At any time when I get requested ‘What makes you distinctive?’ or ‘What makes you stand out from different candidates?’ in an interview, I exploit it as the right alternative to clarify why I’m the very best particular person for the position.
And I wish to get particular. I’ve discovered that interviewers reply positively after I skip the generics and tie my reply again to what I’ve to supply primarily based on my particular person background.
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Your reply may in the end make or break your interview, so it’s essential to actually nail it. I’ll stroll you thru easy methods to reply this query the fitting approach.
Desk of Contents
Delicate Methods Interviewers Ask ‘What makes you distinctive?’
There are various ways in which interviewers attempt to tease out what makes you a stand-out candidate.
Listed below are a few of the widespread questions which might be really ‘What makes you distinctive?’ in disguise:
- What makes you stand out from different candidates?
- What units you other than different candidates?
- What are you able to convey to this position that’s completely different from different candidates?
- What makes you a invaluable candidate for this position?
- Why are you the very best candidate for this position?
- Why ought to I select you over different candidates?
Regardless of how this query manifests itself throughout your interview, the overarching purpose stays the identical.
Why do interviewers ask ‘What units you other than different candidates?’
The interviewer is asking you this query to provide you a chance to showcase your worth.
They wish to see that you just’ve completed thorough analysis in regards to the firm and the place. And so they need you to attach your abilities and expertise again to the position you’re interviewing for.
For instance, let’s say I’m making an attempt to land a social media position, and I discover that the corporate could possibly be doing a greater job on TikTok.
I can use this as a chance to:
- Present that I’ve completed my homework — I’m already accustomed to the corporate’s social media presence and the platforms the place they’re at the moment energetic (i.e., TikTok).
- Spotlight related abilities — I’ve a number of years of expertise managing and rising TikTok accounts, so I’ll be sure you point out that.
- Present a light-weight suggestion — I’ll share how my abilities and expertise permits me to determine and implement that suggestion.
Give it some thought like this: When you can present the interviewer which you could assist the corporate meet their objectives (and that you recognize what their objectives are within the first place), that’s one nice technique to set your self other than the remainder.
Plus, it turns into clear to the interviewer that you just’ve taken the time to arrange in case you can present particular examples associated to the position.
These are all the reason why that is such a preferred interview query — so come prepared, and don’t be afraid to humble brag about your self just a little.
Easy methods to Reply ‘What makes you distinctive?’
- Point out abilities listed within the job description.
- Present particular examples out of your background.
- Keep away from generic phrases like ‘I am a tough employee.’
- Embody key character traits that can mean you can ship outcomes.
- Inform the interviewer how your distinctive abilities will assist the corporate succeed.
1. Point out abilities listed within the job description.
This is likely one of the greatest methods to indicate the interviewer that you just’ve completed your analysis. Additionally, the job description is mainly like your cheat sheet. Use it as a information so you recognize precisely which abilities to focus on all through the interview.
My suggestion: Refer again to the job description however don’t recite it phrase for phrase. Use it in context to clarify how your skillset aligns with the expectations for the position.
2. Present particular examples out of your background.
That is one other good approach you should utilize the job description to your benefit. Reference prior accomplishments or outcomes from previous roles that relate to the place you’re interviewing for.
My suggestion: Give attention to examples that tie again to the talents required for the place, and all the time quantify success the place doable.
Utilizing our social media instance, saying ‘I ran a social media marketing campaign which resulted in a 120% enhance in site visitors to our web site’ is much more impactful than ‘I’ve expertise working social media campaigns.’
3. Keep away from generic phrases like “I am a tough employee.”
Bear in mind, this can be a very normal interview query, so meaning each candidate is probably going being requested this query.
Make your reply compelling. As a substitute of claiming you are a ‘laborious employee,’ give particular examples in regards to the laborious work you’ve completed associated to the position.
My suggestion: Attempt to keep away from the widespread buzzwords and as a substitute substitute these with actual descriptions of your previous work.
For instance, you and each different candidate for a social media place in all probability think about yourselves to be “social media savvy.”
As a substitute, make the case to show that you’re really savvier than the competitors primarily based in your distinctive background.
4. Embody key character traits that can mean you can ship outcomes.
Another person may need related abilities as you, however your character is certainly one of a form.
Being ‘social media savvy’ is one factor. However in case you’re social media savvy and a tenacious one that is ready to suppose shortly in your ft, that’s an asset.
Spotlight the traits which have confirmed worth in serving to you develop as an expert.
My suggestion: You wish to know certainly one of my favourite methods to persuade interviewers that I can ship the outcomes they’re on the lookout for? Inform them how I’ve discovered related success prior to now and the way my individuality supported that.
5. Inform the interviewer how your distinctive abilities will assist the corporate succeed.
This intently relates again to Tip #3.
Don’t simply discuss generic abilities that the majority candidates have — all the time tie your abilities again to particular initiatives you’ve labored on.
Your background is what makes you distinctive. There’s nobody individual that has the precise expertise, abilities, and traits that you just do. Use that to your benefit.
My suggestion: It’s possible you’ll not know the corporate’s inner objectives, however it is best to all the time attempt to join your abilities again to their mission and values when doable.
7 Pattern Solutions to “What Makes You Distinctive?” and Why They Work
1. “I’m an excellent communicator and discover it is simple for me to narrate to different individuals.”
Contemplate mentioning a character trait you are feeling could be a very good match for the enterprise. After studying the job description, make a listing of attributes that would make you an distinctive candidate.
Moreover, together with a character trait in your reply lets you show how you are a good match for a task through which you have got little prior expertise.
As an illustration, in case you’re making use of for a place as a workforce chief, it’s important that you just display sturdy communication abilities and a capability to attach with a various group of individuals.
When you inform the interviewer, “I’m an excellent communicator and discover it is simple for me to narrate to different individuals”, you are capable of match your character to elements of a profitable chief.
Why this works: Efficient communication is a vital trait to emphasise in interviews. When you think about how 86% of workers cite lack of collaboration as a predominant part of office failures, you may start to understand why.
2. “I actually take pleasure in studying new issues and am continually looking for out new studying alternatives.”
By mentioning your ardour for studying new issues, you are demonstrating you are growth-focused and unafraid of challenges.
Moreover, answering the query on this approach lets you remind the interviewer why you are uniquely certified for the position.
Why this works: Whereas different candidates may need extra prior expertise within the trade, you are proving your want to exceed expectations of the job shortly.
3. “My prior expertise in customer support has offered me with distinctive technical abilities that I can apply to this position.”
If in case you have prior expertise in a task vastly completely different from the one for which you are making use of, you would possibly use this as a chance to clarify how your background uniquely qualifies you.
It is important, nevertheless, that you just present particular examples of how your prior expertise has offered you with sure transferable abilities.
As an illustration, you would possibly say the next:
“My prior expertise in customer support offered me with an intensive information base for the way our product works. As a marketer, I will use this data to make sure we’re assembly our prospects’ wants.”
It is also essential to focus on: Earlier job expertise has declined in significance in terms of recruiters evaluating candidates. The truth is, over the previous couple of years, that quantity has dropped from 92% to 62%.
So it is okay in case you really feel your prior work expertise does not completely align with the position for which you are making use of — so long as you may clarify how your abilities will aid you succeed.
Why this works: With a solution like this one, you are capable of alleviate considerations the interviewer may need together with your lack of expertise within the subject.
4. “Working at a startup gave me a chance to know the ins-and-outs of the trade, and to tackle duties I may not have at a bigger firm. I believe this expertise offers me a slight edge over different candidates.”
Just like the reply above, this reply is an efficient one in case you’re making an attempt to change industries.
Contemplate how your background has allowed you to achieve distinctive abilities that others, who adopted a extra linear profession trajectory, may not have.
As an illustration, in case you beforehand labored at a small startup and now you wish to switch to a big company, it is essential you point out how these abilities will make you profitable on this new position.
Why this works: When you suppose your prior expertise may deter interviewers from seeing you as exceptionally certified, that is an optimum likelihood to show them mistaken.
5. “I am not afraid of failure. The truth is, I believe it’s a necessary a part of the experimental course of that will get you to success. For instance … “
This reply reveals your interviewer that you just’re not afraid to take dangers.
In fact, you will solely wish to say this when you have a constructive instance to bolster the significance of failure within the office.
You do not wish to sound such as you make errors on a regular basis, however you will stand out in case you point out the way you turned a failure into a hit.
As an illustration, you would possibly say, “I am not afraid of failure. In my final position, we tried to streamline our search engine marketing course of and, alongside the way in which, discovered we would unintentionally decreased site visitors to our website.
Nevertheless, this preliminary failure allowed me to see the errors in our earlier process. My workforce and I got here up with a extra profitable technique to keep away from these errors sooner or later, and ended up rising site visitors by 20%.”
Why this works: With this reply, you are exhibiting you are able to remaining versatile and open-minded when one thing does not work instantly, and you understand how to take failures and use them as studying alternatives.
6. “When fixing issues, I apply each logic and emotional facets in equal proportion. As an illustration, I am skilled in search engine marketing and perceive easy methods to use analytics to make sure a advertising marketing campaign is profitable, however I additionally majored in design and know easy methods to apply creativity to a venture as effectively.”
When you’re caught on deciding easy methods to display your distinctive {qualifications}, begin by occupied with how different individuals strategy issues at your organization, and the way you differ.
As an illustration, most individuals are both logical and use analytics to unravel issues, or emotional and use creativity. It is uncommon to seek out somebody who’s each.
Why this works: Most individuals give attention to highlighting one ability per query in an interview. When you’re capable of display that you just’re comfy combining two distinctive abilities, it is a powerful skill it is best to spotlight.
7. “I am exceptionally organized, and at my final firm, I used to be capable of apply this ability to enhance our course of and enhance ROI by 33%.”
Bear in mind, when your interviewer asks “what makes you distinctive”, they’re actually questioning “how will you assist our firm?”
On the finish of the day, it’s important you tie your reply again to how you’ll resolve issues for the corporate.
48% of recruiters say enhancing high quality of rent is a high precedence — so you will wish to guarantee your reply highlights how you’ll excel within the position for the lengthy haul.
Contemplate a character trait or ability set that helped your final firm obtain outcomes. If the outcomes are quantitative, ensure you have the precise numbers to help your declare.
Nevertheless, it is also acceptable to share qualitative outcomes, corresponding to, “my organizational abilities led my supervisor to trusting me with a serious venture throughout the first two months in my position.”
Why this works: In the end, offering examples reveals the interviewer you are results-driven, and are not simply saying generic phrases to reply their query.
For much more inspiration on easy methods to reply this query successfully, take a look at the video under.
Put together Past ‘What Makes You Distinctive?’
The age-old “What makes you stand out from different candidates” query is certainly one of many widespread questions that interviewers love, so it’s essential to prep accordingly.
HubSpot’s complete interview information that will help you deal with over 50 completely different interview questions like a professional, together with questions associated to:
- Who you might be and what abilities you convey to the position
- The way you reply to challenges and battle
- The way you’ll match into or add to the corporate tradition
- Your skilled objectives and desired profession trajectory
Obtain it free of charge right here.
Stand Out within the Crowd
Basically, ‘What makes you distinctive’ actually means, ‘What makes you an exceptionally good match for this position?’ Come ready, get particular, and use examples to show that you just’re the most suitable choice within the candidate pool.
