Why should we hire you?

What the question is for

This question invites you to summarise your fit. It often comes near the end of an interview, when the interviewer has already heard your examples, so the strongest answers pull them together rather than starting something new.

You do not need to claim you are better than the other candidates; you have not met them. Focus on the match between what the role needs and what you have shown you can do.

Needs, evidence, contribution

1. Pick two or three needs.

   Choose the requirements that seem to matter most: those listed first or repeated in the job description, or those the interviewer has returned to.

2. Match each with evidence.

   For each need, give a brief piece of proof: an achievement, a responsibility or an example you have already described.

3. Say what you would bring.

   Finish with what that means for the team: the problem you could take on, or how quickly you could contribute. Keep it realistic.

Two pitches with proof

These original examples show the structure. Build yours from the actual job description and your own evidence.

The role needs someone who can write clearly for different audiences, run social media and work with data. At university I ran our society’s Instagram account and started tracking which posts led to event sign-ups, so we could post more of what worked. On my placement, I drafted customer emails that went out after my manager’s review. I’d bring that mix of writing and measuring from the start, and I’m keen to learn how a larger team plans its campaigns.

Three needs from the job description, each matched with evidence. The speaker avoids figures they cannot support, and the close is realistic for a graduate.

Same question. Your story.Free, no account neededUp to two minutesRecord my answer

You need someone who can keep several projects moving and keep stakeholders informed. In my current role I coordinate four refurbishment projects at once, and I introduced a one-page weekly update that our client now uses in their own meetings. I’m comfortable with the scheduling software you mentioned, and I’ve handled supplier delays without losing the overall deadline. I could pick up your current projects quickly and spend my first months getting to know your clients.

The speaker restates the role’s needs in one sentence, then gives evidence a listener could ask about. The final sentence is a concrete offer rather than a generic promise.

Same question. Your story.Free, no account neededUp to two minutesRecord my answer

What weakens it

• A list of adjectives (“hard-working, passionate, a team player”) with no evidence.
• Comparing yourself with candidates you have not met.
• Repeating your whole CV instead of choosing the parts that match.
• Overselling. Calm and specific is more persuasive than intense.

Rehearse the short version

Aim for a version you can say in under a minute. Record it and listen: can you hear each need and its evidence, or do they blur into one list? A short pause between points helps a listener separate them.

Rehearse it against more than one job description so it stays adaptable. If you generate questions from your CV and a job description in DontBlank, you can practise this pitch against the role you are actually applying for.

Generate interview questions from your CV and the job description.