The interview question, "What makes y'all unique?" is not an opportunity to confess weird habits or odd quirks. It's a chance to provide the interviewer with insight into how you lot'd be the all-time candidate for a role, while proving you're someone who tin can call back on her anxiety.

Essentially, "What makes you unique" really ways, "What makes you an exceptionally expert candidate?"

To avoid an awkward conversation, you'll desire to be prepared to reply "What makes you unique?" in an interview. Here are seven sample answers to ensure you're proving yourself an incredibly valuable company asset.

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vii Sample Answers to "What Makes You Unique?" and Why They Work

i. "I am a very proficient communicator and notice it's easy for me to relate to other people."

Consider mentioning a personality trait you feel would exist a adept fit for the concern. Later reading the job clarification, brand a listing of attributes that could make you an exceptional candidate.

Additionally, including a personality trait in your answer allows you to display how yous're a good fit for a part in which you have little prior experience.

For instance, if yous're applying for a position as a team leader, it'due south critical that you demonstrate stiff advice skills and an ability to connect with a diverse group of people. If you tell the interviewer, "I am a very skilful communicator and find it's easy for me to relate to other people", y'all're able to match your personality to components of a successful leader.

Effective communication is a disquisitional trait to emphasize in interviews — if you consider how 86% of employees cite lack of collaboration equally a main component of workplace failures, you tin begin to appreciate why effective communication is then of import.

2. "I actually bask learning new things and am constantly seeking out new learning opportunities."

By mentioning your passion for learning new things, you're demonstrating you're growth-focused and unafraid of challenges.

Additionally, answering the question in this way allows yous to remind the interviewer why you're uniquely qualified for the role -- while other candidates might have more prior experience in the industry, you're proving your desire to exceed expectations of the job quickly.

3. "My prior feel in customer service has provided me with unique technical skills that I can apply to this role."

If you have prior experience in a role vastly different from the one for which you're applying, you might employ this every bit an opportunity to explicate how your background uniquely qualifies you lot. With an respond like this one, you're able to alleviate concerns the interviewer might have with your lack of experience in the field.

It's critical, however, that you provide specific examples of how your prior experience has provided you with certain transferrable skills.

For case, you might say, "My prior experience in customer service provided me with technical skills and an extensive noesis base for how our product works. Every bit a marketer, I will exist able to use this knowledge to ensure nosotros're meeting our customers needs with every campaign nosotros launch."

It'south also important to highlight: Previous task feel has declined in importance when information technology comes to recruiters evaluating candidates. In fact, between 2017 and 2021, that number has dropped from 92% to 62%. So it's okay if you feel your prior work feel doesn't perfectly marshal with the office for which you're applying, as long as yous tin can explain how your skills volition help you succeed.

how to answer what makes you unique interview question

iv. "Working at a startup gave me an opportunity to sympathise the ins-and-outs of the industry, and to take on tasks I might not accept at a larger company. I remember this experience gives me a slight border over other applicants."

Similar to the answer above, this reply is a good i if yous're attempting to switch industries. If you lot retrieve your prior experience could deter interviewers from seeing you as exceptionally qualified, this is an optimal chance to prove them wrong. Consider how your groundwork has allowed you to gain unique skills that others, who followed a more linear career trajectory, might not have.

For example, if y'all previously worked at a small startup and now y'all want to transfer to a big corporation, information technology'southward important you mention how those skills will brand yous successful in this new role.

v. "I'm not afraid of failure. In fact, I think it is an essential part of the experimental procedure that gets you to success. For example … "

This answer shows your interviewer that y'all're not agape to take risks. Of course, you'll only want to say this if you have a positive example to reinforce the importance of failure in the workplace.

You lot don't desire to sound like you make mistakes all the time, merely you lot'll stand up out if you mention how y'all turned a failure into a success.

For example, you lot might say, "I'thou non afraid of failure. In my final part, nosotros tried to streamline our SEO process and, along the way, found we'd accidentally decreased traffic to our site. However, this initial failure allowed me to see the errors in our previous procedure. My team and I came up with a more successful strategy to avoid these mistakes in the time to come, and concluded upward increasing traffic by 20%."

With this respond, you lot're showing you're capable of remaining flexible and open up-minded when something doesn't work right abroad, and you know how to accept failures and employ them as learning opportunities -- a critical skill for whatever piece of work environs.

6. "When solving problems, I apply both logic and emotional aspects in equal proportion. For instance, I'k trained in SEO and understand how to use analytics to ensure a marketing entrada is successful, but I also majored in blueprint and know how to apply creativity to a project as well."

If you're stuck on deciding how to demonstrate your unique qualifications, offset by thinking about how other people approach problems at your visitor, and how you differ.

For instance, near people are either logical and employ analytics to solve issues, or emotional and use inventiveness. It'south rare to find someone who is both. If you lot truly believe you combine these two aspects, information technology's an impressive ability you should highlight.

vii. "I'm exceptionally organized, and at my last company, I was able to apply this skill to improve our process and increase ROI by 33%."

Call up, when your interviewee asks "what makes y'all unique", she's really wondering "how will you help our visitor?" At the end of the 24-hour interval, it'south critical you necktie your answer dorsum to how you will solve problems for the visitor.

48% of recruiters say improving quality of hire is their top priority in 2022 — and so you'll want to ensure your answer highlights how you will excel in the role for the long haul.

To avoid sounding like you lot're bragging, consider a personality trait or skill set up that helped your last visitor reach results. If the results are quantitative, brand sure you have the specific numbers to back up your claim. Still, it's also appropriate to share qualitative results, such equally, "my organizational skills led my manager to trusting me with a major project within the first two months in my role." Ultimately, providing examples shows the interviewer you're results-driven, and aren't just proverb generic phrases to respond her question.

Apply for a job, keep track of important information, and prepare for an  interview with the help of this free job seekers kit.

Apply for a job, keep track of important information, and prepare for an  interview with the help of this free job seekers kit.

Originally published Apr 5, 2022 7:00:00 AM, updated Apr 05 2022