The job interview game begins with a simple and often understated question: “Why should I hire you?” Many interviewers won’t come right out and ask it directly, but it’s always there. Playing to win in the career game means knowing where the goal is – so you never lose sight of the most important question.
This is a crucial question because the answer reveals your readiness, success, and self-assurance.
You should take this issue as seriously as employers do.
Sell yourself in this response while also showcasing your familiarity with the organization.
Even if it's "just" a phone interview, start by researching the company before the interview.
Before you ever find yourself in the interview, you should conduct extensive research on the company by visiting their website, Googling their name, and using LinkedIn. For further information, see The Winning Difference: Pre-Interview Preparation.
The question of, "Why should we hire you?" can take a variety of forms such as, "Why do you think you will be successful in this position?"Bad Answers to This Question
An answer that focuses on the benefits to you is a bad answer. So, answers like:
- I need the money.
- I need a job.
- This location is very close to where I live (or go to school or want to move or whatever).
- A friend used to work here and said you pay well.
As important as those reasons are to you, they are not the reasons the employer will hire you. Frankly, nice as these people might be, they really don't care about the benefits to you if they hire you.
Your answer to this question should focus on them, not on you! You are the seller in this situation, not the buyer. So, you need to focus on the benefits (more than one!) to this buyer.Emphasize Your Knowledge and Experience to Demonstrate Your Value
Embrace that this question as an opportunity to emphasize your value and to demonstrate your knowledge as they work together to show how well you could do the job.
For example, someone applying for a position as an administrative assistant, which requires experience and expertise with Microsoft software, might say:
I have been using Word, Excel, and Outlook since 2001 to maintain both financial and administrative records, to create and distribute internal reports for management, and to create and distribute the internal organizational newsletter which was sent to over 200 staff members twice a month.
The financial reports were created and maintained using Excel, and both newsletters were written using Microsoft Word, using templates that I developed. Those financial reports monitored employee activity and asset usage, used by 4 senior managers including the CEO and COO. They were distributed using Microsoft Outlook.
I have taken several workshops on Microsoft Office products, and have worked with the newest version and previous versions, going back to the 1997 version. So, I am very comfortable with the Microsoft Office suite of products.Or, in a more traditional situation, here’s what you might prepare to say as a new graduate of a medical transcription training program applying for a job with a cardiology practice:
I believe that I will be successful in this position because I have 900 hours of hands-on training in medical transcription in a classroom environment at the XYZ Institute.
(Get out your portfolio, and open it to a print out of a sample of your work).
Here you can see several examples of medical records, dictation, and reports I have produced in MS Word.
I have also excelled in my terminology courses, gaining a strong base in numerous disciplines.
However, I have always been interested in Cardiology and made it a personal goal to focus on that area. Because of that, I read the Journal of Cardiology to stay up-to-date with changes in the field, names of new pharmaceuticals, and other innovations.
I have an excellent basis in the discipline to transcribe the records of your Cardiologists with ease. Also, I recently joined the American Association of Medical Transcriptionists and am already taking steps to pursue certification.
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