Why should we hire you?
Why interviewers ask this
This is your invitation to make the case for yourself. The interviewer wants to hear, in your own words, how your skills and experience match what they need.
It also tests whether you have understood the role. The best answers show that you know what the job requires and can point to proof that you have done similar work before. Because it often comes near the end, it is also your chance to leave the interviewer with a clear, confident summary of why you fit.
How to answer
- Identify the two or three most important requirements of the role from the job description and the conversation so far.
- Match each requirement to your experience, with a short piece of evidence.
- Add what makes you different — a combination of skills, a relevant background or a result others may not have.
- Keep it to about a minute and speak with confidence, not arrogance.
- Finish with genuine enthusiasm for the role.
Example answers
From what we’ve discussed, you need someone who can reduce churn among your mid-sized clients and work closely with the product team. That’s very much what I’ve been doing for the past three years. I manage around forty accounts, and I introduced quarterly business reviews for our at-risk clients, which helped us keep several large accounts that were close to leaving. I also collect client feedback and turn it into clear requests for our product team — two features we launched last year came from those. What I think makes me different is that I started my career in technical support, so I can talk to clients’ IT teams as easily as to their managers. I’d be excited to bring that to your team.
You need someone who can run the grill section consistently during busy service and who is keen to learn. I’ve been a chef de partie for two years in a restaurant doing around 150 covers on a Saturday, and I run my section without needing supervision. I’m very disciplined about prep and hygiene — our last inspection had no issues on my section. I also helped develop two dishes on our current menu, which taught me how to cost recipes and work with suppliers. I’ve eaten here twice and I love how much you focus on seasonal produce. I’d work hard to keep your standards and grow into a sous chef role here over time.
Mistakes to avoid
- Giving a generic answer like “I’m hard-working and passionate” that any candidate could say.
- Repeating your entire CV instead of focusing on what this role needs.
- Putting down other candidates or sounding arrogant.
- Focusing on why you need the job rather than what you will deliver.