What Can You Do For Us Someone Else Can’t? | JobSearchTV.com
By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
There are a few layers to this question. I’ll help you see the opportunity and the trap people fall into.
Answering Behavioral Interview Questions The Right Way
I want to offer up 1 of those tough interview questions that I just think is “delightful.” Too many people mishandle this 1. The question is, “What can you do for us to someone else can’t?” I don’t think there is one single answer to this question. I think that, at the end of the day, what a firm is looking for is whether you are giving an answer appropriate for your level of experience.
Let me start off by saying that there is a “red herring” to the question. “Someone else can’t.” Like there is a universe of people walking into their offices, all 3 billion people on the planet have the same qualifications as you walking in. But, I digress. I apologize.
11st of all, there is a temptation to false modesty that is ingrained in people. It’s unfortunate, but, here, having the full smartest the is a mistake. That’s because you have a responsibility, not to brag. Bragging as a egotistical quality to it. However, you have an opportunity to describe what makes you different that the other possible individuals that you can work with or they could choose from.
If you’re a veteran person, you have a track record of accomplishments available that they can assess. You can start by saying, “I’m sure you have assessed people internally and, for one reason or another, you’ve chosen that they are not right or I am competing with them. So, at the end of the day, you make the right choice. It is an internal person, if it’s an external person, if you not evaluating internal people, you obviously have your reasons for doing that. So, here’s what I can bring to your organization.” Then you can talk about a track record of success of getting things done.
You start to talk about your accomplishments. You talk about situations that you stepped into, what you figured out from that. I you stepped into situations where people failed and you succeeded. How you are able to mobilize resources in your organization, identify problems, the cost failure, set priorities , and user experience to solve them and want to be able to bring it to their organization. You don’t presume that they have problems but they obviously have a need and you have done some things that allow you to stand out in your current organization And previous organizations and you want to be able to bring that to them. That’s the answer for the experienced person.
Let’s look at more junior individuals that have they might answer the question. The person who is at the elite school. You’re in the elite school or couple of years out of 1. Now you start talking about how, throughout your life, your parents are trained you and your schools have reinforced the notion that you want to be effective and successful at firms. Now you start talking about internships where you were just for the people at the internship; you are like the Cpl. to the privates. You are the person who is to go to individual for the interns in your class. Or, you did certain things that distinguish yourself from others. Start promoting yourself and that way. Your high grades in the grade school that you went to, professors who love you and may have invited you to get involved with projects that they worked on. There are lots of different ways that you can toot your own horn. Do it. Don’t hold back. Don’t make it seem like you’re being a jerk. Talk about situations where he worked on things and you stood out in the organization appreciated your value.
Now, let’s say you did not go to an elite school. You’re just Average Joe or Average Jane and you screwed around during college. Let’s look at the answer to the question from that standpoint. This can extend to the early few years of your career. You graduated with a 2 something or other or less. Now, you have to talk about why should they choose you. You can start by saying, “Look, I made mistakes. I got to college and thought it was a place to have a good time. It is my 1st time away from home and it didn’t take me long to figure out I had to put it to work. Basically, I learned my lessons early.”
Or, I want to give you an alternative, you made the mistakes late in your college career, you had good grades up until you senior year and then you start to have fun. Your grade suffered. You graduated with a mediocre GPA.
“I worked hard in my early years and my GPA will stand up and show you that. I made a mistake and start have a good time during my senior year. My grade suffered.” There’s how you tie the bow in both situations.
“I’ve learned my lessons and I think I can demonstrate to you that I am someone who has learned them and other people have paid for them. You don’t have to pay for these lessons that I’ve learned. Someone else already did. What I’m trying to do is join your organization, playing a high level, be an individual who you can rely upon and trust, and put in sensational effort. You will make a mistake hiring me.”
Depending upon received already, these are different ways to answer the question.
What Is The Best Way to Get a Job When Unemployed And Over 50?
[svp]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dg_SYxV6lk[/svp]
[spp-transcript]
ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER
Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. His work involves career coaching, as well as executive job search coaching, job coaching, and interview coaching. He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2300 episodes.
Are you interested in 1:1 coaching, interview coaching, advice about networking more effectively, how to negotiate your offer or leadership coaching? Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us
My courses are available on my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses
I do a livestream on LinkedIn, YouTube (on the JobSearchTV.com account) and on Facebook (on the Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter page) Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 PM Eastern. You can send your questions about job search, hiring better, management, leadership or to get advice about a workplace issue to me at TheBigGameHunter(at)gmail.com. In the subject line, put the phrase “Office Hours.” You can also message me through chat during the approximately 30 minute show.
Classes On Skillshare https://thebiggamehunter.us/Skillshare
Freelancing or hiring a freelancer: fiverr.com https://thebiggamehunter.us/fiverr. or Freelancer: https://thebiggamehunter.us/freelance
To set up your freelance business correctly: incorporate https://thebiggamehunter.us/incorporate
Connect with me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/thebiggamehunter
Watch my videos on YouTube at JobSearchTV.com, the Job Search TV app for fireTV or a firestick or Bingenetworks.tv for Apple TV, and 90+ smart tv’s.
Thinking of making a career change and need some ideas that fit you. CareerFitter offers a free test and if you want more you can upgrade for the paid version.https://thebiggamehunter.us/Career
We grant permission for this post and others to be used on your website as long as a backlink is included and notice is provided that it is provided by Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter as an author or creator.
