Most candidates hear this commonly-asked job interview question–why should we hire you?–with an emphasis on you. Employers, however, want your answer to place an emphasis on them.

In this before & after video, you see the single most common pitfall when answering, “why should we hire you?”: talking all about you.  

In this example, the candidate had submitted an application to teach English in Colombia.  In her spontaneous answer, she speaks  exclusively about her experience teaching in English and Spanish.

After brainstorming and practicing for a few minutes, she is able to start her answer by saying what the organization in Colombia needs.  Then she moves to illustrating to the employer how she meets that need.

Darcy Lear is a career coach specializing in academic writing, job search documents, professional school applications, and interview preparation. To schedule a campus workshop or for help navigating your career transition, contact Darcy: darcylear@gmail.com