How to Answer the “What Makes you Different From Other Candidates” Interview Question

Whenever you go for a personal interview, it is quite possible, that the other candidates must have a significant number of your abilities and character attributes the same as you have. But simultaneously, there will be some skills or character traits that you extraordinarily have and no one else does and that is what makes you unique.

It is not always easy to recognize what separates you from different experts in your field and that is why the interviewers usually ask the question to the candidates, “What makes you special?”

It’s a must-answer question that needs to be replied to on the spot, and hence if your answer somehow ends up impressing the interviewer then you might increase your chances of getting hired.

Now, the main question remains the same that is how to prepare an impressive answer to this question? But don’t worry in this article we are going to share some of the tips to follow to help yourself with your best response.

Why does the interviewer ask this question?

The interviewer many times incorporates this question to distinguish what abilities or characteristics make you a preferred fit for the job over other applicants they may be meeting.

The second explanation that why interviewers pose this inquiry is to comprehend what you think about yourself or what is your opinion of yourself and what you believe is significantly comparable to the work you are applying for.

The things you are most expected to underline in your answer will be the basic qualities you possess. But the company on the other hand looking for some extraordinary qualities or delicate skills you probably have that make you different from the other.

Additionally, this question isn’t only about what makes you unique but the interviewer is also looking forward to knowing what worth you could bring to the company and its reputation in the global market.

Questioners also ask this question to discover how innovative an applicant is. These questions expect contenders to think and react quickly, and a clever response shows the questioner that you have enough abilities, which are important for the job and the company.

How to prepare yourself for this question?

To answer this question effectively and impressively you first need to give a thought yourself that why recruiting you would profit the following company you have applied to.

Here are some of the tips you can follow to assist you with preparing your answer:

1. Only consider those qualities that the company may find relevant and valuable

Hiring managers usually look for those candidates who will bring a viewpoint, range of abilities, or capacity that will assist them with accomplishing the company’s long-term or short-term objectives.

Set aside an effort to concentrate on the requirements of the job and search about the company and its values.

Learn about explicit targets that the company is trusting the new representative will meet, at that point recognize the qualities you have that line up with these requirements and are relevant to the company.

2. Recall your past experiences and encounters

Now, after completing your research, think about the times in your previous job experiences, where you proved to be effective and appreciated by your manager.

You can share any story from your background and tell them about your success concerning that. You can share all the characteristics, responsibilities, skills that helped you in making it successful or how did you manage to overcome the challenges you faced.

3. Identify your most well-known characteristics

Now, you have to be very careful with the characteristics you are going to highlight in your answer. You have to make sure that you only consider those qualities that are relevant to the job or company or those qualities which could in some way add up to the value of the company.

 You can also mention those characteristics that have led to success in your past experiences and have you appreciated by your managers.

You can mention your strengths that differentiate you from others and which can be proved as your ideal selling points.

4. You don’t need to be an exceptional

Keep in mind that you don’t have to prove yourself exceptional. You don’t have to pressure or threaten yourself by reminding yourself that you have to be unique to get the job

Companies do look for fascinating abilities, but they don’t anticipate that you should share something that is not normal for any answer they’ve at any point heard particularly if it does not apply to the work. So don’t get yourself fooled by  the word “unique”

Now, since this is a troublesome question to answer, So here is a list of a couple of normal mistakes that one needs to stay away from when answering this question:

• Bragging- the last thing you would wanna do in your interview is brag about your qualities. The questioners only need to know about significant and relevant abilities and characteristics, so try to keep it brief and clear.
• Excessively nonexclusive. Answers that are tasteless and don’t have explicit guides to back them up won’t get you any far. You need to depict something that genuinely makes you stick out, and clarify how you will add up the value of the company.
• Lying. the first important tip is don’t lie or make up stories. In case you lie about your qualities, you are eventually going to get discovered, so ensure your answer is straightforward and real.
• Blabbering. As already mentioned above that you need to highlight only those qualities that are relevant so make sure that you don’t sound like you are blabbering and try to keep your answer straightforward.

Sample answers

Example 1-“ I have a natural ability to get along with people that have helped me to stand out in previous roles. Because I empathize well with people from all backgrounds, I’m able to build up a good relationship with clients quickly, understanding what they want and how best to deliver that.

My last job involved signing up new customers, often through cold calling. I enjoyed the challenge of having just a few minutes to try and form a rapport. I had a strong success rate and was regularly named top salesperson of the month.”

Example 2- “What makes me unique is my ability to easily empathize with and relate to people. This skill helped me in my previous role as an account executive in charge of prospecting new accounts. Because I was able to quickly identify and understand their pain points and challenges, I was able to establish trust and build relationships—both of which drove me to consistently exceed my quota.”