Hiring managers interview many candidates for every job, in order that they need to hear what makes you distinctive from the opposite candidates. Missing a powerful, assured reply can value you the chance.
Drawing from my recruiting expertise and insights from seasoned profession coaches, this information provides clear methods and real-life pattern solutions that will help you articulate your distinctive strengths successfully.
Highlights
- Mirror in your experiences to seek out what units you aside, aligning it with the job function.
- Perceive the corporate and function you’re making use of for, personalizing your response to indicate how your uniqueness advantages them.
- Use concrete examples to display how your distinctive high quality has contributed to your success in previous roles or tasks.
Understanding the Query: Why Recruiters Ask ‘What Makes You Distinctive?
“What makes you distinctive?” isn’t a trick interview query, and there isn’t one proper reply.
Hiring managers usually ask this query to:
- Assess your organization match.
- Determine what you deliver to the desk past technical expertise.
- Perceive your persona higher.
- Gauge compatibility with the crew and group.
The intention right here is to get you speaking about what you deliver to the corporate.
There could also be one thing the hiring supervisor doesn’t know about you. They need to be taught a bit greater than what’s in your resume. Possibly you’ve got a singular capability or comfortable expertise that different candidates are lacking.
Even when not, this query is an opportunity to indicate that you simply perceive the job description and the employer’s necessities for the function, after which display why you’re certified.
The primary the reason why recruiters ask this query are to get a greater thought about your communication expertise, to get your perspective on how profitable your profession has been thus far, and to get a greater sense of your suitability for the respective job or group.
Your response provides a snapshot of your profession intentions and showcases your distinctive expertise in a approach that aligns with the job. It’s not nearly what you’ve accomplished, however the way you current it—that may set you other than the remaining.
Pre-Interview Preparation: Knowledgeable Ideas for Answering ‘What Makes You Distinctive?
To maintain your reply clear and concise, I like to recommend responding to this interview query with one single talent or trait that makes you distinctive.
You may point out distinctive technical expertise/arduous expertise, comfortable expertise, key persona traits, experiences, private attributes, or another issue that makes you an distinctive candidate… and completely different from different job seekers.
To really feel absolutely ready earlier than the interview, observe my recommendation under:
Self-Mirror and Put together
Look again at your profession or the time you spent in faculty. What have been your largest successes? What have been you proudest of? A number of the high expertise or accomplishments you possibly can point out embody:
- Modern pondering and problem-solving talents
- Adaptability
- Social intelligence and battle decision
- Distinctive digital know-how proficiency
- Organizational proficiency
- Creativity and resourcefulness
- Public talking expertise
- Constant battle administration capability
- Bias for motion
- Mental curiosity
- Robust work ethic
- Wonderful follow-up capability
- Trainability: the flexibility to amass new information effortlessly
EXPERT ADVICE
Find out how to Spotlight Your Distinctive Worth in an Interview
Take a second to mirror on the suggestions you’ve obtained and establish the talents that come naturally to you.
Ask your self, “What do I excel at that others discover difficult?”
Use this perception to articulate how one can add distinctive worth to the crew, streamline processes, or innovate options. Don’t hesitate to share particular examples in your interview to display your distinctive edge.
Take Your Time When Answering
There’s no must reply too shortly or rush your response when requested what makes you distinctive. This can be a tough query and it’s fully acceptable to say,
“That’s a terrific query. Let me assume for a second. I need to offer you an excellent response right here.”
Doing this provides you time to contemplate the corporate’s values, the hiring supervisor’s angle/persona, and any matters or job necessities you’ve already mentioned on this job interview.
Personalize Your Responses
The checklist talked about above is nice but it surely does sound generic. To be able to impress, it’s important to clarify how that distinctive talent goes to be an asset for the group you’re pursuing a job with.
Research the job description and at all times undergo as a lot details about the corporate as you will discover.
Realizing how your expertise match the job and the corporate’s tradition exhibits you’ve actually considered your function and the place you slot in, which is a step above simply doing primary firm analysis.
Invoice Burnett, Co-Director of the Stanford d.faculty says
Don’t simply inform them you’re distinctive, inform them the way it advantages them. Clarify how your distinctive expertise or experiences can deal with a particular firm want or contribute to their tradition.
Customizing Your Response: Align Your Reply with the Job Description
To offer you much more readability, let’s check out a job advert and the way your response may be customized inside its context.
Key Obligations:
- Develop and curate participating content material for varied social platforms
- Oversee and handle a number of social media tasks with overlapping deadlines
- Innovate and brainstorm marketing campaign methods with a artistic crew
- Analyze social media metrics to information technique and decision-making
What You’ll Convey:
- Distinctive written and verbal communication expertise
- Confirmed expertise managing tasks with a detail-oriented strategy
- Artistic and strategic pondering with a knack for growing distinctive marketing campaign concepts
- Proficiency with social media analytics instruments and deciphering information successfully
This job description for a Social Media Supervisor asks for:
- Wonderful written and verbal communication expertise
- Capability to create compelling SM content material
- Robust PM expertise and talent to handle a number of tasks and priorities concurrently
- Artistic pondering to innovate shiny new concepts for SM campaigns
- SM analytics expertise
This function has a number of talent necessities so the query “What makes you distinctive?” needs to be answered in a approach that comes with all of those expertise:
“What makes me distinctive is my capability to remain centered, efficient, and artistic below stress. I’m capable of generate persistently sturdy authentic concepts for social media posts and campaigns, even whereas managing a number of social media calendars and targets without delay.
I collate superior analytics from a variety of sources to set the suitable targets and generate the suitable influence on the proper time.
As part of my previous expertise, I’ve managed a number of campaigns, adapting my fashion to deal with the consumer’s necessities. I’ve employed progressive approaches and measured their influence to offer shoppers data-driven options completely aligned with their outreach aims.”
12 Knowledgeable-Accredited Pattern Solutions to ‘What Makes You Distinctive?’
Listed below are twelve examples of how you possibly can reply “What makes you distinctive?”
Instance Reply: Communication Expertise
“One trait that I really feel makes me distinctive is my capability to get together with all varieties of individuals and personalities. I’ve labored in retail customer support, all the best way as much as managing massive enterprise consumer accounts in my final job. I can relate to a building employee simply as simply, as I can join and relate to a company lawyer or physician.
I noticed that your job description for this function emphasizes communication expertise, and I’ve learn in regards to the number of shoppers that your online business serves. So, that’s one cause I really feel I’m a powerful candidate for the function and will have some distinctive expertise and background that different candidates don’t deliver.”
Why This Reply Works
The reply highlights the candidate’s capability to get together with every kind of individuals, in addition to their customer support expertise. It’s particular whereas additionally shedding some gentle on related earlier work historical past.
Instance Reply 2: Multi-Disciplinary Strategy
“One in every of my distinctive expertise is that I’m a former software program developer. I moved into product design as a result of I’m extra captivated with this space, however I’m nonetheless capable of write code and scripts to automate duties, and I nonetheless strategy challenges and obstacles by way of an engineer’s mindset.
I carry out checks and I make choices based mostly on information. This data-driven strategy units me aside from many different designers and makes me a singular candidate to your Senior Design Lead function.”
Why This Reply Works
The power to use a set of expertise from one {industry} to a different is a singular benefit.
Instance Reply 3: Public Talking Capability
Notice: That is an instance of one of many “what makes you distinctive” pattern solutions for college kids that will likely be ideally suited for individuals missing skilled expertise:
“One of many expertise that makes me distinctive is my public talking capability. I get pleasure from giving shows. I’ve spoken in entrance of a whole bunch of individuals at my faculty. I used to be part of my faculty debate crew, too.
I additionally led weekly intern conferences throughout each of my internships earlier than I graduated, and I genuinely get pleasure from speaking in entrance of a crowd.
As I look to seek out my first full-time, everlasting place after graduating, I expect to find methods to make use of this talent in my profession. I noticed your job description for this function mentions giving gross sales shows to shoppers, in order that’s one space the place I really feel I’d instantly excel.”
Why This Reply Works
The reply exhibits some confidence in a single’s talents, even when the candidate doesn’t have an in depth historical past. It’s detailed and really related, completely aligned with the talent set the recruiter is on the lookout for.
Instance Reply 4: Comfortable Expertise
“I’ve an uncommon mixture of sentimental expertise that I really feel makes me distinctive. I’m always in search of to enhance, be taught from my errors, and problem myself.
I’m exceptionally organized when it comes to monitoring my outcomes, progress, and any developments in my work and output. I’m capable of finding potential studying alternatives and classes, spot potential issues earlier than they grow to be bigger points, and steadily enhance.I take advantage of challenges as a studying expertise and attempt to flip the occasional small mistake into an enormous constructive, moderately than dwelling on it as a damaging. In previous jobs, my managers usually complimented my capability to be taught shortly, carry out effectively with no need fixed supervision, and stay calm even when one thing didn’t go my approach. In order that’s the distinctive talent set that I deliver to the function.”
Why This Reply Works
The response makes use of the chance to say not only one distinctive talent however quite a few these: group capability, efficiency analysis, studying, problem-solving, and so on.
Instance Reply 5: Management
“I feel that my distinctive talent is challenge management. I have a pure capability to guide quite a few duties and tasks, whether or not because the direct crew chief or challenge coordinator. I feel this comes from my mixture of sturdy organizational expertise and interpersonal expertise. I’ve at all times loved management and dealing in a crew setting and hope to proceed discovering firms that worth collaboration.
I reviewed the job itemizing and it appeared to me that your organization values hiring individuals with a collaborative mindset, and individuals who can develop within the group and tackle extra management over time, so this function appeared like a terrific potential match.”
Why This Reply Works
The reply pinpoints some distinctive expertise and it additionally explains how these can be utilized to attain development and efficiency enhancement throughout the group.
Even when an employer doesn’t immediately ask, “Why are you making use of to this job,” it’s a pleasant contact to finish an interview reply by explaining why you’re feeling their job is an effective match. Doing this exhibits analysis, thoughtfulness, and preparation. You may see this within the pattern reply above, which ends by saying, “…so this function appeared like a terrific potential match.”
Instance Reply 6: Downside-Fixing
“I’ve a extremely well-established and well-practiced problem-solving methodology. Nevertheless, my systematic strategy doesn’t forestall me from brainstorming extremely artistic options when the state of affairs requires them. My talent on this space has seen me promoted to quite a few team-leadership roles, as I’m capable of generate concepts and delegate duties to get an issue solved quicker. In consequence, I’ve ended up saving quite a lot of cash for the businesses which have employed me.
I imagine my crucial pondering and problem-solving will work very well throughout the fast-paced day-to-day settings linked to this job. I’m assured in my capability to assume shortly and make optimum choices sure to show difficult conditions into alternatives.”
Why This Reply Works
Not solely does the reply current the interviewee’s largest energy, it additionally emphasizes the actual fact they’re versatile and able to get their strategy correctly aligned with the present processes throughout the group.
Instance Reply 7: Teamwork
“What makes me distinctive is my heartfelt perception that success on this {industry} and this function relies on excellent teamwork. I see immense worth in numerous views and concepts and imagine that each single crew member has quite a bit to supply. That’s why I make it my enterprise to set the stage for sturdy collaboration by serving to crew members discover their voice and understand their potential, by motivating others to behave, and by constructing my teammates up by way of fixed suggestions, celebration, and help.”
Why This Reply Works
The reply exhibits exactly how the candidate’s distinctive talent applies to the brand new work setting. It particulars particular benefits that the complete crew can expertise on account of hiring that individual.
Instance Reply 8: Work Ethic
“What makes me distinctive is my sense of professionalism and work ethic. My profession is of the utmost significance to me and, as such, I take immense delight in my work, believing that the work I produce is an expression of the sort of individual I’m.
I imagine that there’s at all times room to develop, up-skill, and sharpen my supply. I compete with myself day in and time out, at all times striving to do higher than I did earlier than. Actually, I solely see it as a job effectively accomplished if I do know I’ve grown and improved on my previous efficiency.”
Why This Reply Works
This candidate expresses confidence within the expertise they have already got. On the similar time, it suggests the individual is open to new studying alternatives, one thing that almost all recruiters worth.
Instance Reply 9: Ambition
“What makes me distinctive is my formidable drive and incapacity to operate with out constantly striving for and reaching new targets.
Having labored at two industry-related companies up to now 10 years, I’ve been promoted six occasions because of my diligent self-challenges, adherence to setting and reaching every of my targets, and talent to behave on initiative with minimal steerage.
Within the shorter time period, my ambition makes me effectively suited to advanced, high-priority duties, as I’m pushed to satisfy briefs and deadlines, whereas always upping my expertise and commonplace of labor within the course of.”
Why This Reply Works
Aside from pinpointing distinctive expertise, the reply seamlessly mentions some wonderful accomplishments the candidate achieved inside their earlier line of employment.
Instance Reply 10: Adaptability
“I’ve a powerful ardour for studying and experiencing new issues. It’s a ardour that’s made me extremely adaptable. I get enthusiastic about discovering new developments, mastering new instruments, and adapting shortly to numerous duties/conditions with out skipping a beat.
I’ve a powerful perception in my capability to grasp any talent or succeed on any activity, irrespective of how new or difficult it might appear to me. This perception makes me extremely versatile and profitable in a fast-paced setting as a result of I don’t waste time doubting myself or stressing in regards to the newness of issues, I merely get them accomplished.”
Why This Reply Works
This reply tells the recruiter that the candidate is prepared to do no matter it takes to optimize their efficiency throughout the group. An eagerness to be taught is extremely beneficial, being open to new methods of doing work usually trumps different specialised expertise.
Instance Reply 11: Development Mindset
“My largest energy is the expansion mindset I’ve at all times had. It has saved me curious and open to new alternatives. All through my skilled journey, I’ve been wanting to be taught and evolve. I actually get pleasure from buying new expertise and discovering a sensible utility for the know-how ‘ve gathered.
This mindset has enabled me to proceed evolving. I’ve used each mistake as a stepping stone that has taken me nearer to my final profession aim. Even immediately, I proceed cultivating distinctive expertise that make it simpler to pursue unconventional profession paths reliant on out-of-the-box pondering.”
Why This Reply Works
The reply is very well-suited to the wants of individuals trying into non-traditional profession paths. It demonstrates an open thoughts and a need to maintain on studying that may show to be exceptionally beneficial career-wise.
Instance Reply 12: Empathy
“I used the time spent away from skilled settings to strengthen my comfortable expertise, particularly empathy. The volunteering work I did over the previous yr helped me sharpen my understanding of others, their motivators, and the methods they pursue targets.
I’m assured in my capability to collaborate and inspire coworkers to carry out to the most effective of their capability. My expertise make me superb at studying individuals and conditions precisely, and figuring out alternatives and dangers each time these manifest themselves.”
Why This Reply Works
The reply is a superb alternative for somebody trying to re-enter the workforce after a break. It tells the recruiter how the candidate used their day off to amass expertise and likewise demonstrates a proactive strategy towards seizing new alternatives.
Avoiding Frequent Pitfalls: What To not Say When Requested ‘What Makes You Distinctive?’
Keep away from the Lure of Solely Itemizing {Qualifications}
One of many largest errors interviewees make is simply sharing how they’re certified for a job with out highlighting what units them other than different candidates.
In case you’ve made it to the interview stage, it’s evident that you simply’re certified, and now it’s your time to showcase the way you’re distinct from the opposite candidates. Importantly, although, you need to again up your claims with examples and outcomes. Anybody could make a declare, however you’ll be a extra memorable interviewee if you happen to again it up with a robust story.
When answering this interview query, it’s finest to offer detailed, particular examples. Discover how within the pattern solutions above, slender and exact expertise have been named. The underside line is:
You need to keep away from common claims like, “I’m a tough employee” and as an alternative be extra particular.
Why does this matter? Each job seeker claims to be a tough employee. They make many common claims like that. Hiring managers are uninterested in listening to that each candidate is a tough employee.
Second, a common, non-specific reply doesn’t paint a transparent image within the hiring supervisor’s thoughts of the way you’ll assist them if you happen to’re employed for the place. Give extra particular examples to indicate why you’re really the most effective candidate and how one can contribute to the group.
Instance: As an alternative of claiming, “I’m very organized” and ”I’m a tough employee,” (which isn’t distinctive in any respect) you possibly can say:
“One factor that makes me distinctive is my organizational expertise. I get enthusiastic about something to do with group. I like creating techniques, templates, and different instruments to save lots of time and make me more practical at work. In my final job, I used this to save lots of two hours per day by creating a brand new scheduling and follow-up system for interacting with prospects.”
This reply is extra compelling to a hiring supervisor as a result of:
- A concrete instance has been offered
- It exhibits that you’ve got learn and understood the job description and function
- You’ve defined how your uniqueness can add worth and contribute to the corporate
Share extra element and be extra particular in your resume, interview solutions, and canopy letter (if you happen to ship one), and also you’ll make extra hiring managers see you as a super candidate.
Different Interview Assets
For much more interview prep assist and to ensure you nail that first impression, try these additional assets.
