As a writer, you need to tell your own story compellingly when the interviewer asks: why should we consider hiring you for this position? What makes you a strong candidate for this role? What sets you apart from other candidates applying for this job?
Some call it your identity or personal brand—the unique experiences and skills that showcase who you are, what you want to do, and the value you bring to the table.
Ultimately, we want to leave a mark, an impression. We want to stand out in the interviewer’s mind and hopefully our story resonates with them. It’s important that we harness the ability to articulate our own story concisely, coherently, and compellingly.
I admit I struggled.
When thinking through this somewhat daunting question, I didn’t know what to pull from. Do I talk about my education and training? Do I talk about how my experience and skills are uniquely suited for the role?
Yes, but that’s not all: the interviewer probably already knows this from your responses to previous questions. They’ll want to hear something else, something different—not just reiterating what you’ve already said. This isn’t a question I want to stumble on, and I want to get it right. As a writer, how can I effectively communicate who I am?
I think of this interview question as the “volta” at the end of a sonnet, the exact moment when everything turns and there’s a shift in perspective.
Allow the interviewer to gain greater insight and perspective into who you are. Don’t rush through it—tell it confidently, and in fact, relish the opportunity to share more about yourself and how excited you are for the opportunity to fill this role. Make your point and remember not to ramble.
I’ll share with you my own process for thinking through an effective response to this question:
I used to have a more generic response that reiterated my skills and experience working in academia/education/tech, as well as my passion for the intersection of tech and writing. This was all good and well, but never felt exactly true to the real value I can add to a team. For one, I know innately that, coming from a working-class background, I bring unique skills and qualities to the table—I’m incredibly hard-working, disciplined, self-directed, tenacious, and resilient. (I say all of this with an ounce of humility, too—if you’re anything like me, speaking in a boastful way about yourself may not come naturally). As a first-generation college graduate with an MFA and PhD in writing, I’ve learned that you can’t always teach these qualities, but they’re vastly important and crucial in any work environment—especially if you want to succeed.
Knowing all this, the response I want to craft will touch on:
1) How I can do the job and do it well and here’s why.
2) How I am interested in the job.
3) Something different they don’t already know that makes me a great fit and adds value to the team.
In the end, my response looks like this (which I would then tweak for the specific position/company I’ve applied for):
First and foremost, my confidence in performing this job exceptionally well stems from my abilities and growth mindset. I truly thrive on meeting challenges as opportunities for problem-solving and development, and I’m uniquely suited to excelling in this role based on my years of experience working as a content developer and technical writer combined with my professional development in education. I also have a genuine passion for both tech and writing, and am excited about the opportunity to fill this role because [provide specifics based on the role and company]. Beyond that, I’d be a great fit and would add value to the team through the innate qualities I bring to the table—coming from a working-class background, I’m incredibly hard-working, disciplined, self-directed, tenacious, and resilient. I’ve learned that you can’t always teach these qualities, and have no doubt they’d be important in helping me succeed in this role.
The last sentence implicitly offers the interviewer a good segue, as they may then provide more insight into what qualities help someone succeed in that specific role.
Good luck, dear comrades, on your job hunt! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to connect!