When an interviewer asks you "What can you offer us that someone else cannot?", they're not looking for a long-winded answer explaining how you have special skills that no one else in the world has. In fact, it is quite possible that many of the other candidates they've interviewed will be more qualified than you.
What is the interviewer looking for?
Confidence
The interviewer wants to see how you answer this question. Do you hem, haw and stammer, or do you look them straight in the eye and give them a direct answer.
Humility
No interviewer wants to hear how you are God's gift to the working world; they want to hear something along the lines of "I'm good, but I'm always willing to learn and improve".
Preparedness
This is one of the questions interviewers use to see how much time you spent preparing for the interview. You don't want to give them a canned response, but make sure that you think about what you want to say before you go into the interview.
It's a pretty tough balance to strike, but you should be able to give them a good answer in just a few sentences.
How to answer the question
Here is a sample answer you can use to respond to this question:
"What do I have to offer you that no one else can? Aside from my desire to learn and grow and a willingness to do whatever I must to achieve success in this company, I'd say my persistence is a skill that will be valuable for this job. No matter what kind of problems I run into, I always persevere until I solve or overcome them."
It's a simple answer, but it's one that most interviewers will respond to. You're showing that you have the qualities they're looking for in an employee, including:
- A desire to learn and grow
- A willingness to work hard
- Persistence
- Problem-solving skills
Don't worry if the answer is short, but make sure that you show both confidence in your abilities and your humility to accept that you're not the greatest working man or woman to ever walk the Earth.
Take some time to sit down before you go to your job interview, and think about the things that you are good at. You can use them to come up with a list of skills that can be used to answer the question:
- Good at video games? You are officially a "creative thinker".
- Love to work on puzzles or crafts? "Detail-oriented" is your new title.
- Are you a guy or girl who loves to relax on the beach? You can call yourself a professional with an "easygoing demeanour".
- Are you a social butterfly? Give yourself the title of "people person".
Use all of these names to describe yourself, and they will highlight what makes you unique as a person. Not only do you have all of the skills necessary for the job, but you have a few other talents and traits that will help you achieve success in your new workplace!
See Also: How to Answer "What is Your Greatest Fear?"
Have you ever had a problem with this interview question?