When you apply for a job, there’s a good chance many of
your skills and personality traits overlap with other candidates
who have applied for the same role. At the same time, there
are certainly experiences and abilities that you uniquely
possess.
To identify what sets you apart from other professionals in your
field, employers might ask the popular interview question,
“What makes you unique?”.
Use this opportunity to expand on relevant qualities that make
you the best fit for the position. By preparing an honest,
informative answer, you can help the employer recognize the
valuable assets you’ll bring to their organization.
Here are some helpful tips and examples to help you determine
how to answer “What makes you unique?”
Here are four things you can do to help you identify your most
relevant, unique traits:
Consider what the employer may find valuable.
Employers want candidates who will bring a perspective,
skill set or ability that will help them achieve business
goals. Take time to carefully review the job description
and look for information about specific objectives the
employer is hoping the new employee will meet, then
identify the strengths you possess that align with these
needs.
For example, if you’re applying for a team management
position and the job description highlights the company’s
drive to facilitate cross-department communication, you
might share your ability to bring people together around a
common goal and create drive in a group setting.
Look to your background and previous experiences.
Think back on times you were successful in previous
positions or times you were praised or rewarded by your
employer. What did you do to earn recognition? What
traits, skills or abilities helped you achieve success?
Whatever you accomplished is likely something other
employers would also appreciate in a new employee.
For example, a particularly gifted sales professional may
have experience handling unhappy clients or bringing
back lost accounts. In this case, their unique skill may be
their ability to perceive when someone is unhappy and
quickly mobilize a strategy to diffuse and address their
concerns.
Acknowledge your most popular personality traits.
Consider strengths highlighted by previous employees and
traits your friends and family have celebrated. Then, look
for ways you could apply these aspects of your
personality to excel in the job.
For example, let’s say other people have recognized you’re
patient and dedicated. In this case, you could share how
your patience and persistence has allowed you to remain
calm and collected in high-stress scenarios or your
determination to meet goals despite outside pressures or
setbacks.
Remember: You don’t have to be a one-of-a-kind.
Don’t let the word “unique” confuse or intimidate you.
While employers are looking for interesting skills, they
don’t expect you to share something that’s unlike any
answer they’ve ever heard—especially if it’s not relevant
to the job.
For example, if you’re applying for a customer service
position, the employer probably isn’t interested in hearing
about your unique trapeze skills. Alternatively, fluency in
multiple languages might not be especially uncommon but
this valuable skill may be enough to set a customer
service candidate apart from other applicants.