How to Answer “Why Are You a Good Fit for This Role?”

If the thought of answering, “Why are you a good fit for this role?” leaves you as a nervous wreck, you’re gonna want to read on.

“Tell us a little bit about yourself.” You like this interview question! You’ve nailed your verbal bio, even fine-tuned it to the point where you can summarise your work experience and hobbies in less than a minute – impressive!

But what do you say when they ask, “Why are you a good fit for this role?”

Gulp.

You forgot about that one. Or maybe you didn’t forget… but your brain goes into overdrive – you go into full grovel mode and start rattling off the ‘personal qualities’ that you used to list on the first CV 15-year-old-you made. Yikes.

This question isn’t about your best qualities, it’s about how closely you’ve looked into this as your next possible job and whether you actually see yourself in the position. How you answer this question will let the hiring manager or interviewer know how well you’ve scoped out this role and your level of commitment – so it’s important that you nail it!

Here are some things you can do to help convince the hiring manager that you are the best candidate for the role:

1. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

It’s not all about impressing who you’re meeting. You need to make sure the culture and the people are up your alley, so asking them the right questions is vital to figure out if this is in fact the right opportunity for you. You don’t want to be trying too hard to make the cut, if after a few months you realise your values aren’t aligned and you’re trying to be someone you’re not.

2. LET’S GET TECHNICAL

Provide real-life examples of why you’re a great technical fit for the business. Have you used their ERP system? Have you worked in that industry before? I.e., Have you dealt with stock takes for retail, customs laws for import/export, have you built business cases? Shout about it! Give examples!

What exact experiences can you bring to the table that differentiate you from any other person who has the same title as you?

3. DO YOUR DETECTIVE WORK

Do you know what the company does? It sounds basic, I know. But you need to show you have a genuine interest. Who are their competitors, what challenges is the industry facing, and how is their latest product doing in the market? All of this will show not only that you’re interested in them but also, that you have initiative and have done your research. Preparation says a lot about your organisation skills!

4. TALK THE TALK

Talk in a way that shows you can see yourself in that environment. Don’t be afraid to suggest things that you could implement in the future – it shows you’ve really thought about being in this position already and if you’re talking in that way, naturally the person you are talking to may start to see you in the role too. If you can leave on a note where both you and your interviewer have pictured you in the role, then go you – you’ve done a great job!

I can’t tell you exactly word-for-word how to answer this question (sorry, I wish I could) because every situation is different. But try to remember when answering questions like these, to put yourself in their shoes and think about what they’re looking to hear. Hopefully, these tips will help you sail into your next interview with ease and interview like a champ!

Want Jonelle to fit you into a new role? Give her a call about the roles Consult has that might suit you- she’d love to chat.