You’ve created a great resume, passed the initial phone screening and are on your way to an in-person interview for the job you want! You get asked the question “why should we hire you?” What do you say? How do you respond?

Come Prepared

The hiring process can be a long journey, so you want to be sure you can land an interview.

Showing up with a set of your best skills can help you keep on track in showcasing what you do best when this question arises. You should think about 4-5 strengths to connect to the job. Ensuring a varied mix of skills and strengths is also vital to show that you have depth within your knowledge. Hard skills, such as technical expertise, and soft skills, such as conversation etiquette, can help you highlight your diversity of strengths and show employers you have put thought into showcasing what you do best.

Tie Your Strengths to Real-World Situations

Once you know which strengths you plan to lead with, think of situations you have personally experienced that have allowed you to use your skills and be successful. Recruiters and those in the position to hire people will often ask candidates about their approach to handling situations and what they did to complete a favorable resolution. Consider specifics and be prepared to tie it all together to why you are the best fit for this role. You may not know which strength they will ask for more information about, so make sure you prepare something for each one you decide to highlight.

Create an Elevator Pitch to Sell YOU

An elevator pitch is a 60-75 second summary about who you are to sell your skill set and mindset to potential employers. Because you can never be sure how much time you’ll get with an interviewer, this technique prepares you for quick interactions.

It’s a great way to remind yourself what you stand for, what your belief is and how you operate. You can create several elevator pitches about specifics within your character, but an overall quick summary pitch is often the most useful.

Using these tips, you should be able to sufficiently answer the question “why should we hire you” through giving a glimpse of who you are, your values and your strengths and backing them up with your real-world experience!