Thanks for reading our series on common interview questions! If you’re getting ready for an interview, I also recommend checking out our interview prep worksheets, which will take you through step by step exercises that will ensure you ace that interview!
The common interview question: Why are you suitable for this job? / Why should we hire you for this job? / Why are you a good fit for this job?
Why they’re really asking: Well, they want to give you a chance to convince them why you are a good “fit” even though they may already have formed an opinion.
Some things to consider: The interview up to that point probably has already given them an initial impression on if you’d be good in the role but this is your chance to either change their mind (if it’s not going well) or reinforce (if it is).
How to answer: The KEY in answering this question lies in the preparation. You absolutely must be able to relate your background and experience to the job description to explain why you are “suitable” for the job.
So first, take the job description and go to the responsibilities section. For each major responsibility they are listing, think of a relevant example from your past experience where you have done that task (or a similar one). For example, if one of the tasks is “managing multiple calendars for the team to keep projects on track” you probably want to think of a time you’ve managed a timeline in your past roles. Always good to also speak to how your work made an impact as well.
Then go to the part of the job description where the “desired qualities” are listed. These may be “softer skills” such as “team player”, “strong communicator” etc. You will want to think of times when you really showed that behavior or skill. With this example, you’ll want to talk about times when you went above and beyond for a team member or had to convince someone of something with strong communication skills.
A really strong answer can be formed by acknowledging what the company is looking for (from the job description) and explaining with lots of enthusiasm and examples why you are the right person for the job and how your background has prepared you for it.
Since this is one of the most important things to prepare for before an interview, I created a free Google Doc worksheet (pictured below) to help you think through this. Once you open it, you will need to save a copy in order to start editing. It will walk you through the things you should look at on a job description and prompt you to jot down items from your experience that would be relevant.
Hopefully this post and the prep work will help you as you prepare for this very common interview question!
