Acing your interview is no child’s play, but it is essential to secure the job. So you must be prepared with the possible questions you could get in an interview to be able to answer them confidently. Here, let’s know What Makes You A Good Candidate For This Position?
One such question when employers ask you what makes you an ideal candidate for the position. It is a frequently asked question in an interview which is why you need to know what to answer in it.
Why Do You Need To Prepare For Interview Questions?
Many people do not see the value of preparing for your interview well ahead of time. Such people might then not perform their level best in the interview due to going unprepared. So for anyone, preparing for an interview is an essential step.
You must be aware of all the questions that you could get in an interview and prepare sample answers for them. This small exercise can help you answer actual interview questions with more efficiency and accuracy.
No matter which position or firm you are interviewing for, there will always be some questions that would be common in most interviews. And one such question is “what makes you a good candidate for this position?”
What Is The Aim Of This Interview Question?
You must be curious as to why interviewers even ask this question to all the candidates. No matter what a candidate thinks of themselves, the final decision is theirs anyhow, so how does it matter?
Well, it is beyond just what the candidates think about themselves, but also about self-awareness of their working style. It might not seem significant to you, but an employee who knows what their strengths or weaknesses are are better employees.
Such employees would know how they can get the best results as they know which aspects they work best with. So it is an ideal question to ask a candidate to know about their self-awareness and more.
How Can You Prepare For The Answer?
To prepare for your interview, you would read some sample questions beforehand and try to frame answers too. In the same way, you would do so for the question, “what makes you a good candidate for this position?”
So you can read some sample answers before you appear in the interview to get an idea of the tone. Then, you can look at these samples answers and try to answer the question by yourself a couple of times.
Try not to note down the answer or try to learn it, just remember the essential points and move on. Once you practice a couple of times in the mirror, you would be able to give the ideal answer to this question and impress your employer.
Things To Keep In Mind While Answering
Aside from the components of the answer itself, you must take care of multiple other things while you answer the question. All these aspects would collectively help you to answer the question well without sounding arrogant.
And you must help take care of your tone and other aspects to ensure that your answer is perfect. Even if you have drafted the answer in the best of words, the way you say it also matters a lot.
So you have to cover all these aspects
- Stay Confident But Not Cocky
The essential part of this answer is the tone you use while delivering it to the employer or interviewer. Many people make mistakes in these crucial aspects which can lead to negative responses.
The way you answer this question is more crucial than you would think it is, so you must pay close attention to it. You have to ensure that you sound confident while answering this question.
If you sound timid, the answer won’t have the strongest impact on the employer. But then again, you also have to ensure that you do not sound cocky or pompous while answering the question.
- Keep Your Answer As Concise As Possible
Even though you might want to elaborate about your work experience or skills as a worker, it is better not to. The best way to deliver your answer is as concise and crisp as you can.
By keeping all the essential points in your answer, you would appeal to the employer. But by avoiding just the fillers or explanations that come with the answer, you can make it more accurate.
That would only help your answer be more impactful to the employer or the interviewer. And it would help emphasize the positive points even more in your answer.
- Avoid Comparison With Others
Do not compare yourself with the other candidates in the room even if the question might lead you to do so. Some firms ask this question in a twisted manner like “ what makes you better than all the other people in this room?”
In such a manner, you could answer why all other candidates do not have some skills or qualifications. But that is not the correct way to answer this question, and you must stay away from the comparison at all costs.
Try to focus your answers on your positive aspects or skills instead of comparing them with others. That way, you would avoid looking pompous and give a good impression to the employer.
- Focus On The Job Position And Firm
Try to center your answer around the firm and the job position to make them better. Even if you mention the skills and qualifications you have, try to revolve the premise around the job position.
And also, with your past examples in place, you could mention the potential benefit to the firm you may bring. One thing that the employer looks for in the answer is how the candidate relates the answer with the firm.
And once the candidate can relate the answer to the firm, they would be giving out a better answer. So to make your answer stand out from the other, you could use the firm and the job position.
- Elaborate With Examples
Try to give examples of your work in the interview to back your answer. Let us take an example for this, that you have excellent time management skills. Let us say that you are interviewing for the position of Project Manager in a firm.
Then instead of simply explaining your skill, you could mention an example where it had proven helpful. You could mention a time where you handled multiple projects with your effortlessly.
Or you could give any other example of the skill being used in the work that has happened to you. It would be a better answer that way and would give more impact on your side.
Aspects You Must Mention While Answering This Question
Certain components come together to make the perfect answer for you. Such an answer would help you get your point across to the employer that you are indeed the perfect candidate they need.
And these aspects would change from person to person and profession to profession, so you would have to alter them according to your specific need. So here we have all the aspects that you must remember and mention while answering.
Your Skills
The most important aspect that you must add has to be your skillset in the field or in general. Your skillset truly defines you as a worker and lets the employer understand how efficient you are.
Many employees begin with underdeveloped skill sets, but an employer would undoubtedly prefer an employee with a developed skillset. So if you have the relevant skills required in the job, boast them.
Also, don’t go for the frequently mentioned or common skills that others would probably mention. Instead, go for unique and rarer skills that will help set you apart from others and define newer talents.
Your Qualities
Aside from skills like management or IT, you can also mention the qualities you have in you. Qualities in include things like fast learning, flexibility, adaptation, and more such aspects in you. They are not skills per se, but they can help you as a worker in any firm.
And employers look for such qualities in workers as it helps in the whole process and reduces their effort. So if you have a quality that you think can help you in the job in the future, do mention it.
And try to mention such qualities regarding how they can help you as an employee in work. In such a way, the employer can understand how your skill is not just unique but also relevant to the firm.
Your Experience
Your experience in the field of work matters a lot to your employer since it would make you a more efficient employee. The time and effort you spent as a worker in the field directly becomes your experience and gives you a way to improve yourself.
Through such experience, you can become a smarter worker, which would be beneficial to the firm ultimately. So when you get asked the question, make sure that you mention your work experience.
And tell some unique or striking incidents in your work rather than going for simply stating how much experience you have. That way, you can show how your time in the industry makes you a more efficient worker.
Your Awards/ Qualifications
You must also mention any awards or certifications you might have gotten in your college or work. These awards show that you excel in some field and makes you the best possible candidate for work at the firm.
If you have any certifications for the skills you have or in the field in general, don’t forget to mention them in your answer. Such awards can be exemplary ways to display your high-quality performance to the employer.
And don’t worry if you haven’t received an award from a non-prestigious or small organization, it still matters. And if you do have awards or certification from prestigious organizations, then do mention them.
Your Possible Contribution To The Firm
An essential way to help the employer understand your value is to tell them how you can bring a positive change to the firm. You must know how to bind your skills and qualifications and relate them with the firm.
You must be able to connect your skills to the work or responsibilities of the job position. It would help the employer better understand how you have the skills that could boost the performance of the firm.
So make sure that no matter what skills or quality your mention, tie it to the firm and how it is helpful. And if you remember to do so, then you can create a strong answer that would impress the employer.
What You Must Stay Away From While Answering This Question
Aside from things that you must mention in the answer, there are also things or ways you should not follow in the answer. The question you get asked would be a critical one, so you must ensure that you answer that much more carefully.
And you have to avoid some critical mistakes that most people make while answering these questions. It is also essential to avoid such aspects alongside preparing the answer and considering all aspects.
Here are some things or points that you would want to stay away from while answering why you make a good candidate for the firm.
Comparing Yourself To Other Candidates
You might think that the question requires you to convince the employer why you are better than the others. But that is not the aim of the question and it certainly shouldn’t be the aim for your answer either.
So comparing yourself to another candidate or all other candidates might seem like a great idea, but trust me, it is not. It will only make you look overconfident and aggressive, which is not an impression you want to have.
So when you are answering the question, completely avoid comparing yourself with someone else. Just mention why your skills, contribution, or qualifications can help the firm and work with that.
Sounding Pompous
Another aspect you must stay far away from is sounding overconfident or even pompous while answering the question. We have already told you to be confident in yourself while you answer the question.
But some might interpret the meaning of that point differently, and not understand the fine line between being confident and arrogant. So you must stay on the confident side of the line and not overstep it.
Sounding arrogant will do you no good in the interview, and hardly in the future either. So even though you must avoid sounding timid, make sure you recheck your tone in front of the mirror to ensure it is correct.
Reading Or Memorizing Your Answer
You might want to make a set answer and just cram it for the interview day, but that is a recipe for disaster. Memorized answers in general do not fly well in interviews as they sound, well, almost artificial.
An interview tests your speaking abilities and how well you know about yourself and your work. So if you try to give the employer a crammed or memorized answer, it won’t take long for them to catch on.
And a memorized answer would probably be more precise, but it would not impress the employer as much. An impromptu answer on the spot would be better, but ensure to prepare well for it.
Ways You Could Answer This Interview Question
Since we have already covered all the components and basics of the answer to this question, let us move on to some examples of the answer. Even though you have seen the various aspects, reading a sample answer would be best.
The sample answers would help you see the structure of the answer, the tone utilized, and other details you must be mindful about. Then you can use all these tips to frame your answer to this question.
But remember that these merely sample answers that may not be accurate for you. You would have a different skill set and qualifications, so you would have to draft your answer by altering it.
- Sample Answer I
“I have five years of experience in the field that I will be working in, which seems like an advantage for the position. My experience has taught me valuable skills in the industry that help me work. Aside from just the skills, I have also learned the way of conduct of the industry. So I think that my experience alone can help me achieve higher lengths at work, and of course, I can adapt to even tougher working conditions in the future.”
- Sample Answer II
“I have management skills and communication skills that are the two pillars of this job position. These two skills make me an efficient communicator and an ideal employee for customer-related work. I also have experience in dealing with customers in my previous job, so I think I can perform beyond your expectations. With my skills, I can prove to help work with customers that choose your firm.”
- Sample Answer III
“I am a very passionate worker in this field and truly love the work that I do. Since I have a love for work, I also perform it as a hobby whenever I have time to expand my knowledge further in it. I am expanding my reach and skills in the industry consequently and will prove to be an ideal worker. With my drive for the work, I can ensure that I will bring positive change to the firm.”
- Sample Answer IV
“My experience and skill development as an intern in my previous firm has made me an ideal worker in the field. Before it, I might have been merely passionate, but now I am also efficient in my work. Though I might not have as much experience, I have the ideal skills that one requires to perform well on this job. And I can ensure that I will keep moving forward in my work and develop myself as the best employee even further.”
- Sample Answer V
“I am a very quick learner in all fields, and especially in this field. I have learned two languages from only apps and movies in the comfort of my home. And I have received certification and expertise in both, so I can prove to be an adaptable candidate. If I only put my mind to something, I can understand and replicate it in no time. So I think that this quality of mine can be helpful to me as a worker.”
Conclusion
Interviews are difficult, but with some amount of preparation beforehand, you can go through them easily. If you feel like you are still not confident in answering questions like “What makes you the best choice for this post?”, then you need to prepare for it.
This question might seem like a tricky one, but if you know the essentials, then answering it is a piece of cake. If you follow the above tips and tricks, you can give the best possible answer to the question and impress your employer.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Should you compare yourself to other candidates while answering this question?
It would be best to avoid comparing yourself with other candidates as it will do you no good. Rather than that, you could simply state why you have the ideal skills and knowledge that it takes to be ideal.
- What all should you mention to answer why you’re the best candidate?
You must prepare beforehand and make a list of the skills or work experience that sets you apart from other workers. Then you can utilize them in your answer and show the employer why you are perfect for the position.
- What should be the tone of your answer while answering the question?
The tone of your answer must be confident, and yet you must avoid sounding cocky or overconfident. Even though you must be proud of your skills and qualifications, you must try to remain humble while you answer.
