Why do employers ask “what makes you unique”?

1. To give you the chance to emphasise your best qualities: By asking this question, employers are inviting you to brag about yourself and your best qualities, and tell them what differentiates you from other graduate candidates. This is your chance to list the things that make you the very best candidate – so it’s important to think about 1 or 2 key things (this could be specific skills, qualifications, volunteering, work experience or otherwise) that you know not every candidate will have. 2. To see whether you’ve done your research on the job role: The skills and qualities you choose to speak about in relation to the interview question “What makes you unique?” will reveal how much you really know about the job and the company. If your answer is completely irrelevant (i.e. you talk about your passion for art in a graduate finance job interview), you’ll be indicating to the employer that you don’t know much about what the job role requires, and therefore are probably not a good fit. 3. To find out how creative you are: Employers also use this interview question to find out how well you can think on your feet. Coming up with a “unique” answer to the question will indicate to them that you are able to think outside of the box about why you are the top candidate for the job.

In what other ways can you answer the question “what makes you unique”?

• Extremely positive mindset - I see the good in all situations which helps to keep the mood up in the office and motivate colleagues to stay optimistic • Not afraid to take risks – I have an unusual amount of intuition and I’m not afraid of failure. I believe that learning from your mistakes is a crucial part to make you more successful. • Excellent social skills - I am able to read people's emotions and intentions • Have a photographic memory - I love to read and can absorb lots of information and apply things I learn to situations in the workplace, which I am told is a very rare skill • I enjoy being unique and not fitting stereotypes - I am confident and have high self-esteem which enables me to throw myself into challenges, as I am not worried about what others think of me • My desire to learn - I am hungry to continually build on and acquire new skills and I have a very ‘can-do’ attitude • Very high interpersonal and behavioural skills - I enjoy helping and teaching others to be the best versions of themselves • The ability to improve and refine processes – in my last role, I improved our marketing processes and increased ROI by 29% • The ability to come up with very innovative ideas, I would love the opportunity to bring my creative flare to this role. • I have the unique skill to give very good advice, as I handle situations calmly and with a level head. • The unique skill that I can bring to your workplace is my ability to pick anything up and get jobs done very quickly and efficiently. I understand the importance of being open minded and flexible, particularly within a startup environment.”

"What Makes You Unique?" Answering This Interview Question

Q: Variations of the question “what makes you unique?”

• What differentiates you from other candidates? • What sets you apart? • What makes you different from everyone else? • What makes you stand out from other applicants? • What can you do for us that other candidates can’t? • Why are you different from other candidates? • Why are you unique? • What sets you apart from other candidates? • What makes you different? • Share something unique about yourself • What makes you unique in 2 sentences? • What makes you different from other candidates? • Why should we hire you over other candidates? • What makes you special?

“What makes you different?”, “What differentiates you from other candidates?”, “What sets you apart?” – there are countless different ways of phrasing this interview question, and none of them makes it any easier to answer.

Remember, this is a personal question, which must also be related back to the company.

The trick is, don’t get too hung up on the word ‘unique’ – in a way, it’s a bit of a trick. Really, they want to know why you are the best for this job.

You don’t need to think of unique skills that nobody else in the world has. This is making the question harder than it needs to be.

“What makes you unique” is the perfect way to help them differentiate between you and other candidates.

Just like ‘tell me about yourself‘ and ‘what are your strengths and weaknesses?‘, these open-ended questions can be difficult to answer.

You will need to discuss your most unique qualities with confidence, while being careful not to come across as arrogant.

Below, we’ll help you navigate this trick balance. Read on and learn how to answer ‘what makes you unique?’, why employers ask this common interview question, and how to smash your interview.

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What we’ll discuss

“What makes you unique” video
Why do employers ask “what makes you unique”?
How do you answer the question “what makes you unique”?
Example answers
What to avoid when answering the question
Variations of the question you could expect

“What makes you unique?” summary

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Why do employers ask the “what makes you unique” interview question?

“What makes you unique?” actually translates to “What skills, qualities, and experiences make you the best candidate for this job?”

By asking this question, employers are inviting you to brag about yourself and your best qualities, and tell them what differentiates you from other graduate candidates.

They’re handing you the floor and saying “tell us what what makes you unique”.

But, more to the point, they’re giving you the space to grab their attention. Don’t get hung up on the word “unique”.

This is your chance to list the things that make you the very best candidate.

It’s important to think about 1 or 2 key things (this could be specific skills, qualifications, volunteering, work experience, or otherwise) that you know not every candidate will have.
The skills and qualities you choose to speak about in answer to “what makes you unique” will reveal how much you really know about the job and the company.

If your answer is completely irrelevant (i.e. you talk about your passion for art in a graduate finance job interview), you’ll be indicating to the employer that you don’t know much about what the job role requires.

This may suggest you are not a good fit, so make sure you’re referring to the job role when answering “what makes you unique”.
Employers also use this interview question to find out how well you can think on your feet.

Coming up with a stand-out answer to the question will indicate to them that you are able to think outside of the box about your unique attributes.

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How do you answer the question “what makes you unique”?

Start by thinking about…

A time when you were praised by your manager or a colleague for something you accomplished or completed particularly well.

Has a family member or a close friend ever noticed a positive characteristic or personality trait? Are you good at making rational decisions, or do you give good advice?

You could consider any non-academic or extracurricular achievements, or an occasion where you have resolved an issue or helped someone; what attributes enabled you to accomplish this?

Have a think about what you’re passionate about or particularly interested in. Is what makes you unique one of your hobbies?

Try not to concentrate too much on the word ‘unique’; the employer is not expecting you to come up with an answer that they’ve never heard of, although that’s great if you do!

Choose something relevant and interesting; perhaps use an example that is unlikely to come up at another point in the interview so that you avoid repetition.

What are some “what makes you unique” answer examples?

“What makes you unique” sample answers

Answer 1: being very efficient

“The unique skill that I can bring to your workplace is my ability to pick anything up and get jobs done very quickly and efficiently.

Having already worked at a small startup company before, I am happy to take on additional responsibilities outside of my ‘remit’, and I am always keen to get involved with new areas of the business.

I understand the importance of being open minded and flexible, particularly within a startup environment.”

“What makes you unique” sample answer 2: being innovative

“I think one of the main qualities that makes me unique and different from other applicants is my ability to come up with very innovative ideas.

I have always been a very creative individual.

Throughout university my ideas were often the final choice in group projects and decisions, and all my friends and family come to me if they need ideas for a fancy-dress party!

I would love the opportunity to bring my creative flair to this role.”

“What makes you unique” sample answer 2: handling situations calmly

“I have the unique skill of giving very good advice, as I handle situations calmly and with a level head.

My friends and family often turn to me for guidance, and I recently helped a colleague get out of an awkward situation with an unhappy customer at work.

I have the ability to look at things from a different perspective, applying logic and reason to solve problems, and I think I could be a real asset to your business.”

Are there other answers for “what makes you unique”?

There is an endless number of “what makes you unique” interview answers.

If you’re still looking for more guidance, here are some further “what makes you unique” examples.

Don’t forget to back these up with strong examples, ensuring the employer remembers your answer over other candidates’ answers.

Extremely positive mindset – I see the good in all situations which helps to keep the mood up in the office and motivate colleagues to stay optimistic.

Not afraid to take risks – I have an unusual amount of intuition and I’m not afraid of failure. I believe that learning from your mistakes is a crucial part to make you more successful.

Excellent social skills – I am able to read people’s emotions and intentions.

Have a photographic memory – I love to read and can absorb lots of information and apply things I learn to situations in the workplace, which I am told is a very rare skill.

I enjoy being unique and not fitting stereotypes – I am confident and have high self-esteem which enables me to throw myself into challenges, as I am not worried about what others think of me.

My desire to learn – I am hungry to continually build on and acquire new skills and I have a very ‘can-do’ attitude.

Very high interpersonal and behavioural skills – I enjoy helping and teaching others to be the best versions of themselves

The ability to improve and refine processes –In my last role, I improved our marketing processes and increased ROI by 29%

Make sure to practice presenting your interview answer to ensure that it flows and you sound confident.

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What should be avoided when answering the question: “what makes you unique”?

Being negative:

While you want to differentiate yourself from other graduates, this isn’t an opportunity to start undermining other people being interviewed.

Rather than speaking negatively about the rest of the candidates and why you are superior, focus on speaking about your positive traits and what you can offer.

It is about what makes you unique as a person, not about putting others down.

Going off on a tangent:

While this is an open-ended question, it’s best to keep your answer as succinct as possible, and stick to 1 or 2 reasons why you are the best candidate for the job.

Keeping your answer short and sweet will leave the employer with a lasting impression. Find out how to avoid rambling in an interview.

Lying to the interviewer:

When wondering how to answer “what makes you unique”, you want to come up with something that sets you apart. But there’s no need to lie or exaggerate!

As with all the common interview questions, you will only get caught out in the long-term – especially if it turns out you can’t do the thing you told the employer you could!