There's a good chance you'll encounter common interview questions that ask you to reflect on your value as an employee in your next job interview. One popular interview question is "why do you deserve this job?".
While you might be able to wing some interview questions, you should be ready to give an impressive answer to this question. It allows you to showcase your personality and skills to show why you're the best person for the job.
Similar questions include:
- Why are you the best person for the job?
- What can you bring to the company?
- What can you contribute to this company?
This article outlines why employers ask this question, provides example answers and tips.
Why employers ask, "Why do you deserve this job?"
Hiring managers ask this question to learn about you as a candidate, your personality, and whether you're an excellent fit for the position and company culture.
Because this question asks for your opinion, there are different ways you can answer it. You could tell the interviewer about your credentials that you're most proud of, outline why you have the necessary skills, or tie the new role to your career goals.
An interviewer can also ask this question to gauge your soft skills, as some jobs require strong interpersonal skills. They might even use this question to understand how you respond to difficult questions.
How to answer "Why do you deserve this job?"
Follow these steps to provide the best answer to this interview question:
1. Explain how you fit into the company culture
Describe how you can add to the company culture.
Company culture is the shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterize an organization. It's the way people feel about the work they do, the values they believe in, where the company is going, and what work they're doing to get it there.
Research to demonstrate you're a good fit for the work environment. Start with the company website as it contains valuable information like their mission statement, biography, about us page, and product pages.
Once you've read through these pages and gathered the information, you can use what you've learned to provide specific examples of how your personality and values align with the company's culture.
2. Highlight your skills
List the relevant skills you have for the new position. This question is about why you deserve the job, so showing you have the necessary skills is a great way to prove you're qualified for the new position.
The best way to find relevant skills is to read the job description carefully. The job description includes the duties and responsibilities required for the position. It may sound obvious, but most candidates only skim it.
Look out for the hard skills, skills directly related to the job, and soft skills that would help you do it well. Now you'll want to think through what skills you currently have, as well as new skills you'd like to develop.
For example, suppose you're applying for a remote job on a customer service desk. In that case, you might outline that you already have experience with Intercom and Zendesk, and your dream job is to be a technical account manager. You could also mention soft skills like communication, public speaking, and conflict resolution.
3. Reference your professional experience
Mention your previous work experience, such as your current job or a previously held job, if it's more relevant. Work experience is an essential consideration for hiring managers as your present job can inform the work you can do in your new job.
Make sure you tie it back to the job duties and responsibilities of the new role. Linking your experience to the job you're applying for makes it easy for the interviewer to see you are ready for new opportunities because you have the necessary knowledge and expertise to succeed in the position.
4. Emphasize your passion for the company or industry
Outline why you're excited to join the company or industry. Enthusiasm is one of the best traits you can have in your job search, as hiring managers typically prefer candidates who are excited about the role.
Highlighting your passion for the company or industry also indicates to a potential employer that you're likely to have the knowledge and a genuine interest in the work they need you to perform.
Passion puts you above other candidates who are only looking for a paycheck. You can emphasize your passion by discussing elements of the industry you enjoy or your experience using the company's products or services.
Example answers to "Why do you deserve this job?"
Here are a few example answers you can use to shape your own:
Example answer #1: Customer success representative
"I deserve the customer success manager job because experience and skills would add to your company culture, especially on your customer service team. I've been a customer of Webflow for many years. I'm familiar with the product and the attentiveness you give to your customers. I've worked as a customer success manager for a few years and have excellent communication and conflict resolution skills.
These skills help me create a positive environment with every customer. Creating a positive relationship with my customers has increased word-of-mouth growth for my prior employers, which I believe is an essential aspect of the CS role that most overlook."
Why it works: The candidate has outlined why they believe they deserve the job and provided additional information that could help them stand out as a candidate. Being a customer of a company you're applying to can be a massive leg up.
Example answer 2: Sales manager
"I've worked as a remote account executive for the past five years. I know what it takes to drive sales, and I'm confident I could grow into a successful team leader. Sales management is a long-term career objective, and I know that my expertise can be better scaled if I'm not the one doing the selling. I love working in sales, but what I'm passionate about is making other salespeople better."
Why it works: The candidate has outlined how their prior experience can help them grow into the role. They've also outlined that they have a passion for management.
Example answer 3: Software engineer
"I believe my previous experience as a full-stack engineer and the skills I've learned in my prior roles make me deserving of this position. I have a strong handle of Ruby and Ruby on Rails, and I know how to scale it to support millions of concurrent users. I also think my passion for product design and writing is a great fit for the culture I've observed at your company. I've read that you use writing to create fewer interruptions, opening up hours of uninterrupted time for deep work. I know how valuable deep work is, and I'd love to have the opportunity to code more with fewer distractions."
Why it works: The candidate has outlined that they have the skills needed to do the role while also indicating that they've researched the company and understand their unique company culture.
Tips for answering "Why do you deserve this job?"
- Practice your answer aloud: There's a big difference between reading words on paper and saying them aloud, which is why it's a good idea to practice your response to hear how it sounds. Practice will also help you appear more confident in the interview.
- Keep it concise: Try to keep your answer to one or two minutes. If the hiring manager wants more information, they'll ask a follow-up question. Short answers are easier to remember for you and the interviewer.
- Use specific examples: While you might not get across every reason you deserve the job, try highlighting one or two main reasons. An excellent way to do this is with the STAR method.
- Don't be too modest: Sell yourself! If you can't, try quoting a former colleague or manager or talk about how you achieved a hard OKR with the help of your team.
Possible follow-up questions
- Describe your work ethic
- What is your greatest strength?
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
- Why did you leave your last job?
- Why do you want to work here?
- Why are you the best person for this job?
- Tell me about a time you made a mistake
- What can you bring to the company?
- Do you have any questions for me? Read our guide on the best questions to ask in an interview.
- What is your greatest weakness?
- Behavioral interview questions. Be sure to use the STAR method when answering.
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