What should I answer when asked about my background?
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For some, the job interview question, "What makes you unique?" can stop you in your tracks. You know you have the qualifications and the skills to do the job, but how are you supposed to know how you're different from anyone else? Show
The answer is: you don't have to know. And you don't have to be Superman to deliver a job-winning answer to this question. Here are three surefire ways to answer the "What makes you unique?" interview question that will impress your interviewer. How NOT To Answer This Challenging QuestionTo come up with a great answer to this interview question, first you need to know how notto answer. The hiring manager absolutely does not want to know that you play in a band on the weekends, you can solve a Rubik's Cube in 30 seconds, or that you have a pet rat. When interviewers ask, "What makes you unique?" the real question is: Why should I hire you? Or, why should I choose you over the other people I'm interviewing? That's what you should answer. A personal answer may be interesting, but it won't help to convince them to hire you. All of your job interview answers should focus on telling them what they need to know in order to say, "You're hired!" Think about what makes you valuable to have in this role and why it's valuable. Those are the qualities you want to draw attention to, and now is the time to brag about them. Ultimately, employers want to know how you will save or make the company money. Prove your value, prove you have a track record of saving or making companies money by being successful in past positions, and they'll absolutely want to hire you. Here are couple of great ways to answer the uniqueness question based on things employers really care about—your background, your experiences, and your personality or soft skills (that pertain to the job.) Explaining Your Career Background Bigstock Here's a sample answer of what you might say when responding to this question: "My background is a little different from others in the field, which gives me a unique perspective that has allowed me to see solutions that are creative and resourceful. For example, I came up with X solution [tell what it was] to solve Y problem, and it worked out beautifully. [Use evidence in the form of numbers, dollars, or percentages that really highlight the success of your solution.]" Sharing Your Previous ExperiencesBigstock Here's an example of what you might say when responding to this question: "I believe that my education in X [name your degree or classes here] combined with my work experience in Y give me an especially great advantage when approaching [a typical or critical problem this job addresses]. I draw on both to solve everyday issues and special challenges. For example, in [name a situation], I took [name the action you took] and got [name the results you got—again, in the form of numbers, dollars, or percentages if you can]." Selling Your Skills Sets/PersonalityBigstock If the job description or things the interviewer has said so far let you know that soft skills like communication or organization are important for the job, you can say something like: "I believe I have exceptional organizational skills. In my last job, I created a new system for task assignments that streamlined our productivity and improved it by 20%." This little bit at the end—"by 20%"—transforms what would be a good answer ("I streamlined our productivity") to a standout answer. It grabs attention and tells them exactly how much you mattered. Remember: in the job search, it's all about quantifying your work experience, on your resume and in your job interviews. Overall Strategy In Your CareerBigstock If you have any experience or skills that would make you valuable in the role, now is the time to mention it. Worry less about "uniqueness" and focus on value. Add impressiveness to your answer and make them remember you by incorporating proof of how what you have is valuable, and describe it in terms of numbers, dollars, or percentages. Next time you have a big job interview, try using these tips to answer what makes you unique. That second phone call could be coming faster than you think! Looking for a job? We can help! Check out our FREE resources page and Live Events Calendar. Or, join our career growth club today and get access to one-on-one career coaching, resume and cover letter reviews, online tutorials, and unlimited networking opportunities—all in your back pocket! If you want FREE career advice in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily Dose! Struggling to find the right job? Check out Work It Daily's Incredible Companies page to see snapshots of companies hiring. Work It Daily also highlights job opportunities on a daily basis on TikTok. This post was originally published at an earlier date. From Your Site Articles
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Are you terrified of screwing up a job interview? Does the thought of writing a cover letter horrify you? Are you scared to network with others? What do you even say, anyway? If you're struggling to overcome your job search fears, this live event is for you. We get it. Looking for work can be scary, especially if you’ve been at it for a long time and haven’t gotten any results. Understanding which fears are getting in the way and how to overcome them will make all the difference. Sometimes you might not be aware of which obstacle is getting in the way of your goals. If you want to overcome these fears once and for all, we invite you to join us! In this training, you’ll learn how to:
Join our CEO, J.T. O'Donnell, and Director of Training Development & Coaching, Christina Burgio, for this live event on Wednesday, October 5th at 12 pm ET. CAN'T ATTEND LIVE? That's okay. You'll have access to the recording and the workbook after the session! Read moreShow less The average turnover rate currently is ~47%. If the entire team isn’t feeling engaged and appreciated, your team may be affected and part of this statistic. If so, there are things you can do to efficiently fill that vacancy with an individual who is a great fit for the team. Where To Find Potential Job CandidatesBigstock Let’s start with where the potential individuals will come from. The typical pools are: 1. Internally – can you hire someone from within the organization? Internal promotions and transfers show existing employees that there are career advancement opportunities within the organization. Even when there isn’t an opening, you can help explain the skills and training needed for potential internal candidates who are interested in joining your team. 2. Externally – via a job posting, the use of a recruiter (contingent or retained), etc. 3. Referral Program – which is the best of both worlds. A “referring” internal employee is already familiar with the organization and culture. As a result, this will improve the quality of the hire for a better cultural fit which will improve the employee retention rate. This will typically reduce the time to hire and, as a result, reduce the cost per hire. And to take your referral program from “good” to great,” consider the following:
If you have an opening on your team, ask for a referral from the team. A team member will have a better idea of the type of individual who would be a better cultural fit for the team, especially for hard-to-find roles. What You Should Consider When Replacing A Team MemberBigstock No matter what avenue(s) you use, below are four considerations: 1. You’ll need a good relevant job description (JD). If the position has multiple levels, make sure it correctly ladders (e.g., Analyst I, Analyst II, and Analyst III) so that there is a clear path to growth. Sometimes less is more. If a JD is too detailed, then it’s unlikely that you’ll find an individual who matches 100%. Are all of the skills listed really requirements or can some be taught? 2. The team should be made up of diverse individuals. Hopefully, you have a diverse set of applicants. Diverse individuals have diverse perspectives. As a result, a diverse team will have more innovative and productive discussions and develop well-thought-out solutions. So be prepared to think outside the box when reviewing the resumes. 3. During the interview process, determine whether the applicant is a good cultural fit for the team dynamic. Ask team members to participate in the interviews and solicit their opinions about the applicants. They’ll have a good idea of the type of individual who would be a good fit for the team, especially for hard-to-find roles. In addition, not only does the team get to meet the applicants, but each applicant gets to meet the team and get a feel for the team’s dynamics. 4. When getting ready to make an offer, be empathetic and open to requests the applicant may have for a good work-life balance such as:
When you’re intentional and take the time to build your team together, the entire team is more likely to feel and be engaged. You’ll be one step closer to having a high-performing team. For more information on building a high-performing team, check out my article "3 Ways To Retain Members Of Your High-Performing Teams." For more information on replacing a team member for the best fit, follow me on LinkedIn! Read moreShow less Whispers about a possible recession have been in the air for a few years, but those whispers grew a lot louder recently with many economists highlighting various economic indicators pointing toward a possible recession in the immediate future. Recessions can impact everyone differently, but history indicates that there will be mass layoffs, fewer jobs, more competition for jobs, and less job security. Here's what you need to know about a potential recession's impact on your career: Common Situations People Find Themselves In During A RecessionAs stated above, a recession impacts everyone differently. Any issue with the economy will impact consumers' wallets in one way or another but things can become particularly painful when it impacts your livelihood. From a professional standpoint, the most common situations people find themselves in during a recession include: Feeling trapped in a job they hate - Perhaps you were looking to leave your current job and make a career change, but the recession put the brakes on that. A person trapped in a job they hate can be less productive and many times the unhappiness from their professional life bleeds into their personal life. Getting laid off from a job - This is the most painful consequence of a recession. It has a significant impact on a person emotionally. It also forces them to pick themselves up and enter into a competitive job market. And the awkward and uncomfortable fact is that if you are laid off, you're better off being involved in a company's first round of layoffs. Those let go in a second round of layoffs must enter into an even more competitive job market where their former co-workers already have a head start on them. Being forced to accept a job they don't want - People have bills to pay and it's not uncommon for some to become so frustrated with the job search process that they eventually settle for any job offer they get. This is especially painful for anyone that may have been laid off from a career they loved. Going from a career you love to one you don't could make you a less productive worker and could also have major emotional impacts. Struggling to land a job at all - This is the worst-case scenario. Not only is the job market ultra competitive, but those who have lost a job are interviewing for new ones with an urgency that sometimes comes across as desperation. The more times a person gets rejected from a job, the more desperate they become and the more it impacts them during job interviews. The unfortunate truth is that those who are laid off during a recession are at a disadvantage because recruiters are more likely to hire people that are already employed. How To Know If A Recession May Impact Your CareerBigstock There will be some common sense signs such as the state of your industry and the overall health of the company you work for, but beyond that, there are typically six strong indicators that your job is at risk during a recession. The biggest indicator starts with doing an honest self-assessment about yourself because if you don't have a long-term career goal in place, you are vulnerable to losing your job during a recession. If you're currently just getting by at your job but can't define what you do particularly well or the value you provide the company, that's a major red flag. A solid long-term career goal involves a 2-5 year plan that highlights the skills and expertise that you provide to a company and what the company's return on investment would be if they hire you. This is all about creating and maintaining your personal brand. Your career goal should also include a plan for how you want to continue to grow professionally. While having this plan in place doesn't make you recession-proof, it will put you in a better position if the worst-case scenario does occur! How To Prepare Your Career For A RecessionNothing in this world is foolproof but there are certain steps that you can take now at your current job that will make you less vulnerable during a recession. It all starts with being an engaged employee who strives to always exceed expectations at work. You should be the type of employee who has career goals in place. You know what value you provide the company and how you're going to provide it. You should also be the type of employee who reaches out to management from time to time to see what you can do to increase your value to the company. An engaged employee is a valuable employee! It's not a matter of if a recession is coming; it's when. Make sure you're prepared! Need more help preparing your career for a recession? We'd love it if you signed up for Work It Daily's Event Subscription! Get your career questions answered in our next live event! What to answer for Tell me about your background?Here's how to do it.. Talk about your background. Answering this question well is about more than just mentioning your skills or professional experience. ... . Describe your interests. ... . Mention your past experience. ... . Explain why you're excited about the opportunity.. What is your personal background?Your background is the kind of family you come from and the kind of education you have had. It can also refer to such things as your social and racial origins, your financial status, or the type of work experience that you have.
How can I explain my background and experience?Key Takeaways. MATCH YOUR EXPERIENCE TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION: Emphasize the experience and qualifications that will help you achieve success in the role.. BE SPECIFIC AND QUANTIFY YOUR RESULTS: Statistics are particularly persuasive. ... . DON'T MEMORIZE YOUR RESPONSES: Practice, but don't learn your answers by rote. ... . BE HONEST.. |
