"we get many applications a day. what sets you apart from the rest of the crowd and why should we hire you?"
this is a close cousin to the "tell me about yourself" question. it's a difficult question because you have to sell yourself well to the interviewer and not just state the typical response, as many candidates/applicants do.
here are some things i would share with the interviewer when asked this:
- express your sincere interest in the company. in reality, that should be the sole reason why you're sitting in front of the person interviewing for the job AT that company in the first place. it'd be really hard to just make something up on the fly if you didn't have the interest from the start. if you were just randomly applying for jobs, it'd definitely show.
- share unique traits or personal experiences as they relate to the company and/or job you're applying for. walk the interviewer through why the company attracted you to that particular role. here's your chance to add a little humor in the conversation... do it well and it'd give you brownie points showing that you have personality.
- give at least one impactful example of an accomplishment or achievement that relates to the work that you'd be doing if you worked at that company. lead it during the conversation as a transition like so: "... in fact, when i worked at company abc, i really enjoyed the ability to mentor others and lead so i want to continue that..."
- share what you know about the company and related industry. if you can relate industry trends or company news/mission with your personal experiences as a personal pursuit, that's a plus. in a confident manner, show that your experiences and skills can contribute well and add value to the organization.
i suggest having this down on paper in an outline form so you can review. these examples and responses can be used to answer future questions that sound like the "tell me about yourself" questions. you'd be surprised how helpful it can be
in every interview, whether the initial or subsequent ones, this technique has always worked for me - and has moved me on to the next step every time.
hope this helps!
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