How to Answer, "Why Are You the Best Person for This Job?"

During job interviews, employers typically ask various questions to ensure you're a strong fit for the role. One common question to expect is, "Why are you the best candidate for this job?" Preparing a compelling response to this interview question can position you as an ideal candidate and help you get the job you want. In this article, we discuss why employers ask, "Why are you the best person for this job?", outline how to answer this interview question, and show several examples to guide you in preparing your response.

Why do interviewers ask, "Why are you the best person for this job?"

Interviewers ask this question for various reasons. They often want to identify what makes you unique and qualified for the job. They also ask to check whether you fully understand what the position entails and what they're looking for in an ideal candidate. Inquiring why you're the best person for a job can help interviewers assess your confidence and ability to perform the expected duties. From the answer you provide, they can also see how you handle workplace challenges. Other ways potential employers may ask this question include:

• Why are you the best fit for this role?

• What makes you an ideal candidate for this position?

Related:

• Interview Question: "Why Should We Hire You?"

• Interview Question: "Why Do You Want to Work Here?"

How to prepare your answer to "Why are you the best person for this job?"

If an interviewer asks why you're the person for a job, follow these steps to prepare and respond to this interview question:

1. Review the job description

Understanding your expected job duties and the required qualifications to perform them is typically the first step to preparing an effective answer. Take time to read the job posting to find the skills, experience level, and education the hiring organization values in a candidate. Then, evaluate these criteria with your qualifications when explaining why you're the best person for the job.

Related: How to Tailor a Resume for a Job Description (With Tips)

2. Research the hiring organization

Next, read about the company to understand more about its ideal candidate. Researching the hiring organization can also help you gain more insights into the organization's work culture and current employees. You can check the company's website, social media profiles, and publications or press releases for its mission and goals. Learning about the company can help you identify the personality traits it values and check whether its core values align with yours. Core values are beliefs, principles, and behaviours that guide actions.

Related: What are Company Values? (With How-To, FAQs, and Examples)

3. Identify relevant qualities for the role

Once you understand the requirements, examine your strengths, such as skills, certifications, and professional experience, that you can use in the position. You can pick as many as seven qualities related to the position. By combining several relevant attributes in your answer, you can provide a thoughtful response.

4. Use quantifiable examples

When describing your strengths and accomplishments, ensure you use examples that the interviewer can measure. While you can mention that you earned specific qualifications, providing practical examples can often be more convincing. For example, suppose you're discussing your communication skills. You can mention a situation you applied effective communication to solve a workplace problem. Similarly, if leading others is your strength, you can present examples of how you applied this skill at work.

5. Practice your response in advance

Preparing your answer can help you demonstrate confidence during interviews. You can organize a mock interview and practice your response with a colleague, friend, family member, or mentor. Ask for their feedback on the answer you provide to determine ways to present a more convincing response.

Related:

• Preparing for a Mock Interview

• How To Ace Your Next Job Interview

• How to Answer “Why are You Interested in This Position?”

Tips for answering why you're the best person for a job

Here are common tips for providing a persuasive answer when asked to show why you're the best candidate for a role:

Be brief

Try to keep your answer direct by mentioning only relevant information. If possible, aim to respond within one or two minutes. Providing a brief and captivating answer can increase an interviewer's interest in your application.

Related: Examples of What to Say in an Interview

Use relevant examples

If you have a wide range of qualifications, ensure the skills, achievements, and experience you mention relate to the position. For example, suppose you're applying for a database administrator position. If the job description states that you would create applications for databases, you can focus more on your experience and training completing this task.

Related: Interview Preparation Tips

Focus on your qualifications

Ensure your response describes you, not other candidates. Even though this question enables interviewers to compare you to other candidates, positively emphasize what makes you unique. Aim to present yourself as a more competitive candidate.

Prioritize how you can contribute to the organization

Focus on how you can add value to the company. This is another reason it's important to research the company's goals and needs. Interviewers would typically see you as knowledgeable and prepared if you align your key qualities with the company.

Related: What Is a Working Interview? (With Benefits and Tips)

Prepare for follow-up questions

Depending on the answer you provide, you may receive follow-up questions for your response. For example, if you mention an interesting experience, hiring managers may want to learn more about it. Possible follow-up questions to prepare for include:

• How do you handle workplace challenges?

• Why does this position interest you?

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• What are your greatest achievements?

• What are your salary expectations?

• Why did you leave your previous positions?

Example responses to "Why are you the best person for the job?"

Review these examples to guide you on how to answer this interview question effectively:

Example for a student

This example explains how to explain you're the best person for a job when applying for an internship:

"I'm the best person for this finance internship opportunity because I have the skills listed in the job description and personality traits that align with your company's work culture. Maintaining my excellent grades made me more disciplined, and I look forward to contributing to the organization's financial target for the quarter. I'm confident my previous internships also prepared me for this role. As a fast learner and dedicated individual, I know I'd make an excellent intern at your organization and look forward to working with experienced professionals here."

Example for an entry-level professional

This example shows how to describe yourself as the best person for a content writing role:

"I'm the best person for this job for various reasons, specifically my dedication to content writing and ability to exceed performance expectations. As a proactive learner, I'm committed to learning any new skill independently, which has helped me progress in my career. For example, I educated myself on how to use photo editing software tools at my last job, which helped me develop graphics for content. This also helped reduce expenses for my previous employers by 4%. I'm aware you're looking for a self-motivated individual, and I'm confident I have the required qualifications to succeed."

Example for a mid-level professional

This example shows how to describe yourself as the best candidate for a team leader position:

"I'm confident my skills and professional experience align with the requirements for this leadership position. In particular, my excellent leadership and creative thinking skills make me the best candidate for this job. From my review of the job description, it's clear you're looking for a candidate who can direct your marketing team to provide more leads for the sales department to convert. I oversaw 10 marketing professionals in my last position and created campaigns that generated 28% more leads than the previous year.

I reached this target within my first 100 days on the job, and I'm confident I can bring this type of success as the lead marketer at this company. I'm also the best person for this job because I have well-developed technical skills, improved through several years of marketing products."

Example for a senior professional

This example shows how to present yourself as the best person for a managerial role:

"I'm the best person for this job for several reasons. I have years of experience in engineering and extensive work experience in the fast-moving consumer goods that your company produces. I'm also skilled at leading teams, having directed over 30 engineers in my previous role and implemented integrated work systems for the company. This led to increased productivity across teams in the engineering department. I'm also confident my excellent attention to detail would help me design, build, and maintain your engineering systems, if hired here."