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.

Many company recruiters in Harrisonburg – and beyond – start out job interviews with the question “Tell me about yourself.” Some use it as an icebreaker, while others use it to gain a better sense of how articulate and confident you are. Regardless of their motives for asking the question, you should be prepared to deal with it. Otherwise, you’re missing out on an important opportunity to sell yourself.

What to Say

This question can be overwhelming for candidates who are uncertain of where to start or how much to say. But keep in mind, the recruiter really only wants to know what you bring to the table and how you can help the company if you’re hired. They don’t care about where you were born, how many kids you have, or that you played basketball in college (unless, of course, you’re interviewing for a coaching position).

So instead, focus on what you think the recruiter will be most interested in (i.e. describe the qualifications you have that you think are most important for the position) and highlight your biggest accomplishments.

Here’s an example:

“I’m a restaurant manager with 15 years of experience. In my last position at ABC Grille, I was responsible for hiring and training staff, managing inventory, and overseeing customer service. I also re-negotiated vendor contracts and, as a result, was able to the cut restaurant’s overall operating expenses by 10%.”

Whatever you say, keep it short – think 30 seconds or less. When preparing for your interview, write your answer out and practice it until you feel comfortable with it and it sounds natural. You don’t need to describe your entire career to the recruiter. You simply want to pique their interest and demonstrate that you’re confident in your abilities.

Another benefit to preparing for this inevitable interview question is that many other candidates don’t. They are unprepared and respond with “Well, what do you want to know?” Or they tend to ramble on, recapping their life story or, worse yet, relaying personal matters. So by being prepared for this question, you’re already setting yourself apart and making a better first impression.

And if you need help preparing for a job interview, or finding a job, please contact Adams & Garth. We’re one of the leading recruiters in Harrisonburg and can give you access to opportunities you may not find elsewhere.

As Lynchburg companies are slowly starting to hire again, finding the right people to fill openings is more important than ever. If you’re looking to hire, here are 5 must-ask interview questions:

1. Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a major obstacle.

This question will help you get a clearer picture of the candidate’s work history. You may want to be more specific with this question, depending on the position you’re trying to fill. For instance, if it’s a managerial position, ask them about a time where they made a bad hiring decision and what they did about it.

2. Why do you want this position?

This question will help you determine if the candidate has done their homework and researched your company. It will also give you some insight into how the candidate feels about the job and your company, as well as why they think they’d be a good fit for the position.

3. What have been your greatest areas of improvement in your career?

This is another way to ask the question about weaknesses (i.e. What’s your biggest weakness?). Candidates should address this question in a way that shows how they are dealing or have dealt with a weakness. It also gives the candidate a chance to talk about their career ambition and learning experiences. Beware of candidates who are unwilling to admit a weakness. Everyone has them, and the good candidate will know how to turn a weakness into a positive.

4. What’s the hardest feedback you’ve ever gotten and what did you learn from it?

This question shows that your candidate can learn from mistakes. If a candidate tells you they can’t remember or haven’t ever gotten negative feedback, that could be a red flag. It could indicate that they have never worked in a fast-paced, intense, or creative environment. It could also indicate that they never asked for feedback or were viewed as too fragile to receive it.

5. What kind of work environment do you prefer?

Finding a candidate who is the right fit in terms of personality is just as important as finding someone with the right skill set. So if your culture is laid back and loud, someone who is more reserved may not fit in there, even if they look great on paper.

If you need any help with the hiring process, please contact Adams & Garth. As an experienced Lynchburg staffing agency, we’ve partnered with top companies since 1989, providing temporary and full-time staffing, training and HR consulting services.

You’re in the middle of an interview for an amazing new job opportunity in Charlottesville. Everything is going great. You look polished; you sound confident; you’re nailing every question. Then the interviewer asks you:

“If you were a car, what kind of car would you be?”

Your heart starts racing. Your mind goes blank. You begin to sweat. What should you say?

First of all, there’s no need to panic. This kind of interview question is designed to stump you. The interviewer wants to see how you react and how quickly you can think on your feet.

Here’s what to do and what NOT to do in this kind of situation:

• Don’t let the question rattle you. Simply smile and take a deep breath.

• Ask for a moment to give it some thought. A moment of silence or a pause in the conversation is better than blurting out a ridiculous answer.

• If you don’t know what the interviewer is fishing for in your answer, then ask for clarification or for an example. Many times by discussing the question in this way, an answer will come to you.

• If you still can’t think of a good answer, simply ask the interviewer to come back to that question.

• Also, don’t worry about being brilliant or witty. Just be yourself and give an honest response. There is rarely a wrong answer to these kinds of questions.

Here are some examples of other unexpected job interview questions that may come your way:

• If you could have dinner with anyone from history, living or dead, who would it be and why?

• Who do you admire the most and why?

• If you won the lottery, what would you do with the money?

Also, while you can’t prepare for every off-the-wall question, make sure you ARE prepared for the basic questions, such as:

• Tell me about yourself?

• Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years?

• Tell me about a time when you successfully handled a complicated situation?

• What are your strengths? Weaknesses?

• What do you consider your biggest career achievement?

• Why should we hire you?

• Why do you want this job?

As Charlottesville’s leading staffing agency, Adams & Garth knows what employers are looking for during job interviews. If you’re searching for work and need help preparing for an interview, please contact Adams & Garth today. We can help.