- Talk about desirable skills like communication, teamwork, and initiative.
- Tailor your answer to the position you’re interviewing for and provide specific examples of your strengths or accomplishments.
- Explain what sets you apart from other candidates and why you’re the best person for the job. For instance, talk about how your perspective or skills are unique.
Examples of What You Can Bring to the Table
Tell your interviewer which desirable skills you possess. Employers are looking for employees that will help their company succeed and achieve goals. Think about qualities you have that will add value to the team. Here are some example skills: Problem solving Time management Initiative Communication Positivity Flexibility Teamwork Relevant experience Ability to work under pressure Ability to manage stress Ability to meet deadlines
Crafting Your Own Answer to “What Do You Bring to the Table?”
Discuss either soft skills or technical skills. Soft, or professional, skills focus on your personality and how you work with other people. Communication, time management, and flexibility are sought-after soft skills. Technical, or hard skills, on the other hand, are more related to performing tasks required of the position. They can include using specific software, speaking a foreign language, or accounting. Both are valuable to employers. When interviewing for a position in an HR department, you might say “I’m naturally a people person. I have the unique ability to put people at ease so they feel comfortable opening up to me.” If you’re trying to get hired as a graphic designer, try, “I have experience working with Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, and I can code in HTML and CSS, so I’m comfortable working on a wide variety of platforms and projects.”
Choose a quality that ties into the requirements of the position. Read the job description carefully and pay attention to any keywords listed. Also, take a look at the company’s mission statement and values. Then, make a connection between the role and your own strengths. When interviewing for a managerial position, demonstrate your ability to lead. “In my previous role, I supervised a team of 36 and led daily meetings to communicate priorities and delegate tasks.” Want to work for a company that values collaboration? Tell them, “I’m confident and comfortable communicating with members of every department so we can work together to further the company goals. In fact, at my last job, I designed a program to solicit, respond to, and implement employee suggestions and feedback.”
Share an accomplishment or passion. Use this opportunity to highlight something you’ve achieved in a previous role or even in your personal life. Or, talk about what drives you and brings meaning to your life. If you’re interested in a role at a non-profit organization, say, “I volunteer on a monthly basis at a local homeless shelter. Because Housing for All is also passionate about providing safe places to live for all people, my experience with displaced persons makes me an excellent fit.” During an interview for a teaching position, talk about your passion for education. “I believe that education should be available to all people, everywhere. In my free time, I create lesson plans and worksheets and upload them to a forum where students and teachers can access them for free.”
Provide specific examples. Rather than generalizing, give the interviewer a concrete example of how you’ve used your abilities in past roles. Provide details and statistics that demonstrate your strengths, expertise, or results. Interviewing for a social media program manager role? Tell your interviewer, “At my last company, I increased Twitter engagement by 300% by creating eye-catching posts that targeted the 18-35 demographic.” As a business consultant, you might say, “I increased operating efficiency by 62% by creating clear operating procedures and employee handbooks for all personnel.”
Be honest and show your personality. Interviewers want to get a sense of what kind of person you are. Don’t sabotage yourself by lying about your skills. Instead, stick to the truth and provide a short anecdote that highlights how you handle challenges or solve problems. As a nurse manager, highlight your ability to adapt. “During the COVID pandemic, our clinic was constantly short-staffed. It was tough and we had to get pretty creative in order to get everything done! I implemented a system to record spoken chart notations so our nurses could focus on treating patients instead of spending so much time writing in charts. My team loved this innovation.” Showcase your problem-solving skills as an engineer. “Data pulls were essential to the teams I supported in my last role, and my colleagues spent a ton of time compiling the information daily. I built a program to automate the data pull process to free up time for everyone on the team.”
Answer clearly and concisely. Articulating your answer well so the interviewer understands what you’re saying is crucial. Share just one or two attributes when you answer the question. Write out what you want to say, trim any repetition or unnecessary words, and practice out loud until you feel comfortable and confident. You’ve got this!
Why do interviewers ask this question?
The interviewer wants to know how you can benefit the company. What skills and strengths do you have that will help the company succeed? What makes you unique and sets you apart from the competition? Interviewers ask these kinds of open-ended questions to see if you’re the right fit for the job and the company culture. Explain what skills you have that other candidate aren’t likely to possess or how you can add to the company culture. If you have a stronger answer than another candidate with similar qualifications, you might just move to the top of the list.
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