The job interview query “What makes you distinctive?” is among the most typical interview questions job seekers face—and one of many trickiest. It might cease you in your tracks. You understand you may have the {qualifications} and the talents to do the job, however how are you presupposed to know the way you are totally different from anybody else?
The reply is: You do not have to know. And you do not have to be Superman to ship a job-winning response to this query.
Listed below are three surefire methods (with pattern solutions) that can assist you confidently reply the “What makes you distinctive?” interview query in a approach that impresses hiring managers and boosts your possibilities of getting employed.
How NOT To Reply “What Makes You Distinctive?”
Earlier than you possibly can give you an important reply to this interview query, first, you have to know what to keep away from. The hiring supervisor completely doesn’t need to know that you simply play in a band on the weekends, you possibly can resolve a Rubik’s Dice in 30 seconds, or that you’ve got a pet rat.
When interviewers ask, “What makes you distinctive?” the actual query is, “Why ought to we rent you over the opposite candidates?” That’s what it’s best to reply.
A private reply could also be fascinating, however it will not enable you to land the job. Your whole job interview responses ought to give attention to telling them what they should know with a purpose to say, “You are employed!”
Take into consideration what makes you helpful on this function and why it is helpful to the group. Finally, employers need to know the way you’ll save or make the corporate cash. Show your worth by showcasing outcomes from previous roles, particularly numbers, percentages, or measurable impression.
Listed below are three highly effective methods to reply the distinctiveness query based mostly on what employers actually care about: your profession background, your skilled experiences, and your abilities or mushy abilities (that pertain to the job).
1. Explaining Your Profession Background
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A powerful reply typically connects your background to the distinctive perspective you convey.
“My background is somewhat totally different from others within the area, which supplies me a singular perspective that has allowed me to see options which can be artistic and resourceful. For instance, I got here up with X answer [say what it was] to resolve Y downside, and it labored out fantastically. This answer improved [specific metric, percentage, or dollar amount].”
Why this works: It reveals you possibly can leverage your background in a approach that immediately advantages the employer.
2. Sharing Your Earlier Experiences
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Use your training, work expertise, or profession path to show what makes you totally different.
“I consider that my training in X [name your degree or classes here] mixed with my work expertise in Y offers me an particularly nice benefit when approaching [a critical problem this job addresses]. I draw on each to resolve on a regular basis points and particular challenges. For instance, in [name a situation], I took [action you took] and achieved [quantifiable results—numbers, percentages, or revenue impact].”
Why this works: It highlights how your previous roles ready you to convey measurable worth to this new place.
3. Promoting Your Talent Units & Character Traits
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Generally your mushy abilities (communication, group, management, adaptability) may be your strongest reply, particularly in the event that they align with the job description.
Pattern Reply:
“I consider I’ve distinctive organizational abilities. In my final job, I created a brand new system for activity assignments that streamlined productiveness and improved it by 20%.”
This little bit on the finish—”improved it by 20%”—transforms your reply from a obscure declare to a compelling, results-driven assertion. It grabs consideration and tells them precisely how a lot you matter.
For job search (and interview) success, all the time tie your distinctive qualities to enterprise impression, productiveness enhancements, or measurable outcomes.
Last Technique: Focus On Worth Over “Uniqueness”
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If in case you have abilities, expertise, or achievements that will make you helpful within the function, now’s the time to say them. Fear much less about being “distinctive” and focus extra on proving your worth and aggressive edge.
Subsequent time you may have a giant job interview, attempt utilizing these methods to reply “What makes you distinctive?” with confidence, readability, and quantifiable proof. Delivering a powerful, value-driven reply could possibly be the important thing to touchdown your subsequent alternative.
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