What Makes A Great Interview

Tell Me About Yourself / Your Past Work Experience

What seems like such a simple question can sometimes be one of the toughest to answer for most professionals. As it is often the opening question for interviews, it is one of the most important since first impressions are key. When asking this question, the interviewer is looking for an answer that is pertinent to the job you’re interviewing for.

inside out and start with an overview of your highest qualification then run through your past jobs. Give examples of your achievements and the skills you’ve developed in your career so far.

Keep your answer brief – the interviewer will ask you to expand on any areas where they’d like more information.”

Why Do Interviewers Ask What Makes You Unique

Realistically, the hiring manager is asking you this question because they want to know you’re qualified for this position over the other candidates.

For example, you may have already told your hiring manager about all of your qualifying soft skills at the start of the interview. You have experience in marketing, a Bachelors degree, and a portfolio of excellent work. Thats all well and good, but ten other interviewees also have experience in marketing, a Bachelors degree, and a portfolio of excellent work. So what sets you apart from them in the context of benefiting this company?

Now it really makes sense why youre being asked this. Hiring managers arent psychic and want to know what really makes you so special. If you cant answer this question, maybe you dont have unique traits that could benefit the company in their eyes.

Its pertinent to prove them wrong here and figure out an excellent answer to this question.

Characteristic #: A Good Interviewer Researches The Candidate

A second most important characteristic of a good interviewer is that he or she is knowledgeable not only about the role and the company, but also about candidates.

A good interviewer always conducts thorough research on candidates before the interview.

In order to prepare for the interview, a good interviewer carefully studies candidates resumes and cover letters and examines their portfolio, work sample and assignments. A good interviewer is familiar with candidates previous working experience, education and positions held and refers to this information during the interview.

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Crafting The Perfect Why Should We Hire You Answer

top three best reasons to hire you.

Our full video curriculum inside Big Interview has full lessons on answering why should we hire you? and many other questions!

TIP: If this is your first job, you might find this question difficult to answer, especially since you are expected to build your case on previous work experience. Check out this article that we wrote just for you.

Do Ask More Questions

Youll have planned some questions, but others will follow from the participants answers. Use follow-up questions to delve into their experiences and understanding.

Sometimes its better not to ask a follow-up question a prompt such as go on can be more encouraging. Repeating a key word they used can be useful, as can paraphrasing something theyve said and waiting to see if they say more.

A participant might contradict themself, or say something unusual. Tactfully challenging this can help you understand areas of confusion or complexity. Although its difficult, not challenging is a missed opportunity.

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Preparing Your Own Questions

You should also prepare a few questions of your own to ask during the interview. Not only does it give you the opportunity to gain deeper insights into the company, role, and culture, but it shows the hiring manager that you’re truly interested in the organization.

“During the interview, you should take the time to assess whether the employer is the right fit for you, not just try to prove to the employer that you’re right for the job,” Zahka said.

While the standard “What’s a typical day like here?” and “How would you describe your company culture?” are fine to ask, you can stand out from other job seekers by asking unique, insightful questions that ultimately reinforce why you’re an ideal fit for the role.

Travis Furlow, vice president of enterprise accounts at TrueBlue Inc., shared seven questions to ask during your next interview.

Be Nice To The Receptionist

The person at the front desk may not be the hiring managerbut that doesnt mean his or her impression of you doesnt matter. In fact, some companies specifically ask their front desk attendants to report back on the demeanor of interviewees who come through the door. And that likely plays a role in the ultimate hiring decisionso its important to treat that person as well as youll treat your interviewer.

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Realize Candidates Are Assessing You As Much As Youre Assessing Them

Some interviewers approach interviewing as if they hold all the cards and will treat candidates in ways theyd never treat, say, clients like starting the meeting very late, checking email and taking calls throughout, or being dismissive or even hostile. But good candidates have options, and theyll be assessing you right back. Theyll pay attention to things like how respectfully you treat them, whether youre focused or distracted, how interested you are in answering their questions , whether you can clearly describe how youll measure success in the role, and how they see you interact with colleagues during the hiring process. So, as youre deciding which candidate to choose, dont forget the candidate must choose you as well.

Figuring Out What Makes You Unique

• Look at the job description and highlight different skill requests and requirements that you possess. Figure out how to shimmy those skills into your answer.
• Think of tangible examples or events from your past that demonstrate your unique trait. Try to keep these examples professional, but if you can think of a non-professional answer relevant to the skill, try it out. Tell a story, albeit a pretty brief one. If the story is humorous or profound, it will absolutely stick with your hiring manager and increase your chances of landing the job.
• Dont use generic phrases like Im a good worker or Im a people person. Expand on those answers to come up with something actually unique. We can tell you right now that every other candidate has probably brought up that they are a hard worker. Stand out from them with an answer that is truly unique and memorable.

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Example Answers For Finance Department Interviews

“I really enjoy learning new things and am constantly seeking out new learning opportunities. When it comes to financing, I feel like the technology is constantly changing. And innovations are being put into place to improve efficiency and security. Im excited about taking on changes and challenges because I genuinely find them fun.”

“A unique thing about me is that I have a background in finance that doesnt involve a big company. This allowed me to learn a lot about whats new and up-and-coming in the industry. Working at a financial firm startup allowed me to understand the financial and investment industries’ ins-and-outs. And take on tasks I might not have at a larger enterprise or company. I think this experience gives me a slight edge over other applicants that are interviewing for this position.”

Prepare Answers To Common Questions

Here are some common questions you may hear in an interview:

• Can you tell me about yourself?

• How did you hear about this job?

• Why do you want this job?

• Why should we hire you?

• What are your strengths?

• What do you know about the company?

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• What is your work ethic?

• What kind of environment do you prefer to work in?

• How do you handle work-related disagreements with your colleagues?

• How would your current employer and colleagues describe you?

• How do you handle pressure?

• Do you have any questions for me?

In addition to preparing answers to these common interview questions, make sure you’ve also prepared some questions for the interviewer in return. This will show your investment in both the position and the organization.

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Tips on responding to “Tell me about yourselfâ:

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Commit To Truth In Advertising

Its natural to want to present your organization and the job youre hiring for in the best light, but its crucial that candidates have a thorough and realistic understanding of what theyd be signing up for: the job, the organization, the culture, the manager, and the people. Resist any temptation to downplay less appealing aspects of the job . In fact, on the contrary, be proactive about disclosing those things. Otherwise youll end up with a hire who feels misled and who might not stick around.

Job Interview Tips: How To Make A Great Impression

Related video: Ultimate Job Interview Guide – What to Expect Plus Top 6 Tips

You have your job interview scheduledcongratulations! Now its time to prepare, and weve got you covered. Below, we provide an overview of how to succeed in an interview along with a detailed discussion surrounding each point.

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What Is Your Definition Of Hard Work

Some organizations move at very different paces, and this question is an effective way to tell whether your candidate will be able to keep pace with the rest of the team. It also helps you identify someone who is a “hard worker in disguise,” meaning someone who might currently be at a slow-moving organization or in a role that is not well-suited to them, but wants to work somewhere where they can really get their hands dirty.

A good answer to this question:

A good answer doesn’t have to produce evidence of hard work — it should rather reveal if your candidate knows what it takes to get something done and solve the problems it was designed to solve.

Answers that talk about working hard by working smart are great, as well. Always listen for this — putting in the work to find the best way of doing something is often just as important as the task itself.

Build Rapport With Your Interviewer

Your interview is your opportunity to create a connection with your potential employer. While the interviewer will ask questions for the majority of the meeting, you can still use each question to turn the interview into a more comfortable conversation. Try to make a personal connection with your interviewer while remaining professional.

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During The Job Interview

You’ve done your research, you brought copies of your resume, and you’ve prepared responses for questions that might arise based on your resume. Now the time for the interview has come, and with that comes the oft-dreaded part of interviewing: the questions.

“Candidates get nervous about job interviews because there’s the potential they’ll be asked an open-ended question that will give the interviewer a secret view into who the candidate really is,” said Rich Milgram, founder and CEO of career network Nexxt. “But the real secret is that a lot of the time the interviewer doesn’t know what the right answer is either, or they’ll admit that there is no right answer, so just relax.”

Glassdoor recently compiled a list of the most asked questions to expect in an interview:

• What are your strengths?
• Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
• Why should we hire you?

Example Answers For Marketing Department Interviews

Something unique about me, you ask? Well, I really enjoy pulling together all the resources and people needed to finish different on-site upgrade projects. At my previous position, I was in charge of project management at twenty different client properties. I finished about a hundred per year, and on average, four days ahead of scheduled deadlines. And I consistently came in 20% under the allotted budget for any given project. And I developed relationships with dozens of local suppliers. Through those relationships and rapport, I worked through deals that drove down project costs by a significant amount, around 30%. It all came down to one thing: I love working with people. To do what it takes to complete a schedule of ongoing projects. And I will stay dedicated to a project until the end.

Interview tip: Perform an informational interview if feeling confused on how to answer this question. An informational interview is where a job seeker can gather career advice from an already employed person. This career advice can be assistive in answering “What makes you unique?” And can provide career advice on future interviews, too.

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Good And Bad Interviewers Skilled And Unskilled

As Ive already pointed out at the beginning of this post, hiring managers are paid for their ability to tell whether you are the right person for the job. But you should realize that not every interviewer knows what they are doing.

Just like in any other job, you have people who excel in recruitment and interviewing candidates, and you have people who do not really excel, or even do not really know what they are doing. Hence in some cases they may really ask you this question to find out what makes a good candidate for the position, and whether you, by a chance, meet the criteria. Keep this on your mind.

Something that would be obvious for you , may not be obvious for the people leading the interview with you. Thats why it is important to clearly explain what makes you a good candidate for the job, even though it may be obvious from your resume, or from the things youve already said during the hiring process.

* Special Tip: This isnt the only difficult question you will face while interviewing for any decent job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, dealing with ambiguity, and other tricky scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package. Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

Learn From Your Mistakes

A good interviewer views mistakes and failures as opportunities to improve. Here are a few things you can do to learn from your interviewing experience more deliberately:

• Keep records. Recording and filing your notes helps you as an interviewer since you can refer back to them any time. And your company can also use them in court, in the unlikely event that they face a lawsuit.
• Monitor results. Ask your teammates who are responsible for tracking recruiting metrics for information about candidate experience and quality of hire metrics. Its also a good idea to keep track of your companys online reviews on Glassdoor. Take constructive feedback to heart and work to improve on feedback you receive.
• Seek advice. Look for resources online and, if possible, ask more experienced recruiters or interviewers in your company for advice. If you plan to interview often, you could also make a case for attending interview trainings or workshops.

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Try To Find A Good Balance Between Confidence And Humility

Unless you are confident of being a great candidate for the job, they will find it hard to think so. You should definitely express some confidence in your ability to handle the job, and to enjoy it.

At the same time, however, the best job candidates and employees always strive to improve on their skills. It is not a bad idea adding something to your answer. Sure, you feel ready to handle the job, and to do great, but you are also aware that theres still some room for improvement when it comes to your time management, punctuality, attention to detail, or any other ability/skill important for the job. Overconfident candidates who consider themselves superior to the rest of the world are rarely hired. Keep it on your mind and ensure them that you are not done with improving yourself.

Bonus Tip: Work On Your Answers

You know you can do the job make sure the interviewer believes you can, too. One way to do this is by preparing well-thought-out answers to questions they’re most likely to ask. Need some help with that? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you’ll get interview tips, career advice, and job search insights sent directly to your inbox so you can come across as a strong, viable candidate. From ice breakers to the nitty-gritty , Monster’s expert advice can help you craft answers that highlight your skills and eagerness to get the job.

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Characteristic #: A Good Interviewer Understands The Hiring Need

A good interviewer really understands the hiring need. One of the most important characteristics of good interviewers is that they understand both the job position that needs to be filled and the company they are hiring for.

By combining customized job description templates and their knowledge of a company, good interviewers create a profile of their ideal candidate – so-called candidate persona.

Creating a candidate persona helps them get a wholesome picture of the person they are looking for – beyond mere job requirements.

Tips For Answering This Question

Alright, we know youre here for some great example answers and we promise those are coming. But first, how about some handy tips that can help you create your own answers?

With these tips, you can get a solid understanding of how to respond to this interview question. It allows you to use out example answers as frameworks and then adjust them to meet your needs. Awesome, right?

So, without further ado, here are three tips for answering Why are you a good fit for this job?

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