Why should we hire you?

11

Why should we hire you?

Typical interview questions are easy for the interviewer—hard for the applicant.

This one makes you prove yourself.

right
You need an accountant who can support general accounting functions in the monthly close process for a high-volume firm. I did that at Amex for five years. I spotted a hidden issue that saved $3 million. I also redesigned our cloud computing policies and saved $300,000 a year in labor hours spent on security.

wrong
I’m an experienced accountant skilled in financial statements, asset management, and account analysis. I worked for five years at American Express as an accountant. During that time I worked on cross-functional teams and improved our account analysis policies. I think I’d be a great fit.

That first example shows how you helped the company, with details. The second is generic. It tells your function, but were you good or bad at it?

This is one of the best interview questions. Only applicants who “get it” answer well.

Pro Tip: You’ll need lots of job-fitting accomplishments for a great interview. So—make a list. Before you go, rehearse your answers to these basic interview questions.

Read our guide to the why should we hire you interview question.

12

Describe what you do in your current position

Here are two Scrum Master interview questions and answers examples.

The job wants automation, Kanban, and velocity.

right
I’m a Scrum Master in a team of nine SaaS employees. In my daily work, I shield the team and improve process efficiency. When I first took the job the team wasn’t hitting deadlines. I implemented an automation drive and Kanban system that raised velocity 23%.

wrong
I’m a Scrum Master. I focus on forecasting, removing impediments, and daily standup facilitation. I initiated our new idea collection system. I also used unit testing and pair programming to raise quality measures by 20%.

Why does the first of those common interview questions answers work? It proves a skill set central to the job.

13

Tell me about a time you went above and beyond for work

Behavioral interview questions like this hunt for a diamond in the rough.

These answers are for a job that needs business storytelling skills:

right
We needed star power for a big marketing campaign. We got a minor star involved but we couldn’t afford the one we really wanted. I got her on the phone and used business storytelling skills to get her engaged at half her normal rate. The campaign’s ROI exceeded targets by 39%.

wrong
We had a big email campaign going on and our agency was behind. I worked overtime for two weeks and got everything done, but it was hard.

That first example answer shows exactly how you helped. In the second you made an effort, but did it help in some way?

See our guide to the tell me about a time you went above and beyond for work interview question.

14 

Why did you leave your last job?

Or—why are you leaving your current job?

Standard interview questions like this are booby-trapped.

Don’t answer negatively. That’s a red flag. Use it as a chance to show a skill they want.

right
My last job as an account manager was great. I got to do a side project in process improvement that saved $20,000 a month. Now that I’m trained as a Six Sigma Black Belt, I’m ready to make that the center of my career.

wrong
It just wasn’t a good fit. Management made some poor decisions that made it hard to get any traction. Plus I’m always looking for the next new thing.

Read our guide to the why did you leave your last job interview question here.

15

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

This job interview question means: “Will you ditch us next year?”

The interviewer wants to hear, “No way! If you hire me, I’ll work hard for you for life.”

right
I’d like to be a key player in a cutting edge agency like this. At Flexor I prototyped 30 product features a year. One of my sites received the 2017 Webby. That’s great, but there’s so much more I can do. A job like this would challenge me to be my best.

wrong
I’d like to be making six figures and have a wife and a couple kids. I want to live somewhere like Tibet and maybe write a novel. Plus I’d like to be working 20 hours a week and take two months off a year.

Ouch! That second of those common interview questions answers is a flight risk.

The first says, “This is the perfect work environment for me.”

Read our guide to the where do you see yourself in 5 years interview question here.

16

What is your management style?

The management style interview question means, “Would you be a good manager?”

For non-management jobs, it means, “Could we promote you later?”

right
I support the team, and let them do their jobs. They put me in charge of five analysts once at Marper Hills. I laid out our goals and got us access to a data analyst for a month. We found 35 low-margin projects and saved $2.9 million for the company.

wrong
I’ve never really had a managerial job before, but I guess I’d want to be sort of hands off. I think you should hire smart people and then let them do good work, not tell them what to do.

That first answer gives details. The second is a guess about what might happen.

See our guide to the what’s your management style interview question.

Here’s another of those tough behavioral interview questions:

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Tell me about a time you reached a goal at work

Behavioral or situational interview questions are a great way to prove yourself.

Talk about a problem, a solution, and how you helped.

right
My boss wanted me to triple our video sales. I coached our videographers to focus on making customers look beautiful in every shot. In one season sales quadrupled. We were able to hire additional staff for the next season.

wrong
Management wanted to double sales. I put together a new plan based on solid research. We hit the target.

The second of those typical interview questions answers is generic. To sell yourself, you need details.

Read our guide to the tell me about a time you reached a goal at work interview question.

18

What are your salary requirements?

This top interview question means: “Are you good AND can we afford you?”

Answer too low and you look cheap. Too high and you could scare them off.

So—be expensive, but with wiggle room. You’ll look like a deal.

For this interview questions example, the average salary is $20,000.

right
I’d like to make $30,000, but that’s negotiable. I talked with three of your current CNAs and they love working here. That’s worth a lot.

wrong
Anything is fine. I need the money.

Not sure about their price range? Check Glassdoor for a ballpark figure.

The next of our common interview questions seems personal. It’s not.

See our guide to the what are you salary requirements interview question.

19

What are you passionate about?

Interview questions like this sound like an invitation to ramble. But—stay focused on accomplishments.

This answer is for a customer service job that needs product knowledge skills.

right
I love putting customers together with products that enrich their lives. At Chiller Outfitters we were tasked with maintaining thorough product knowledge. I got 98% positive customer satisfaction scores for that. As a result, my sales figures were 10% higher than the store average.

wrong
I’m very passionate about animal rights. I’m on the board for our local animal shelter and I go to meetings once a month. I walk dogs there every week because it makes them more adoptable.

The first of those interview questions answers bolts you to the job. The second is really nice, but it won’t get you hired.

Read our guide to the what are you passionate about interview question here.

20 

How did you hear about this job?

You can answer typical interview questions like this with, “I saw it on LinkedIn.”

That’s fine, but why not use it to sell?

right
I saw it on LinkedIn. It was the perfect match because you need a UX designer skilled in gathering project requirements and working with Adobe Suite. In my last job, I designed 90% of our customer jobs with Adobe. I gathered all the project requirements myself and managed to keep customer satisfaction scores at 98%.

wrong
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Next on the list of common interview questions, prove they can’t hire anyone but you.