Are you the missing piece of our company’s puzzle?
Ideally, to answer this question you want to have some knowledge of the problems facing the department/company, so that you have an understanding of how your skills could help. The reality is, however, that you may not have access to this type of information at this stage of the game. The best you can do is perform your due diligence in researching the company and aligning your skills with their needs.
Tips for Structuring A Response:
1) Acknowledge the competition. It’s the reality and part of the question being asked, so don’t ignore it:
“I understand I am only one of the candidates you are interviewing, but I think that there are many reasons why I should be your top pick. Let me share a few of the reasons with you….”
2) Neatly summarize 3-4 of your top qualities with relevant examples of you in action displaying those traits.
3) Don’t forget to incorporate key points about the job and the company into this answer. You may have been a phenomenal manager at your previous job, but how will that experience translate to this company’s needs? Make it easy for the interviewer(s) to picture you succeeding in this job. Yes, share success stories from your work history, but then pivot the discussion to focus on how specifically your skills could be used in this position. At the point where everyone in that room has a clear image of you helping that company solve its problems, is when you’ve done your job as interviewee extraordinaire. The trick is for you to first have that image, and then succinctly communicate it.
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