“What distinguishes you from other candidates?”, “What sets you apart?” – There are numerous ways to phrase this interview question, yet none of them makes it any easier to answer.
Employers will seek information during a graduate job interview to help them decide whether or not to hire you.
“What makes you unique?” is an excellent method to help them distinguish you from other contenders
These open-ended questions, like “tell me about yourself” and “what are your strengths and weaknesses?” can be challenging to answer.
In your response, you must confidently mention your best attributes while avoiding being arrogant.
To discover the best strategy for answering “What makes you unique?” consider why companies ask this typical interview question in the first place.
Why do employers ask about “what makes you unique?”
1. To allow you to highlight your best traits
“What makes you unique?” truly means “What abilities, traits, and experiences make you the greatest candidate for this job?”
Employers invite you to brag about yourself and your most significant traits and tell them what sets you apart from other graduate applicants by asking this question.
This is your time to highlight the qualities that make you the most outstanding candidate.
You must consider one or two crucial factors (specialised abilities, qualifications, volunteering, professional experience, or anything else) that you know not every candidate will have.
2. To see if you’ve done your homework on the job role.
In response to the interview question “What makes you unique?” the abilities and attributes you select to discuss will reflect how well you understand the position and the firm.
Suppose your answer is utterly unrelated (for example, you discuss your passion for art in a graduate finance job interview). In that case, you’ll suggest to the employer that you don’t know much about what the job role entails and are thus unlikely to be a good fit.
3. To determine your level of creativity
Employers also utilise this interview question to assess your ability to think on your feet. Coming up with an “original” solution to the question shows that you can think outside the box about why you are the best applicant for the job.
Also Read: Salary Breakup
How do you answer the question “what makes you unique”?
Begin by considering…
- A time when your manager or a coworker complimented you on something you did or completed very well.
- Has a family member or close friend ever observed a positive quality or personality trait in you? Are you skilled at making logical decisions or giving sound advice?
- Consider any non-academic or extracurricular accomplishments or a time when you fixed a problem or assisted someone; what qualities enabled you to do so?
- Consider what you are passionate about or are particularly interested in.
- Try not to focus too much on the word “unique”; the employer is not expecting you to come up with a solution that they have never heard of, though it would be fantastic if you did!
- Choose something relevant and intriguing to prevent repetition, and possibly use an example that is unlikely to come up again during the interview.
Some examples of answers to the question, “What makes you unique?”
One-of-a-kind example answers 1: being extremely efficient.
“My ability to take up anything and get projects done quickly and efficiently is a unique quality that I can bring to your organisation.”
Having worked at a small startup, I am willing to take on additional tasks outside of my remit,’ and I am always eager to get engaged with new areas of the business.
I see the value of being open-minded and adaptable, especially in a startup atmosphere.”
Example answers 2: being innovative
“I believe one of the primary characteristics distinguishing me from other applicants is my ability to develop inventive ideas.”
I’ve always been a pretty creative person; my ideas were frequently the ultimate choice in group assignments and decisions during university. All of my friends and family came to me for ideas for a costume party!
I would enjoy the opportunity to apply my creative flare to this role.”
Unique example answer 3: managing issues calmly
“Because I handle issues calmly and with a level mind, I have the unique ability to give excellent counsel.”
My friends and family frequently seek my advice, and I recently assisted a colleague in resolving an embarrassing situation at work with an unhappy customer.
I can look at things from a different angle, using logic and reason to solve difficulties, and I believe I could be a valuable contribution to your company.”
What else can you answer the question, “what makes you unique?”
There are countless ways to answer the question, “what makes you unique?”
Here are some additional ideas to get you started.
Don’t forget to back these up with powerful examples to guarantee that the company recalls your answer over other candidates’ answers.
- Extremely positive outlook – I see the good in all situations, which helps to keep the office spirit up and urge coworkers to be cheerful.
- Learning from your mistakes, in my opinion, is a vital component of becoming more successful.
- I have exceptional social skills and can read people’s emotions and intentions.
- My eagerness to learn – I am eager to constantly improve and acquire new abilities, and I have a strong ‘can-do’ mentality.
- I have excellent interpersonal and behavioural skills and enjoy assisting and educating others to be their best versions.
- Ability to improve and refine processes – I improved our marketing procedures and raised ROI by 29% in my previous position.
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