Why should we hire you?”
This question divides interviewers. Some love it and others hate it. Those who routinely ask this question in IT interviews see it as a great way to get a broad understanding of a candidate’s skill set. In contrast, others feel the question is too general and simply lends itself to the same old answers such as “because I’m passionate”, “because I have experience” or “because I really like this company.”
Regardless of the above, you need to be prepared for the question to crop up – as an IT recruitment agency, we see it come up all the time. Fortunately, this question provides a perfect opportunity for you to pitch yourself, your skills, and your experience to the interviewer.
In this post, we’ll first examine the basics of answering this question, and then drill down into some more specific advice tailored to IT interviews.
Understand the Reason for the Question
The key to answering this question is to understand why the interviewer is asking it. They are essentially asking:
“Why should we hire you, over and above all of the other candidates that we’re interviewing?”
So your task is to make yourself stand out from the crowd as the best person for the job.
Explain Why Your Experience Matches the Job Requirements
When answering this interview question, be prepared to go through the relevant experience and skills in your CV that matches the requirements in the job description. Make it as easy as possible for the interviewer to imagine you in the role.
Explain What you Hope to Get From the Job
You may also want to explain to the interviewer what you think you will get from the role. Perhaps you hope this opportunity will give you great career development or that it will give you the chance to expand your skill. By acknowledging you hope to gain something from the role you’ll be demonstrating drive and genuine interest.
Move Beyond the Technical
However, as with all other interview questions you’ll want to adapt your answer to make it as relevant as possible for the role you are applying to. In an IT interview, this question provides an opportunity to go beyond talking about your technical knowledge and expertise. It's a chance to show off your soft skills and how you see yourself fitting into their organisation.
Demonstrate your ability to solve problems. Being a great problem solver is a skill that stretches beyond being technically adept. It means you’re able to get to the root cause of something and come up with a solution – a highly desirable trait within IT. When answering ‘why should we hire you?’ explain why you are a great problem solver and provide some examples.
Showcase your soft skills.IT interviews can often get bogged down in technical details, so use this question as a chance to explain how well you work as part of a team or your ability to lead others when needed. For example, if you feel your communication skills are a plus then use this as a great chance to demonstrate that – explain why they should hire you succinctly and clearly and then back that up by saying you feel your communication skills make you stand out.
While it’s obviously important to prepare for common interview questions like “why should we hire you?”, it’s equally important you don’t get thrown by questions you aren’t expecting. It’s vital you know both your CV and the job description inside out. Also, make sure you’ve done your research into the company. For further information, have a read of our guide on how to present yourself well in an interview.
