{"id":26284,"date":"2022-09-01T01:02:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T08:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/?p=26284"},"modified":"2022-09-06T15:36:34","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T22:36:34","slug":"how-to-answer-what-makes-you-unique-in-a-job-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/how-to-answer-what-makes-you-unique-in-a-job-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Answer “What Makes You Unique?” In a Job Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The internet is full of helpful information (if you know where to look!). Particularly when you\u2019re a job seeker, you can find a mountain of information about how to prepare for and answer common interview questions<\/a>. You can even find information on how to answer uncommon interview questions!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One interview question that doesn\u2019t seem<\/em> to come up often is, \u201cWhat makes you unique?\u201d However, once you dig into what the question is asking, you\u2019ll find this \u201cunique\u201d question is far more common than it seems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Employers Ask \u201cWhat Makes You Unique?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are two reasons why an employer might ask, \u201cWhat makes you unique?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, it\u2019s likely you aren\u2019t the only applicant the company is interviewing for the role. And it\u2019s equally likely that all the candidates are similar in background, education, and experience. So, while the employer is asking you to talk about what makes you unique<\/strong>, what they\u2019re really asking is, \u201cWhy should we hire you<\/a> over the other candidates?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second reason employers ask this question is because it\u2019s unique! You may have been expecting and even prepared for, \u201cWhy should we hire you?\u201d and the employer knows this. So, by throwing you a curveball<\/a>, the employer is trying to measure how well you handle the unexpected and think on your feet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Answer \u201cWhat Makes You Unique?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As you formulate your answer, remember that in this case, \u201cunique\u201d doesn\u2019t mean \u201cone of a kind.\u201d For example, it might be unique that you know Morse code. However, it\u2019s unlikely that you\u2019ll need this particular skill for the role. The employer wants to know about the combination of skills and experience that only you possess<\/strong> and how you will use them to benefit the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your answer needs to be specific to the role without being generic. Saying you\u2019re unique because you have top-notch communication skills isn\u2019t, well, unique. And while saying you have top-notch communication skills because you know Morse code is very unique, it\u2019s probably not relevant to the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, saying you have top-notch communication skills because you\u2019ve spent the last few years creating press releases that increased traffic to the company website by 44% is unique, compelling, and specific!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead With Confidence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You might have a lot of skills or traits that make you unique. So, pick the one skill or trait you\u2019re most confident talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This doesn\u2019t have to be a hard skill<\/a>. You could discuss a soft skill<\/a> or even an aspect of your personality that will help you excel in the role. For example, if you\u2019re interviewing for a customer service role, you might choose to highlight that you\u2019re an excellent listener or have an uncanny ability to understand where people are coming from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relate Your Uniqueness to the Role<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Then, talk about how this skill or trait is relevant to the role<\/strong>. Using the example above, you could explain that being a good listener is essential in a customer service role because you recognize that often when people call, they are angry. Angry people usually want to be heard, and you have no problems hearing them out and being sympathetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Will This Benefit the Employer?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, explain how your unique ability will benefit the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a good listener, you\u2019re able to hear what the customer is saying, and you take that information to soothe the customer and help them find a solution. This can help retain that customer and even turn them into a loyal, repeat one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sample Answer for \u201cWhat Makes You Unique?\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what the pieces look like together:<\/p>\n\n\n

One thing that makes me unique is that I\u2019m a fantastic listener. This serves me well as a customer service agent because I can listen sympathetically to the customer and help them understand that I\u2019m here to help. I\u2019ll then work with them to find an agreeable solution. In my current role, I\u2019ve received a five-star rating at least 98% of the time, with the majority of the customers saying that they were satisfied with the outcome and willing to recommend us to others.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

As Unique as You<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there\u2019s only one you, the other candidates may be pretty similar to you. Help an employer understand why they should hire you<\/strong> by talking about your uniqueness in a way that explains why you\u2019re the best person for the role!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interviewers ask this question to find out how your unique skills will benefit the company. Here’s how to approach this question, plus example answers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":87,"featured_media":26367,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"old-site-template.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interview-questions","category-interview-tips"],"last_modified_at":"","edited_by":"Jessica Howington","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/87"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26284"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26284\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26704,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26284\/revisions\/26704"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26284"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26284"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.job-hunt.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}