Adams & Garth Blog

“Why should I hire you?”

Prospective employers ask this question to find out about what you bring to the table. If you’re able to sell them on the unique value you can offer, then you should be able to land the job.

However, answering this question with responses like “I’m hard working” or “I have 5 years of experience” could be a problem. Again, employers want to know what you can do for them. Specifically, how you can help them solve problems, save time, save money, make money, or enhance customer satisfaction.

With that said, here are some tips to help you answer this inevitable interview question:

Go over the job description.

Before your interview, make sure you take another look at the job description. Try to get a sense of the employer’s goals or needs when it comes to filling this position.

Write down a list of achievements.

Think about your past achievements that align with the employer’s goals or needs. Write down three or four of them. It’s helpful to think more in terms of end results. For instance, in past positions, were you able to:

• Reduce costs
• Retain clients or employees
• Enhance sales/growth
• Impact productivity
• Keep the company in compliance with regulations
• Add to the company’s financial stability

Again, the accomplishments you ultimately choose to highlight in your interview should be relevant to the job description.

Use numbers.

Once you know which accomplishments you’d like to discuss in your interview, try to illustrate them using numbers, such as actual dollars saved or the percentage of sales increased. For instance, if you’re applying for a sales position, you might say something like: “By targeting new markets, I was able to build the company’s client base and enhance sales by 10%.”

Talk about any special skills.

Don’t forget to highlight any special skills you have, such as the ability to speak a foreign language or knowledge of a complex software program. Unique skills will help you stand apart from other candidates.

Practice.

Now that you’ve developed several examples of your accomplishments, how they positively impacted your past employers, and any special skills you have, practice your answer out loud.

The bottom line is that many candidates aren’t prepared to answer this question. However, if you follow the tips above, the next time you’re asked this interview question, you should have a great answer ready that will truly impress the interviewer.

And if you need some additional help landing interviews – or a new job, please contact Adams & Garth. As a Harrisonburg employment agency, we can help you prepare for interviews and find a great job that’s a match for your skills and interests.

Most Harrisonburg job seekers spend the majority of their time combing through classified ads and the Internet looking for good job opportunities. However, statistics show that more people land jobs through networking than through reading the classifieds.

So how can you leverage the power of networking to land that job and get ahead? Here are some tips:

Get connected.
With today’s social media tools, such as Facebook, it’s so easy to get in touch and remain connected with former co-workers, college classmates, and other colleagues. They may be working for a company who’s hiring, or may know someone who’s looking for someone just like you.

Talk to everyone, wherever you go.
It doesn’t matter if you’re at a cocktail party, wedding, business seminar, or on a plane, you never know who you’re going to meet if you just put in a little effort to talk to people.

Ask lots of questions.
Most everyone likes to talk about themselves. So when you’re networking, ask lots of questions. Not only will you build stronger relationships with your network of connections, but you might uncover a nugget of information that could help you land your next job.

Be a good listener.
Don’t you hate it when someone asks you a question and then starts looking around the room, not paying any attention to your answer? Well…guess what? Other people hate it when you do the same to them. So be a good listener. Ask pointed questions and listen with interest (whether authentic or not) as someone responds.

Create an elevator speech.
Create and practice a little 30-60 second overview of who you are and what you do for a living. So when someone asks that inevitable question – “what do you do?” – you have a strong and clear response.

Hand out business cards.
Make sure you always have a stack of business cards with you wherever you go. Also, get comfortable with handing them out.

Join a club.
Getting involved in a club or volunteering with an organization is a great way to network. It’s best if you join an association connected with your job interests, but not necessary.

If you’re searching for a new job opportunity in Harrisonburg, or anywhere in Central Virginia, please contact Adams & Garth. As a staffing agency serving Harrisonburg and Central Virginia, we know many of the top employers in the area and can give you access to job opportunities you won’t read about on the classified pages.