- Why do interviewers ask “What makes you unique?”
1. To assess your best qualities
2. To gauge your understanding of the position
3. To understand what is important to you - How to answer “What makes you unique?”
1. Recollect what people think about you
2. List your skills and qualities
3. Revisit your experiences
4. Tailor your answer to the job description
5. Steer clear off difficult words or irrelevant skills - Sample answers for “What makes you unique?”
- Top 8 tips to answer “What makes you unique?”
Everyone is unique in their way. But have you ever stopped to think about what makes you different from others?
If you are a job seeker, you may want to take a minute and think about it now.
Because, believe it or not, “What makes you unique?" is a frequently asked interview question.
It is the perfect opportunity for you to tell the recruiters what sets you apart from others.
Read this blog to learn how to answer “what makes you unique?” with sample answers and tips to help you prepare for your next big interview.
Why do interviewers ask “What makes you unique?”
You may wonder why a question like what makes you unique is asked so frequently in interviews.
Here are some of the reasons why:
1. To assess your best qualities
A resume, CV, and critical interview questions are good tricks for interviewers to get to know the candidate better.
But with questions like what makes you different from others, they aim to find these answers right from the horse’s mouth.
When recruiters ask what makes you unique, they are trying to analyze your skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the position.
How you answer reflects why you think you are a good fit for the job and your understanding of the said role and company.
2. To gauge your understanding of the position
It is crucial to the recruiters that the candidate they hire is serious about the position.
The best way to show that is to research the company and tailor all answers to meet the needs of the role offered.
The relevancy of your skills and qualities that you choose to answer reflects how well you understand the requirement of the position.
So, by asking this question, the interviewers want to see if you would put in your 2 cents of hard work to justify you are the right person for the job.
3. To understand what is important to you
You may want to say that you are unique because you can run a marathon, or because you can eat an entire pizza by yourself.
But the answers interviewers are looking for are not just it.
Interviewers ask this question to analyze what skills and experiences you think are crucial to have to land the said job.
How to answer “What makes you unique?”
Talking about yourself is not as easy as it sounds. When asked to answer what makes you unique, here are the top 5 things you can do:
1. Recollect what people think about you
Talking about what makes you unique can be hard since it is difficult to point out the one thing that makes you different from others.
So, to answer this question well, gather what people think about you.
You can reach out to your mentors, colleagues, seniors, juniors, or even your family to find out what, according to these people, is unique about you.
You can also take into consideration academic quality or a personal trait if it is relevant to the job.
2. List your skills and qualities
The next thing you need to do is to make a list of qualities you have.
Try to add at least 10 attributes that make you stand out from others and add uniqueness to your personality.
Also, back these factors with real situations and feedback received in your working years (preferably) to add authenticity to your answer.
Which brings us to our next step.
3. Revisit your experiences
A friend of mine got a new job just because he was great at recovering lost accounts for his previous company.
This impressed his interviewers so much, they hired him immediately, and on his terms.
Surprised?
Don’t be!
Because one of the best tricks to answering “What makes you unique?”, is to talk about real situations and instances from your experience.
This tells the recruiter where you are coming from and makes your answer authentic.
Revisit the times when you were lauded and praised by others for your achievements and discuss them in detail with your interviewer.
4. Tailor your answer to the job description
A job description does more than outline the responsibilities of the profile you are interviewing for.
A closer read can reveal the definition of the ideal candidate that the company aims to find.
A job description also gives an insight into the knowledge and skills needed for the role.
To answer “What makes you unique?” well, take time to assess the job description and identify the skill set needed for the position.
Then, pick a skill from your list that matches the job description and discuss what you can bring to the table and how your perspective can help the company grow.
Doing so will reflect your research and effort to make a good first impression while allowing you to talk about why you are the perfect fit.
5. Steer clear off difficult words or irrelevant skills
Many people may get intimidated when asked what is unique about them.
While the interviewers wish to know how you are different from others, their main agenda is to find someone who understands the position and possesses the knowledge needed for it.
They are not looking for complicated, fancy words or skills no one has ever heard before.
So, while preparing to answer “What makes you unique?”, avoid talking about skills that are not suitable for the role and don’t use complicated words to make your case.
Also, avoid saying generic things as I work too hard, or I never take the day off.
Sample answers for “What makes you unique?”
Here are a few sample answers to guide you through answering “What makes you unique?”
You can use these as templates or take inspiration from these to draft your answer for your interview.
Sample answer 1
I find my ability to communicate effectively with everyone is something that sets me apart from the crowd.
I like getting to know people I’m working with, and it works well for me when it comes to dealing with clients.
My communication skills make it easy for me to understand what they expect from the campaign, and pitching ideas and making them happen comes easy to me.
In my previous position, I led a social media campaign for over 34 brands in 2 years, all of which were successful.
Some of the campaigns we managed were for the DFT co., The RWQ group, and YUIT organization, amongst many others.
Sample answer 2
The very reason why I took up an administrative position is my ability to organize everything efficiently.
I have been an office administrator for 4 years, and in my previous company, I was responsible for the organization and reorganization needed across departments.
I was responsible for 320 employees. So, I made sure that everything was easy to find.
I stored everything in a categorized manner and came up with plans to save additional expenses.
I was able to save 22% on the regular office supplies last year, without making any changes in the quality or quantity of consumption.
I read in the job description that you are looking for someone who can take care of all office needs.
With my experience and skills, I feel I can be a good fit for your company.
Sample answer 3
I pursued a position in the human resources department since I have amazing people’s skills.
I find it very easy to analyze people and have a proven record of successful hiring.
Most of the people hired through me have an average shelf life of 4 years.
Apart from that, I’m also good at organizing in-house events.
Some of the highlights from my experience at the previous company include seminars on mental health, the Holi party, and awareness on the POSH act, among other major events.
I find it easy to interact with people, and apart from talent acquisition, I can take care of any issues faced by the in-house staff, which is another thing that sets me apart.
I am an all-rounder who can take care of all HR roles, from hiring people to exit interviews, and I feel that is one of the things that make me unique.
Top 8 tips to answer “What makes you unique?”
- Research about the company
- Match your skills that are also needed for the job and identify what sets you apart from others
- Add value by adding references from your work history
- Focus on talking about what you can do for the company, not about how you are the best choice for the job
- Do not overshare in the interview
- Given unique answers and don’t say anything too generic
- Keep your answer short and crisp
- Give honest answers
In conclusion, to answer “What makes you unique”, start by understanding what makes you different from others and how you can use that unique skill to get the job of your dreams.
Until then, follow these tips to find what makes you unique and prepare well.
All the best!
