Interview Pitfall: Why should I hire you?

I recruit for a living because I love building teams that build products. I coach job seekers because you cannot be in the hiring game and not become sympathetic to both sides. From time to time I am presented with really relevant, or often asked questions, where my clients found my response useful enough for me to deem shareable.

Question: I always struggle with what to say when they ask, "Why should we choose you for the job?” Or, “Tell us what interests you about this position?” How do you sell those questions without giving them a cliche answer about how you are a hard worker, who likes the company, blah blah blah?

Answer: First, start with looking at the jobs you are applying to. Before you send out your resume, ask yourself those questions. If you feel comfortable with your answer, proceed. In fact, that answer is basically your cover letter, right? But if you can’t convince yourself that you at least deserve a chance to be considered for the opening, then maybe reconsider taking the time to apply. The job search is a time-consuming process for everyone, try not to waste time.

Remember that employment is a two-way street. A company doesn't just want to hear about what you can offer them, they want to know what they can offer you. Any healthy relationship requires give and take on both sides.You need to prepare for each call by figuring out which of your long term goals makes sense for the company you’re speaking with. No one would disagree that your path won't be the same regardless of where you end up next, so having a different story for each possibility is reasonable and fair.

Your answer has to be about your connection to the company, and the role. Maybe at Company A you see a potential mentor, someone who is going to groom you to take their place one day as a leader in the company. Talk about why that is important to you, and what you will contribute to making that happen. But with Company B, you will be thrown into a situation where you will have to ramp up quickly, learn new things, overcome challenges, and work with very little oversight. Talk about how excited that makes you, your past experience rocking a similar situation (so they know you CAN do it), how you plan to get started, and anything you’ve done up until this point. That final point can be as simple as acknowledging your lack of experience with a particular bullet point in the job description, and discussing research you’ve done, and a couple new things you have learned since encountering their job opening.

Here is a sample response:

"My goal is to become a go-to resource for growing companies who need to grow their teams and build their team culture. I'm hoping that in the next 3-5 years I will be called upon by these companies to make key first hires, design and implement processes, and eventually hire and train their first team of permanent recruiters. In order to do that I need to continue building my network, to work for and accomplish big wins with a variety of reputable companies (such as Company X), and hone my skills while learning new ones. (Future goals, and why this role is a step towards them. Good companies want a team full of ambition. If a company is turned off by ambition, don’t worry, they won’t be around in a few years anyway.)

In my previous contract I saw great success as I overshot hiring goals, bringing on 13 new engineers in just over 3 months, and forcing a budget freeze. I was able to call on my past experiences in event management, contract negotiation, and project management, which has helped me see how my previous careers were really just preparing me to be the best recruiter ever. In addition, I learned a lot about pace, branding, and out of the box recruiting techniques. I will bring what I learned to Company X, and continue to grow as a recruiter as I tackle any new challenges I am presented with. I'm confident in my ability to learn on the job, as that is what I have always done.
(Showing that I am capable of success and have crossed hurdles, while also addressing what they might have seen as “red flags” on my resume. You may want to discuss how your government work was more similar to for-profit business than they think.)

I know your job description mentioned the need for strong sourcing skills. That has always been a strength of mine, and I would be very excited to see how I could tailor my methods to your company and culture. If I might turn the question around, do you see any reasons why you would not choose me for the job? I would love to address them if possible."
(You know the role you’re applying for. Good. You aren’t planning to come in and go rogue, but want to integrate into their team. Great. Did you just ask for negative feedback that you could address on the spot, and/or follow back up with concrete evidence to the contrary when you finish? FABULOUS!)

I took a seemingly fluff question that usually leaves you feeling pretty generic, and made it the question you will be dying to answer, so you can rock your interviewers' recruiting world. The important thing is you have to believe what you’re saying and speak confidently. I would suggest role playing with friends, in person or over the phone, and if you’d like we can set up a time to practice, as well. Just remember your response has to be sincere!

Do you have something to add? How do you answer this question in interviews?