Answers:-
Case 1:-
This question is a great opportunity to sell yourself and your accomplishments. The answer varies if you're a fresh graduate as opposed to a senior professional. Regardless you should include
1. How you have the required skills/experience: Read the job description twice. I've seen numerous candidates who have no idea about the skills required. Good job descriptions usually add the exact role you'll be doing at the company. Show that you have the required experience/skill-set to do the job. Use evidence to back-up your claim. Ex. If you're applying for a position as a data-scientist, give an example of how you tried to solve the amazon movie recommendation problem, the problems you faced etc.
2. Why you're a good fit: Employers like to know that you've taken the time to understand their space, product/team. So take this time to co-relate things you've done in the past with the things the company is trying to achieve. Also relate on a personal level, after-all we're all human beings. Do you believe in the values of the company etc.
3. You get things done: This is the most important ability an employer is looking for. The ability to get things done, no matter the obstacles. Give some examples from the past.
I'll end by giving some examples for a sample position:
1. Content intern for a new company/startup for a fresh graduate/working student. Ex. Amnesty International
I think a few things make me a great fit for this position.
I'm quite enthusiastic about women's issues and it reflects in my writing over the years. I've written on a broad range of issues from female infanticide, domestic violence and sexual harrasment.
My English major has given me the necessary writing skills and helped me broaden my outlook. I started out writing content for websites, answering questions on Quora and being generally curious. I've improved over the years.
I think there's nothing like a perfect role but this position at Amnesty comes quite close to my dream job. I've been closely following your coverage of the Sri-lankan crisis and the response it has had. I believe in the cause and like to do my bit for women empowerment.
2. Content intern for a person with little background in a new field.
I think a few things make me a great fit for this position.
I started out writing content for websites, answering questions on Quora and being generally curious. In the past summer i created content for a wedding brand based in Delhi. I love the process of coming up a new idea to write about, something unique that appeals to users.
My English major has given me the necessary writing skills and helped me broaden my outlook. Ogilvy's Confession's of an advertising man is a favorite and i use his tips to write effective copy for websites.
I don't have a lot of knowledge about software but i have an interest in gadjets and tech in general. I'm a fast learner and i can get the work done when it's required.
I'll try and add some examples for other common jobs like software engineer/project manager/customer service executive.
Case 2:-
This happened with a friend during Flipkart interview at IIT Madras 2014.
So after various questions, the interviewer tries to close the interview with this-
interviewer: Why should we hire you?
Friend: Sir, you see this shirt? It's size 41. I ordered it on Flipkart. I wear 39. Returned it twice, got the same shirt back. So either change your system, or take me to change it! Because clearly it's not working.
Got the job!
What a badass!
I'll add another dialogue that occurred in the same interview. I do not know what got into him, but my friend went in as if his only intention was to make the interviewer feel bad about himself.
Interviewer: So, Mr. X, tell me the number of trees in your campus?
Friend: Do you want the exact number?
I : What?
Friend: If you want I can tell you the types as well? Would you like that? You see I am part of an organisation called Prakriti which keeps track of all these things. You see those markings on the trees? We did that.
I (poker faced) : Well in that case let's move forward.
My friend had absolutely no clue how to solve that problem. It was a complete bluff!He had never been part of Prakriti nor had ever been part of the team counting these trees.
Confidence baby ;)
Case 3:-
Most people will answer this question by talking about their experience or education, and add descriptions like 'hard-working, loyal, team-leader, etc.' THIS IS WRONG.
You should always answer with what you will do to improve the company. What ideas do you have that will make life better for your interviewer? Lead with that.
Why? Because you are selling yourself (don't take that the wrong way) and you want to use proven and effective sales/copywriting strategies to do that. I have been studying copywriting lately, and one of the number one rules of copywriting is that you ALWAYS talk about benefits before features.
In this situation, what you will do to make this company better, and to make life better for the person interviewing you, is a benefit to them.
Your background/experience/edu
Your benefit to the company is what will get you hired. Therefore, always answer this question with benefits first, followed by features only if relevant.
For clarity, here is a list of benefits vs. features for a job interview.
Benefits:
The trend you should be seeing here is that benefits are what you are going to do to make life better for the person/company who is interviewing you, and features are what in your past experience makes you qualified for the role.
It is very easy to rely on your previous qualifications only when interviewing for a new position, don't. Stand out by giving them benefits, which are real reasons to hire you, and if you can make those benefits better than everyone else interviewing, you will get the job.
source :- quora.com
Case 1:-
1. How you have the required skills/experience: Read the job description twice. I've seen numerous candidates who have no idea about the skills required. Good job descriptions usually add the exact role you'll be doing at the company. Show that you have the required experience/skill-set to do the job. Use evidence to back-up your claim. Ex. If you're applying for a position as a data-scientist, give an example of how you tried to solve the amazon movie recommendation problem, the problems you faced etc.
2. Why you're a good fit: Employers like to know that you've taken the time to understand their space, product/team. So take this time to co-relate things you've done in the past with the things the company is trying to achieve. Also relate on a personal level, after-all we're all human beings. Do you believe in the values of the company etc.
3. You get things done: This is the most important ability an employer is looking for. The ability to get things done, no matter the obstacles. Give some examples from the past.
I'll end by giving some examples for a sample position:
1. Content intern for a new company/startup for a fresh graduate/working student. Ex. Amnesty International
I think a few things make me a great fit for this position.
I'm quite enthusiastic about women's issues and it reflects in my writing over the years. I've written on a broad range of issues from female infanticide, domestic violence and sexual harrasment.
My English major has given me the necessary writing skills and helped me broaden my outlook. I started out writing content for websites, answering questions on Quora and being generally curious. I've improved over the years.
I think there's nothing like a perfect role but this position at Amnesty comes quite close to my dream job. I've been closely following your coverage of the Sri-lankan crisis and the response it has had. I believe in the cause and like to do my bit for women empowerment.
2. Content intern for a person with little background in a new field.
I think a few things make me a great fit for this position.
I started out writing content for websites, answering questions on Quora and being generally curious. In the past summer i created content for a wedding brand based in Delhi. I love the process of coming up a new idea to write about, something unique that appeals to users.
My English major has given me the necessary writing skills and helped me broaden my outlook. Ogilvy's Confession's of an advertising man is a favorite and i use his tips to write effective copy for websites.
I don't have a lot of knowledge about software but i have an interest in gadjets and tech in general. I'm a fast learner and i can get the work done when it's required.
I'll try and add some examples for other common jobs like software engineer/project manager/customer service executive.
Case 2:-
This happened with a friend during Flipkart interview at IIT Madras 2014.
So after various questions, the interviewer tries to close the interview with this-
interviewer: Why should we hire you?
Friend: Sir, you see this shirt? It's size 41. I ordered it on Flipkart. I wear 39. Returned it twice, got the same shirt back. So either change your system, or take me to change it! Because clearly it's not working.
Got the job!
What a badass!
I'll add another dialogue that occurred in the same interview. I do not know what got into him, but my friend went in as if his only intention was to make the interviewer feel bad about himself.
Interviewer: So, Mr. X, tell me the number of trees in your campus?
Friend: Do you want the exact number?
I : What?
Friend: If you want I can tell you the types as well? Would you like that? You see I am part of an organisation called Prakriti which keeps track of all these things. You see those markings on the trees? We did that.
I (poker faced) : Well in that case let's move forward.
My friend had absolutely no clue how to solve that problem. It was a complete bluff!He had never been part of Prakriti nor had ever been part of the team counting these trees.
Confidence baby ;)
Case 3:-
Most people will answer this question by talking about their experience or education, and add descriptions like 'hard-working, loyal, team-leader, etc.' THIS IS WRONG.
You should always answer with what you will do to improve the company. What ideas do you have that will make life better for your interviewer? Lead with that.
Why? Because you are selling yourself (don't take that the wrong way) and you want to use proven and effective sales/copywriting strategies to do that. I have been studying copywriting lately, and one of the number one rules of copywriting is that you ALWAYS talk about benefits before features.
In this situation, what you will do to make this company better, and to make life better for the person interviewing you, is a benefit to them.
Your background/experience/edu
Your benefit to the company is what will get you hired. Therefore, always answer this question with benefits first, followed by features only if relevant.
For clarity, here is a list of benefits vs. features for a job interview.
Benefits:
- I will immerse myself into your software's code to debug and fix all redundancies, which will make your product run much smoother.
- I will improve the process of scheduling staff by implementing web-based scheduling software, making it easier to input times and allow for staff and management to be notified of shift changes right away.
- I have ideas for crafting a new marketing message that will more effectively tell the story of why this company is great and compel people to buy your products.
- I will bring with me my years of experience managing teams and working with people of diverse backgrounds, making me a great leader and team builder.
- I studied back-end java development on my own for years, so I know exactly what is going on with your code.
- In my last position, I managed my own team within the marketing department, so I know what it's like to collaborate with others and lead a marketing campaign.
The trend you should be seeing here is that benefits are what you are going to do to make life better for the person/company who is interviewing you, and features are what in your past experience makes you qualified for the role.
It is very easy to rely on your previous qualifications only when interviewing for a new position, don't. Stand out by giving them benefits, which are real reasons to hire you, and if you can make those benefits better than everyone else interviewing, you will get the job.
source :- quora.com
