Personal statement what makes you unique

But did you expect them to ask what makes you unique? Quick, off the top of your head, what answer would you give? Is your answer about your personality? This is a personality interview question that can tell them a bit more about you, but it can also tell them what you value about yourself.

Our AI resume builder helps you write a compelling and relevant resume for the jobs you want. Suddenly, your answer about being able to touch your nose with your tongue seems wildly out of place. Use these tips to help:. Carefully read the job description to determine what qualities are most necessary to succeed in the role. When you have an idea of what the specific objectives of the role will be, you can give an answer that alludes to your ability to handle those objectives without outright saying it.

For example, if a job description emphasizes the need for cross-team communication , framing your uniqueness as an organizer of an amateur sports league would be perfect. Be job-specific. Part of your research should be about the company and what they value. You should also learn about the role. Remember that the interviewer is most interested in how your unique trait or perspective will be valuable for the company.

Think back on the strengths that have served you well in the past and what former supervisors have had to say about your performance. You can also drop the professional bit and just think about what qualities people most appreciate about you. Use examples. What have you done that can illustrate your skills? It made you a more confident interviewer.

Examples enliven those dull, single adjective answers. While this is not a behavioral interview question , it still pays to highlight your strengths through examples whenever possible. Tie it to work. Maybe you can explain how you love learning new things and spent a year traveling to immerse yourself in new cultures. Even seemingly unrelated interests, hobbies, and activities can be tied to desirable professional traits with a bit of self-reflection.

Ask yourself how those same unique characteristics have been an asset in professional as well as personal circumstances. Boring can be perfect. Build a professional resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. But it could. Something deeply personal. You also never want to make someone feel uncomfortable.

Just like when you discuss your interests or hobbies outside of work, you should aim to keep things surface-level unless the interviewer probes for more detail.

Make your answer as positive as possible. Even if it has to do with a negative event, then explain how it made you better or you overcame it. Skip the odd human tricks. Your weird party trick might pop into your head first — quickly discard that and move on to something legitimate for the workplace. Save the stupid tricks for the office holiday party. No show and tell. If your unique answer sounds like a kid giving a show-and-tell presentation — skip it.

Start with the job listing itself. Look at what skills are required and match those up with the skills you know you have. Make sure when you answer the question that you work those skills into the conversation through examples. Share actual examples from your own work history to back up your answers. Make sure your stories are short, concise, and end on a positive note.

Share with your hiring manager not only what makes you unique, but how you used that uniqueness in a positive, constructive way. Do your research on the company ahead of time and come up with solid ways your unique skills and talents can benefit them. I look forward to tasks where I can learn and grow. Yes, the hiring manager really does want to know what makes you unique…but only so far as it applies to the job. Keep your truly personal details, well, personal. Remember, they want to know how your unique skills will help the company, not that you spend your weekends dressing your dog up in accurate period costumes and reenacting major historical battles.

We touched on this above, but it really does need to be said twice. Keep your answer short, focused, and most importantly, relevant. Make sure you use targeted, specific words that highlight your skills and then follow those up with a specific example.

Be honest! Make yourself stand out from the herd by showing your value to the company. Please register to leave a comment. Leave a Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Name Email. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Terms of Service. Log In Sign Up. Reset password Please enter your email address to request a password reset. Log In. This information is used to create your account First Name Please enter your name. Email Please provide a valid email. Phone Please provide a valid phone number.

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