Common Interview Questions

Master 30 common interview questions that appear across industries and interview formats.

WRITTEN BY RACHELLE ENNS
QUESTION 4 OF 30

Why are you the best candidate for us?

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
The Goal

Essentially, the interviewer is asking why they should hire you over anyone else. When it comes to hiring decisions, a company will choose the person they believe will help them solve a problem or a pain point. For this reason, the goal of your response is to clearly outline how you will address and help solve the hiring company's most significant needs and pain points.

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Example Answer

"From our discussion, I believe that one of your company's most important goals is to increase sales numbers, and quickly. I am the best candidate for you because I consistently exceed my targets and goals. Because of my dedication to exceeding targets, I have been promoted two times in the last year, which is nearly unheard of in my current company. In addition to these successes, I have excellent cold calling skills, which I will immediately put to good use."

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Manager

"I understand your company is seeking a manager with a proven ability to lead a team of field sales reps. You seek a leader who can properly train, motivate, and encourage a boost in sales numbers while providing the tools for each team member to perform at their peak ability. My experience, and past results, align very well with this need. I am an experienced leader, having trained over 50 successful outside sales reps this year alone. My teams' retention rate is the highest in my company. Over 80% of my team members have exceeded their goals for this quarter already. I am a passionate trainer and mentor who is very hands-on and approachable. I would love to bring these skills and traits to your company."

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Admin

"I believe my success with your company will come from having advanced-level skills in a significant range of administrative programs and the ability to troubleshoot technical issues for the team. My technical abilities have saved my current employer hundreds of downtime and IT billing hours. I also have strong vendor relationships with local conference facilities, trainers, keynote speakers, and hotels, which makes me a highly efficient executive assistant who can save you a lot of funds when it comes to travel, bookings, and company-related events."

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Sales

"As desired by your company, I have inside and outside sales experience, and I know the telecommunications industry very well. I have exceeded my sales goals for three years in a row. I have led the rollout of new markets in my current position, making me well-positioned to help you continue to build your sales proposition while breaking into new markets."

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Retail

"I believe I'm the best candidate for your company because I have a background in retail sales, and I've worked as a merchandiser and inventory specialist. Combining these skills, I will bring tremendous value to your retail organization when positioning and pushing products out at a faster rate. I am confident that my knowledge will bring an immediate and long-term impact."

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Teacher

"I know that I would be an excellent fit with your existing Spanish team and the faculty as a whole. I will bring this unique and upbeat perspective that you mentioned is lacking in the Spanish curriculum. I am bilingual, and I lived in Spain, Mexico, and Colombia for eight years. I feel these cultural experiences uniquely position me to pass that real-life experience and energy onto your students. I can create an engaging classroom and ignite excitement in these deserving students."

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Marketing

"I understand that you are looking for a marketing manager who can lead a remote team of graphic designers, copywriters, and ad sales professionals. I lead a team of 15 remote employees and 12 in-house employees in my current position. It has been a great experience learning how to merge these two teams, ensuring that projects come together on time. This year, I was awarded manager of the year after being nominated by my peers and leadership team. If you choose to hire me, I will bring tenacity and dedication, leading your remote team to optimum performance and success."

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
What to Avoid

Avoid a response like, 'I am the best candidate because this is my dream job.' An answer like this is all about you, the job seeker, and not about the hiring company or how hiring you will benefit them.

Another common mistake is to respond by giving a general overview of your resume or work history. Your response should spotlight the reasons why your achievements, skills, and characteristics are a match for the hiring company's most pressing needs.

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
Pro Tip

This question is an opportunity to pitch yourself. The hiring company needs to understand how saying 'yes' to you will benefit them. You can also imagine that the interviewer is asking, 'What's in it for us if we hire you.' Consider telling a story along with your response. Studies show that when we provide an anecdote or a story, we become immensely more memorable.

Rachelle Enns
Rachelle Enns is an interview coach and job search expert. She works with candidates to perform their best in employment, medical, and post-secondary admission interviews.
How to Answer

Carefully look at the job description and dissect what the hiring company is genuinely looking for in a candidate. Try to uncover what problem the company is trying to solve by filling this role. Be prepared to discuss a few of your hard skills and soft skills that you know will help you succeed in the job. Hard skills are specific knowledge gained through training and education. Soft skills are traits you possess, like emotional intelligence and sociability.

Also, be prepared to talk about the present and the future. Rather than thinking only in the now, help the interviewer imagine you in the role for years to come.

Community Answers

Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.

Anonymous Answer

My seven years of experience at my previous company show my dedication. In my three years of working in another country, I gained a lot of international work experience, and have worked with many cultures. On the sales floor, I can create a fun environment in which my team can work.

Rachelle's Feedback

Try to dig a bit deeper, touching on what you bring that other candidates do not. For instance, do you speak multiple languages or have an educational background that will specifically benefit the company? Perhaps you blow your sales targets to oblivion every week :) Brainstorm a few ways you are unique! Your international experience is one reason, so you may want to address that in a more strategic way.

"You should hire me because I show a dedication rarely seen in retail. When I started at Apple, I did not have a strong technical background. That didn't stop me from becoming the #1 sales person in the company within six months. I am a competitive achiever, passionate for international business and learning new cultures. You won't be disappointed when you hire me."

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30 Common Interview Questions Interview Questions & Answers

Jump to any question in the set.

01 Where do you see yourself in five years? CAREER GOALS 02 How would you describe your work ethic? PERFORMANCE BASED 03 What type of manager brings out the best in you? LEADERSHIP 04 Why are you the best candidate for us? COMPATIBILITY 05 Why do you want to work for our company? CAREER GOALS 06 How do you handle conflict in the workplace? CONFLICT 07 Why do you want this job? CAREER GOALS 08 What are your strengths? EXPERIENCE 09 How do you get along with others at work? TEAMWORK 10 How would your most recent manager describe you? BEHAVIORAL 11 Tell me about an idea you implemented at your last job. CREATIVE THINKING 12 What are your weaknesses? EQ 13 What do you know about our organization? CAPABILITY 14 Why are you looking for a new job? CAREER GOALS 15 Describe your leadership skills. LEADERSHIP 16 Would you be willing to work over 40 hours a week? ADAPTABILITY 17 Tell me about your education. EDUCATION 18 Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your boss. COMMUNICATION 19 What is your greatest achievement so far? ACCOMPLISHMENT 20 Tell me about yourself. DISCOVERY 21 Are you willing to travel for work? ADAPTABILITY 22 How did you hear about this position? DISCOVERY 23 Has a co-worker ever been mad at you? CONFLICT 24 Have you ever been terminated from a job? DIRECT 25 Tell me about your dream job. CAREER GOALS 26 What is the hardest decision you have had to make recently? BEHAVIORAL 27 What will you deliver to us in your first three months? EXPERIENCE 28 What negative things have you heard about our company? TOUGH 29 Which other companies are you interviewing with? COMPATIBILITY 30 What do you think we could do better? COMMUNICATION
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