Interview Question of the Week: What can you do for us that others can’t?

photo credit: left-hand

Well, this is the question, isn’t it?

What all interviews are really trying to get to.  What is your unique value proposition?  Why are you the person that we should hire?  What makes you #1?

So, how refreshing would it be for an interviewer to just ask that question?

Or…  how scary?

Even though ultimately this is the goal of every job seeker — to express to an employer why he is the only person on the planet for this job — not very many of us do it well.

One major hurdle is personal belief.  If you don’t believe you have something to offer that others don’t, it will be hard for you to tell an employer that you do with a straight face.  So, the first step in preparing to answer this question is to figure out what you have to offer in no uncertain terms.

So, sit down and brainstorm.  Think about the projects you’ve worked on, the things you’ve accomplished, the skills you’ve acquired, the people that you know, your personal traits, talents and passions.  Write it all down.  Spend at least fifteen minutes on true, stream-of-consciousness, uncensored idea generation.

Once you’ve got this done, you have a repository of insight for every job opportunity you pursue.

Now, here’s the tricky part.  You must prepare to answer this interview question before you ever apply for the position.

It sounds backwards, but every job opportunity has a secret code that you need to dial into which is some combination of what you have to offer.  Skill A, plus Experience B, plus Proven Result C.  And this is where your research comes into play.  Your understanding of the organization, the department, and the hiring manager is what will help you solve the code.  But you can’t do that for the first time at the interview.  It’s this combination that is going to get your foot in the door.  It has to permeate your resume, your cover letter, your every communication.  And if you get the code right, you’ll get the interview.  If you get the interview, you can be fairly certain that what you have to say will be right on message.

So, after your research is completed, pull from the repository of what-it-is-to-be-you and craft a tight, focused statement on why you are the only person for the job.  While you prep your resume and cover letter, make sure everything you write supports your thesis.  As you learn more about the organization and role, you can tweak your message.  But one way or another, if this question comes up, you’ll be ready.

Related posts:

1. Interview Question of the Week: What would your last supervisor say about you?
2. Interview Question of the Week: Would your supervisor be surprised to learn that you are seeking new employment?
3. Interview Question of the Week: What qualifies you for this position?
4. Interview Question of the Week: Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
5. Interview Question of the Week: What has been your greatest success?

Tagged as: brand, Career, interview, interview prep, job change, job hunt, job search, preparation, resume