Why You?

You apply for a job.  You get the interview. 

So far so good.

Of course by the time you get to the interview you are up against others.

If the shortlisting has been done well maybe 4 or 5 others.

One of the questions you might be asked is why you are the right person/ideal person/the obvious choice for the role.

On the face of it might seem like a pretty simple question.

Answering it is often much tougher.

When I use to hire staff for my Finance team I was always amazed just how many good people struggled with this question.

Even now, when doing a mock interview with clients, many of them struggle.

There might be a whole host of reasons for this.

For me, one of the biggest contributors to the struggle is not taking the time to think about what makes you unique or different from others.

Without knowing this it’s always going to be difficult.

There could be a whole host of things that makes you different.

You may have a lot of experience of working internationally.

You could have language skills.

You could have a style of working that really engages others in the wider business.

You may have real depth of knowledge in a particular sector.

You may have made contributions well beyond the scope of your role.

You could have helped an organisation navigate through really challenging times.

You might be the person who comes in and radically improves processes.

You might be someone who really sees and leverages the potential of new technologies.

So here’s my suggestion.

Grab a piece of paper and start to map out what makes you unique.

Once you have done this you will notice that answering this question will become a whole lot easier.

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About the Author Duncan Brodie

Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.

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