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Why Are You The Best Candidate For This Position
Updated: Aug 10, 2022
So, you've finally landed a dream job interview after investing a considerable amount of time in creating and submitting job applications. You probably have already visited the company website and know a thing or two about the hiring manager. The important thing is how you prepare yourself for the interview. You're not a hundred percent sure what questions the interviewer will ask, but you can indeed list down some frequently asked interview questions and prepare your response.
First of all, you need to celebrate the moment that you're among the shortlisted candidates. You were chosen because you're qualified and certainly have a chance to get the job. Now it's time to think about the skills and qualifications that make you the ideal candidate for the job. For example, people who inspire to become J1 teachers should be working hard to define what makes them great teachers and how they qualify to be a J-1 teacher.
Most importantly, you have to stay positive and believe in what you're capable of. Stats suggest that the overall confidence of a strong candidate improves their chances of getting hired. And one way to appear confident in the interview is to prepare and rehearse your answers. In this blog post, we will talk about some of the common interview questions and how you should respond to them. Let's get started!
Why are you the best candidate for this position?
Stand in front of a mirror and ask this question yourself before a hiring manager does. It's not all about practicing a response but identifying what really makes you the best candidate for this position: is it your skills, experience, education, or anything else?
Take the time before the interview to evaluate your qualifications and what was written in the job posting. Write down a couple of paragraphs explaining how your traits make you the best fit for the job. If you have a specific skill set that helps you stand out from the rest, mention them.
Another great way to answer this question is to show the interviewer your accomplishments in your previous jobs that relate to the job you're being interviewed for. For instance, if you've served as a teacher in a school, tell them how your services improved the overall performance of your previous recruiter or how you added value to your students' lives.
Feel free to mention anything that explains why you're the ideal candidate for this job position. The interviewer might use different words to ask the same questions. For example:
Why are you the right candidate for this job?
Why are you the best person for the role?
Why are you a good fit for this position?
Why should we hire you?
It is important to come up with a reasonable answer. Wondering why hiring managers ask this question? HR managers want to make sure that the suitable candidate they hire is not a liability but an asset to the company. Your answers will help them make an assessment.
When you have answered the questions above, you can compare your qualifications with the job requirements. Using the STAR method (situation, task, action, results) to illustrate your answer, you need to brainstorm how your qualifications have helped you in the past achieve the expected outcome. After reviewing your qualifications and tailoring an answer based on the steps above, look at how your qualifications make you the best candidate for the position. Ideally, you will be able to answer this question correctly by the end of this article. As you prepare for your interview, this should provide a starting point.
Consider using the guidelines below when formulating your answer after completing the assessment. Here are specific guidelines to help you answer the question, as well as sample answers to help you understand what's expected. Consider using the following steps to prepare an effective response:
1. Identify your strengths
What are your greatest workplace strengths? When asked in an interview, you should be able to answer this question with clarity. To identify your strengths, listen to your emotions when working. What activity does provide you with happiness and satisfaction? It could be a task that involves leadership skills or an activity where you have to solve problems. Here are some notable workplace strengths that employers want in their employees:
Thinking inventively
Thinking strategically
Generating new ideas
Thinking creatively
Establishing clear performance measures
Supporting or coaching others
Building their professional network
As mentioned earlier, you can find your strengths within your education, hard skills, achievements, and experience. Ask yourself the following questions to discover more about your strengths:
What do you enjoy doing?
What do people say about you?
What skills do others say you possess?
Is there anything special you find in your Linkedin recommendations?
What do you enjoy learning?
What did help you create your success stories?
These questions might help you discover your hidden strengths or traits.
2. Identify the company's needs
It is really important to understand the vision, job requirements, and needs of the company you want to join. A job posting usually tells a lot about what a company is looking for. However, you can think beyond the job description and go to the internet to learn more about the company.
The objective is to align your skills, career goals, and relevant experience with the company's needs. If you think your leadership skills will play a key role in this job, write them down. Create a list of your strengths that are relevant to the job. To learn more about the company's culture, vision and mission, visit their website and social media profiles. This will help you within the hiring process.
3. Write down a summary of your strengths
The next step is to write a summary of your strengths in a conversational tone, just like you would talk during the interview. If the hiring manager asks you about your strength, consider it an opportunity to talk about your relevant skills (communication skills, interpersonal skills, organizational skills, etc) and accomplishments.
4. Rehearse
Most potential candidates are aware of the typical job interview questions. You can easily set yourself apart by preparing great answers to those questions. Once you have written down the answers, be sure to practice them. Give a list of questions and ask a friend or family member to interview you. The more you practice, the easier it will be for you to appear confident.
Here is a great tip: record your responses and play them back to yourself to observe your body language. Give a list of questions to a friend and ask them to interview you.
Example Answer: Teacher
"I believe my skills and education uniquely qualify me for this teaching position. I've worked hard in previous teaching jobs to develop the necessary skills for this position. I served in an under-performing school district for two years before completing my master's degree. I can use my professional experience, skills, and knowledge to enhance outcomes at your school."
Let's look at some other important types of questions that you should prepare for to improve your chances of getting hired.
Related: How To Get A Teaching Job With Ease
Common Job Interview Questions
1. Why do you want to work with us?
It's a common but challenging interview question, and your answer could make all the difference. Therefore, you need to come up with a solid response. Don't say things like you really need a job or the company offers a good salary. Instead, figure out how you can help the company succeed or how easily you can fit within the company culture. Preparing your response will help you come up with a winning answer.
2. Why are you a great match for this role?
This question is pretty much similar to "why are you the best candidate for this position?". In your response, you should identify the skills and qualifications that would help you deliver exceptional results. Convince yourself before convincing the hiring manager. Develop a clear picture of how you're a great match for this position. Feel free to talk about your key accomplishments and education that improve your chances of performing well at this organization.
3. Why do you want this job? Sample answer
It really depends on why you want this job. Understand how this position (no matter if entry-level position or managerial position) will benefit you down the road. Some mistakes candidates freeze when asked this question because they don't do their homework. Don't be one of them. Anticipate these questions and spend some time preparing clear and concise answers. Here is a sample answer to help you create yours:
"This opportunity is really exciting for me as I have all the skills and knowledge to achieve tremendous results. Besides, I always wanted to be a part of this amazing company as it has all the elements of great company culture."
4. What am I good at?
What are you good at? Think of your hobbies and additional soft skills that may reveal an innate talent. However, be sure to mention things that are relevant to the job. If you're being interviewed for a photographer position, talk about your photography talent. Take into account activities that you were good at as a child. Pay attention to people around you and what they say about your qualities. Many people aren't sure where their strengths lie. Don't be one of them if you want to nail the interview.
5. Why do you want to work for this company?
There must be something that encouraged you to apply for this job. Your potential employer wants to know how you would add value to their business. It is advisable not to come up with a generic answer. Learn about the organization and how it encourages employee growth through training. Moreover, you can talk about the reputation of the company.
6. Explain why your background and experience would be a good fit for this job?
When it comes to a job interview, everything revolves around your personality, preferences, skills, and qualification. It becomes easier to answer this question if you've already done a similar job in the past. If your previous experience is somehow irrelevant to this job, you can talk about your education and skills. An exceptional candidate with the proper qualification and job experience are more likely to be hired.
7. What makes you, you
This one sounds like a philosophical question. Think of your traits that might encourage the hiring manager to consider you as a top candidate for the job. Are you compassionate, supportive, or genuine? Write down the qualities that people love about you. It could be your strengths or unique skills. Be confident that you're a unique individual with unique talents.
The best way to answer ‘Why are you suitable for this job?'
What makes you a good candidate for this position? To answer this question, you can take a variety of approaches. The best way to convince the hiring manager that you are the right candidate is to sell yourself. Preparation in advance will also help you avoid being caught off-guard when such questions arise.
You might want to consider practicing in front of the mirror or even with a friend so you can refine your answer over time.
Prepare an answer that highlights your best skills, accomplishments, relevant experience, and education if you want to land this job. In other words, practice! It's best to refine your answer several times before crafting the one that won't fail to land you the position.
Here are some mistakes candidates make when asked this question
It's hard to land a job after an interview! Make sure you don't sabotage your dream job opportunity by making silly, small mistakes you can easily avoid. The importance of practicing cannot be overstated!
Rambling
Don't stress! You shouldn't start describing where your family has been on vacation. Make your case for the position by highlighting the compelling points you have. Ensure that your answers are concise by limiting their length to one or two minutes each. It is also a good idea to practice beforehand.
Be yourself, don't be modest
You have the chance to prove to the hiring manager that you're the right candidate for the position, so don't under-represent yourself.
Give general answers
Make sure your answers aren't vague. Be sure to include your personality in the solutions you offer. Make sure you focus on your unique skills, traits, and abilities when you answer the questions. Ensure your answers are as detailed as possible. Avoid sounding rehearsed. Do not memorize the information here, just use it as a guide.
Not all hiring managers ask this question during interviews, although it may be an essential question. It may be necessary to use the discussed key points to sell yourself during the interview, despite your preparation.
The interviewer will be looking for your best skills when you answer this question so make sure you utilize them. As a result, your answer should be based on your prior industrial experience, hard and soft skills, accomplishments, and accolades, as well as your educational background.
Closing Thoughts
Maybe you're struggling to find out what your dream job might be. Or, perhaps you're not happy with your current job and need to find a better one. Regardless of your situation or the position you've applied for, make sure to do some homework before appearing in a job interview. If you really want to get that job, thoroughly prepare for the interview. Practicing these questions will surely improve your chances of having a wonderful interview.
The question "why you are the best candidate for this position" is an opportunity for you to express yourself. Make good use of it.
About J-1 Teacher.com
J-1Teachers.com is a platform where we create excellent opportunities for international teachers and US schools to find each other. If you want to teach in a school in the US as a foreign teacher, don't forget to learn more about the J-1 Teacher program or the Teacher Exchange Program and how it allows foreign teachers to serve in a US school for a certain period. We can help you with changing your career path.