather, it’s about showing that you’ve seriously thought about what your best qualities are, why they make you unique, and how you want to use them to add value and into the To fit corporate culture. “

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