Answering “Why Should We Hire You?”

On a episode of “America’s Got Talent”, a contestant was asked “Why should America vote for you?” The contestant tearfully replied something along the lines of “Because I want it so much, it would mean so much to me.” While this answer works for a TV talent show, it is NOT the response you want to give when asked in a job interview “Why should we hire you?” Hires are not made based on how much the applicant wants the job. Hires are based on the value the candidate can create for the employer. Here are some dos and don’ts for answering this very common interview question.

Do

• Be prepared for the question. It’s a very common way to wrap up an interview.
• Think of the question as “What value do you bring to the company?” Or “What can you do for us?”
• State clearly and concisely your value to the company
• Use past successes to back up this promise of value
• Be sure the value you are promising matches the needs of the position
• Recall a problem or need that came up during the interview and relate your ability to solve it
• In essence answer, “You should hire me because I will solve problems for you and bring value to your company”. Find your own words and specifics to convey this.

Don’t

• Make the answer about you
• Think of the question as “Why do you want this job?” That is not what they are asking.
• Digress. Stay focused on showing how you would solve problems for the company
• Relate skills and qualifications that are not relevant to what they are looking for
• Sound desperate or express neediness. Remember, they don’t really care that you really really want or need this job!

As with “Tell me about yourself”, you should anticipate that the question “Why should we hire you?” will be asked. Even if it’s not, preparing for it will help you throughout the interview. Answer with confidence, knowing what you have to offer and that’s a great reason why they should hire you.