It’s no secret that each of us is unique. What’s important is that you highlight your uniqueness at a job interview.
Interview questions are intended to reveal qualities specific to the job you applied for. So, it’s important to represent your skills in a positive light. Now let’s dive deeper and figure out what the reason behind the question is.
When a recruiter asks you the “what makes you unique?” question, they are trying to identify what you are bringing to the table and why you will be a valuable asset to their company. With that in mind, you can start thinking about the answer.
How to answer the “what makes you unique?” interview question
When preparing for the interview and anticipating questions such as ” what makes you unique,” follow these tips.
1. Consider what’s important for the employer
Employers are in search of employees who will help their companies achieve business goals with their skills. Before going to the interview, read the job description carefully. Find all the skills that the employer wants the new employee to have. During the interview, you can use this information to talk about your strengths and skills.
For instance, suppose you want to apply for a team management position. The company mentioned in its job description the importance of cross-department communication. During the interview, you can tell the interviewer about your skills that help you bring people together around new goals.
2. Share your previous experiences
Remember the times when you were successful in previous positions, the time when you were the real star of the company. What did you do to get there? Recall the skills and abilities you had that helped you achieve success at that previous company.
For instance, if you applied for a position of a sales specialist, then you should know that they have experience dealing with unhappy or stubborn clients. For this position, you should tell the interviewer that you have the ability to discover how people feel and if they are unhappy you can create a strategy that will address their issues.
3. Uncover your most popular skills and unique qualities
You’ve probably heard which personality traits your family members and friends like most in you. You may also know which skills your previous employees appreciated most. Now combine these two and think about how you can apply your popular traits to stand out during the interview.
For instance, your friends have told you many times how patient you are. In this case, you can highlight how your patience helps you stay calm in unexpected situations. No stress will ever make you quit what you started. So, if you set a goal you do your best to reach it.
4. Show how much you love learning
When you answer the “what makes you unique” interview question, you can also mention how much you like learning new things. That will show that you want to grow and aren’t afraid of challenges.
Even though there may be other candidates with more experience in the industry, they will appreciate your desire to learn new things and become better every day.
Tell us what makes you unique: Best answers
Example No. 1
“What makes me unique is my experience of 6 years in marketing. Because I’ve had experience in both online and offline marketing, I know what strategies work for various agencies. I already have some ideas related to your brand and how we can position it on the market.”
Talking about the experience you had and how you’re going to implement your gained skills for the new company is one of the most common ways to answer this interview question. Always mention what benefits the company will have if they hire you and not someone else!
Example No. 2
I am good at organizing stuff. At my previous company, I worked as an administrative assistant. I offered the company to reorganize the office supply closet by category. As a result, the company saved more than 30% on office supplies.
Only mentioning your unique skills will not help you get your desired work. But showing them how you used your skills at your previous company will surely be beneficial. If the previous company benefited from you, then the new one will have its benefits, too.
Example No. 3
I am a lifelong learner and I think the unique part about me is that I am never afraid to learn new things even if they seem difficult or challenging at first. As a social media manager, I felt that I also need to learn how to make graphics for our company. Although we had a graphic designer who could care about the visual part of the posts, I started learning various programs and tools related to photo editing. Now I can work using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and After effects.
Learning is one of the best things employees can do apart from working with the tools that they already know. That means you don’t want to stay at the same place. Show the interviewer how much you love learning new things with examples. They will be impressed by you!
Here are some other questions that are usually asked in a job interview. Go check them out and nail it!
