Use these top interview question examples to answer this challenging question!

Differentiating yourself from rival candidates can be one of the biggest challenges you'll face during any job search. That's especially true when your skills and experiences are roughly comparable to those of other job seekers. 

Fortunately, many interviewers will provide you with an opportunity to separate yourself from the crowd by asking some variation of the question, “What makes you unique?” Before you answer that question, though, you should familiarize yourself with interview question examples that can help you practice your response.

In this guide, we'll explain why interviewers ask this question and the types of responses that they're looking for. We'll also offer some helpful tips that you can use to structure an effective answer and provide interview question examples and answers that you can use to ensure that your response makes the right impression on your interviewer.

Why do employers ask the question, “What makes you unique?”

Before you can effectively use interview question examples and responses, it's important to understand why employers ask questions about what makes you unique. At first glance, this is the type of question that could easily be misinterpreted as an opportunity to talk about your life, worldview, or hobbies. However, when an interviewer gives you a chance to talk about this topic, what they really want to hear is why you're the best candidate for the job.

The key thing to remember here is that your interviewer is looking for an answer that focuses on your understanding of your own value. 

  • Do you have specific strengths that make you an ideal fit for the job? 

  • Is there something about your work style that might make you a better candidate than any of your rivals? 

  • Are there things in your resume that you can further highlight to reinforce your superior qualifications? 

  • Do your strengths and work style align well with the company's workplace culture and overall mission?

The key takeaway here is that your answer to any questions about what makes you unique should be focused on character traits, skills, and experiences that demonstrate your potential value as an employee. If you can emphasize those vital qualifications, you should have no problem creating an answer that satisfies the employer's curiosity.

Related reading: How to Answer “What Can You Bring to the Company?”

Tips for creating an effective response to the question, “What makes you unique?”

Before we explore some of the best interview question examples and possible responses to this challenging question, let's take a few moments to consider tips that can help you craft your answers. 

By following these simple expert recommendations, you can create several possible responses that highlight your unique qualifications. That will help maximize your chances of making the best possible

1.    Review the job posting to identify the employer's needs

Before you formulate any answers in preparation for a job interview, it's vital to thoroughly examine the job posting and role description. Take the time to identify which specific needs the employer is attempting to fulfill with this position. 

What role will you be expected to play in furthering the company's vision and mission? Once you have the answer to this key question, you can then focus on how your professional skills and experiences can help meet those needs.

For example, let's say that the job posting lists several necessary skills but also mentions the company's current interest in expanding its customer base to new markets. You can create a response that focuses on how you've used those required skills to build teams that successfully expanded a company's brand and product line into new markets. Your answer could emphasize your unique ability to create collaborative work dynamics that promote a shared commitment to meeting expansion goals.

2.    Consider your professional experience and achievements

While you want to craft answers that address the employer's needs, the core information in your responses should be based on your own professional experience and accomplishments. Review your work history to identify specific situations in which employers offered you praise for your efforts and achievements. Those experiences can provide all the fodder you need to craft compelling responses to questions like these.

Some of those experiences may be directly tied to financial gains you've provided to previous employers. Others may have involved changes that you've implemented to improve productivity, reduce inefficiency, or aid in customer retention. Take note of each of these important experiences and related achievements so that you can be prepared to reference them during an interview.

3.    Write down a list of your top traits and skills

Each time you've achieved something of value for an employer, you've used specific talents and character traits – abilities and characteristics that can make you an attractive hiring prospect. It can be helpful to compile a list of those skills and traits to guide you as you create a response that explains why you're uniquely qualified for a given role.

  • What abilities have you used to increase an employer's revenue and profits? 

  • Do you have specific skills that have helped you to lead and inspire others to achieve great results for their company? 

  • Which of your personality traits enable you to solve your employers' challenges and further the company's mission? 

As you create your list, think in terms of the type of value you can bring to the position, and how the employer will directly benefit from your presence on their team.

4.    De-emphasize the word “unique” and focus on relevance

One reason this type of question can be confusing for so many job seekers is that they're put off by the word “unique” and misinterpret its meaning. As we noted, employers aren't really interested in the things that make you a unique individual. They're not interested in hiring you because of your love for obscure 16th century poetry, after all. What they are interested in is learning whether your qualifications and fitness for the role make you the best candidate for the job.

So, when an interviewer asks you to explain why you're unique, try to filter that word out of your mind and instead respond with an answer that demonstrates you're capable of meeting the company's needs. 

To do that, make sure you have a prepared answer that is wholly relevant to the job you're seeking, the company's culture, and the positive benefits that you can offer if you're hired.

Related reading: How To Prepare for Company Culture-Fit Interview Questions

5.    Focus your answer on how your skills helped you achieve something of value

Remember that list of skills and character traits that we had you create? 

You should reference that list as you create responses to interview questions like these. Try to create simple responses that tell a story about how you've used those skills to create value – focusing on narratives that the interviewer should find compelling and relevant for the job you're seeking.

For example, if you're interviewing for a job in a marketing role, you should craft answers that are relevant to that position. You likely won't want to focus on your achievements as a line worker in a manufacturing plant since those accomplishments won't have any relation to the marketing company's needs. Instead, provide an answer related to your prior marketing activities, sales results, or management achievements.

In addition, remember to use real numbers wherever possible. Did your achievement increase company revenue by 15%? Then, make sure you include that result to provide clear evidence of how you added real value to the company's bottom line. 

Do the same thing for other types of achievements – whether you reduced costs by a certain percentage or amount, eliminated inefficiencies, increased productivity, or added a certain number of new customers. Quantify those results.

6.    Be specific

Finally, craft an answer that is focused on specifics. Don't just provide a quick response that lists a skill or two that make you a great candidate. Take some time to explain why those skills matter, how you developed them, and how you've used them in a productive and effective way. 

Expert Tip: Vague answers about your unique qualifications are likely to be viewed as less credible than a more detailed and energized response.

This is why we recommend illustrating your skills with real examples drawn from your experience and achievements. The more detailed and specific you can be, the more credibility you'll have with your audience. And remember: the goal is not to demonstrate you're a one-of-a-kind job prospect. The goal is to convince the employer that your qualifications set you apart from every other candidate for the position.

“What makes you unique?” Interview question examples and possible answers

As promised, it's time to consider some interview question examples and hypothetical responses that you can use to answer different variations of the “What makes you unique?” question. Below, we've gathered some great examples of responses you can use to effectively answer the uniqueness question by focusing on different skills and traits that you possess.

Example 1: Leadership

“My leadership abilities have helped set me apart throughout my career. I'm intently focused on helping every member of my team reach their full potential, maximize our collective results, and further our common mission to advance our employer's interests. By emphasizing team member empowerment to inspire and motivate them to push their own boundaries, I've been able to forge teams that consistently surpass expectations.

During my time as project manager at TechStuff, Inc., I designed and implemented a mentoring plan that created bonded working relationships between experienced programmers and new talent. That helped create stronger working relationships in our department, but also led to a 33% increase in project productivity, a 22% reduction in cost overruns, and a 19% boost in reported customer satisfaction.”

Example 2: Problem-solving

“What makes me unique? The first thing that comes to mind is my ability to recognize problems and do the work necessary to create innovative solutions in rapid fashion. In my experience, we don't always have time to spend days or weeks solving unexpected challenges, so being able to quickly identify the root causes of any problem and devise a workable solution is vital for maintaining operational efficiency.

For example, just last year we ran into a situation where we saw a drop in production for all our teams. After a quick but in-depth review of the entire production process, I identified an interdepartmental communication failure that was adding days to our process time. After sitting down with the department heads, I was able to help them eliminate the logjam, create a smoother process, and improve our production time by more than 30%.”

Example 3: Analytical skills

“In my previous roles as an analyst, I've developed some unique analytical skills that have proved invaluable in dealing with a variety of challenges – including unexpected problems. Those skills help me examine any complex situation, break problems and issues down into their component parts, and analyze each of those parts to see how they contribute to the whole. Using that process enables me to quickly assess any situation, identify potential problem areas, and come up with creative solutions to resolve issues.

Those same analytical skills helped me conduct an analysis of the technology platforms at ABC Corp., during my recent employment as the company's IT Director. After performing an exhaustive review of our entire system workflow, I was able to identify several key hardware and software weaknesses that were impeding the company's operational effectiveness. After recommending and implementing core technology upgrades, we enjoyed a 30% improvement in efficiency, response time, and overall data accuracy.”

Example 4: Interpersonal skills

“If I had to focus on just one unique quality that may separate me from my competition, it would be my people skills. In my view, everything we do in our industry is done with people in mind. Whether it's our relationships with colleagues, superiors, vendors, or clients, people must come first if we're going to achieve our collective vision and mission. Because of that mindset, I've dedicated my career to building strong relationships, forging powerful teams, and doing everything I can to improve experiences for all stakeholders.

My conflict resolution skills are a great example of that commitment. Two years ago, one of our biggest clients had a major dispute with her assigned account manager – a dispute that could have cost us a $10 million account. Our CEO assigned me to resolve the conflict, so I immediately began a campaign to restore her trust in our services. It took several meetings and many hours of open communication, but I eventually solved her issues and inspired her to maintain her business relationships with the firm.”

Example 5: Teamwork

“One of my strongest attributes is my unique love for collaboration as part of a team. That appreciation for the power of teamwork was forged in my youth and strengthened over time by my participation in various sports and subsequent time in the armed forces. As a result, I'm always mindful that a group of committed professionals, working toward a common goal, can achieve far more than any individual – if you know how to harness each team member's unique talents and expertise to drive mission progress.

Those teamwork skills have been invaluable in my prior roles as team leader, project manager, and departmental manager. As an example, I led a recent project that required me to build a team of more than forty professionals, each with their own unique area of expertise. By identifying their strengths and effectively delegating appropriate roles to each team member, I was able to help that group reach our project goals seven days early and $20,000 under budget, satisfying our client and our superiors.”

Related reading: How to Effectively Answer the 10 Most Common Interview Questions About Your Teamwork Skills

Example 6: Focus on details

“Co-workers have often commented on my unique attention to details and getting things right the first time. I was raised with an understanding that doing things the right way can be the best way to avoid unnecessary repetition of effort. That understanding has helped me become the detail-oriented person I am today – a skill that I use to maintain a high level of productivity and quality in my work.

Several months ago, my attention to detail was recognized when I was named ABC Corp. Employee of the Year for my efforts as an auditor in our accounting department. Over the course of the previous six months, I had been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of every department's financial activity, productivity, and efficiency. My emphasis on paying attention to the finest of details helped me identify $70,000 in annual waste, cost overruns, and inefficiencies.”

Example 7: Adaptability

“When I consider why I'm unique, I like to think in terms of things that make me the best qualified for this role. One thing  noted in the role description in your job posting is the need for a candidate who can quickly adapt to new situations and unexpected challenges. Throughout my career, I've worked in many fast-paced and rapidly changing work environments and have always been flexible enough to keep pace with those changes.

In fact, my last employer, ABC Corp., was acquired by Delta Tech Corp. last year. That led to a massive restructuring designed to align the two firms' visions and missions. As the head of my department, I had to quickly adapt to that overhaul to acclimate myself to new products, services, and processes. Just as important, I had to help the rest of my team make that adjustment as well – which we did in record time, meeting our new revenue expectations two months ahead of schedule.”

Related reading: 10 Adaptability Interview Questions and Answers

Example 8: Commitment to learning

“That's a great question. What makes me unique is simple: my ongoing commitment to learning and improving my value as a human being and employee. That's a trait my parents instilled in me from my earliest years in school, as they never let me settle for anything but my best. I followed through on that commitment for constant improvement throughout my college years and my career, continually developing my existing skills while learning new abilities that helped me keep pace with a changing industry and economy.

As a leader, I've also promoted those same ideals as I've collaborated with members of my team. Several years ago, I created and introduced a skill enhancement program for employee development that offered team members an opportunity to learn new abilities that could provide expanded opportunities for promotion and other advancements within our company. That program helped more than a dozen of you top employees prepare for team leader, project manager, and other higher-level roles.”

Example 9: Strong communication

“What makes me unique is my ability to use my communication skills to empower everyone around me. Throughout my career as a manager, I've known many leaders who use their rhetorical skills to inspire and motivate loyalty to their mission and have witnessed the power they can harness with that approach. One of my first mentors, however, introduced me to another rhetorical technique that focuses more on inspiring people to be the best version of themselves.

My first opportunity to use this leadership technique came when I was hired to replace a manager who was let go due to a persistent failure to help his team meet their sales goals. When I arrived, the team was disorganized, dispirited, and expecting me to direct their every move. Instead, I implemented a program focused on providing new training techniques, self-actualization exercises, and personal goal setting rather than group objectives. That helped us double our sales results in just one quarter.”

Example 10: Organizational skills

“One of my most unique qualities is my ability to organize people, processes, and systems to create greater efficiencies that result in increased productivity and reduced costs. I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to leverage those skills in both an Administrative Assistant and Office Manager role at different stages of my career – and have always taken pride in my ability to improve operations through organizational excellence.

For example, when I was hired as the Office Manager for the Legal People Doing Legal Things law firm, my employers wanted me to create a new organizational structure for the practice, from scratch. The firm had outgrown its original operational plan, resulting in a chaotic approach to case management, office information flow, and revenue and expense planning. In just a few short weeks, I implemented a comprehensive plan that restructured every area of the practice.

Those efforts reduced communication problems, provided a clear system for case assignment and documentation management, and all but eliminated interoffice friction. With that new organizational approach in place, the firm quickly increased its client load by 13%, boosted revenues by 12%, and added four more legal professionals to the team.

Example 11: Transferable skills

“When you ask me what makes me unique, I can't help but think about my professional skill set. When I reviewed the job posting to try to identify the company's needs and expectations for this role, I quickly recognized my skill set aligns perfectly with your expectations. However, I also recognized that I possess a wide array of other skills that weren't cited in the job description. And it is those skills that may be what differentiates me from the other candidates seeking this job.

For example, in addition to the main marketing skills cited in the job description, I also possess graphic design and presentation skills that I've used to great effect in my previous employment. In my experience, a Marketing Manager who is skilled in graphic design will be even more effective when working with the design team to craft both print and digital marketing campaign materials.”

Alternative versions of the “What makes you unique” question

It's also important to note that employers may ask this type of question in various ways. For example, they may ask:

Each of those questions can be answered using the same tips you see in this guide, since the employer is seeking the same type of information. If you can answer one of these questions effectively, you should be able to answer any of these variations too.

Use these interview question examples and answers to prove you're unique

It's easy to get confused when interviewers ask you an unexpected question like, “What makes you unique?” However, once you understand what they really want to know, it's easy to prepare an effective response that highlights your qualifications. By referencing these interview questions examples and responses, and following this guide's tips, you should be well prepared to deal with any interview questions about your unique qualifications.

Need help preparing for your next interview than these interview question examples, and sample responses can provide? Why not consult with our expert TopInterview coaches to get the assistance you need?

Recommended reading:

Related Articles: