Published: October 5, 2020 by iSchool Career Advisor

You know that feeling when you are cruising along in your interview and you just feel like the stars are aligned and everything is going so well? It is an amazing feeling. And then you get a seemingly simple interview question, “Why are you the best candidate for this position?” and you freeze. You feel completely stumped and tongue tied about how to respond. You may even eek out what you think is a humble response, “Well, I don’t know that I AM the best candidate for the job.” What did you just say? Oh no! I think you just blew your interview.

The answer to “Why are you the best candidate for this position?” is really not difficult when you have prepared your answer ahead of time. This question should always be on your practice list of commonly asked interview questions. The bottom line is that this is a strengths based question. If you have done your homework and are clear in your mind on why you are interested in this position and why you can do this job i.e., why you are the best candidate for the job, you’ll have it nailed. Let’s break it down.

1. Why did you apply for this position in the first place? What about this job description made you say to yourself, “I can do this job?”
2. What skills, abilities, and qualifications on your resume made you stand out to land this interview? If you studied your resume ahead of time, you could have answered this question.
3. Think about it honestly, why ARE you the best candidate? What strengths, talents, personal characteristics, past experiences, etc. will you bring to this position?

A little preparation and thought ahead of time can save you in the interview, and this position can be yours. The interview is not the time to be humble; it is your time to shine. So don’t blow your next interview due to lack of preparation. Do your homework and get psyched about how you are the best candidate for the job! Review the iSchool’s Interviewing Career Development resources beforehand, and you’ll not make this mistake.

Happy interviewing!