What Makes You More Qualified Than The Other Candidates?

This is a common interview question and is similar in nature to the more general question ‘why should we hire you?‘ or ‘what makes you unique?‘. Out of a group of candidates, the interviewer is, of course, looking for the one that is the best person for the position. This means that it’s up to you to convince the interviewer that you are more than qualified and that you are up for the task.

If you’re being too modest, the interviewer might think you lack confidence. However, if you overdo it, the interviewer might think that you’re bragging too much. Your goal is to strike a balance between these two and make just the right impression. So how do you explain what makes you more qualified than the other candidates? Read all about it here in this blog.

Why does the interviewer ask this question?

Finding the best person for the position; that’s the job of an interviewer. As soon as you make it to the interview stage of a job application process, you are most likely to be qualified for the job. Else they wouldn’t have invited you to the interview in the first place. The interviewer wants to assess how well you understand the position you’re applying for and how confident you are in your abilities. He or she does not expect you to compare you and your skillset to the other candidates.

The interviewer wants you to ‘sell yourself’ to him and convince him that you’re the best person for the job. He wants you to provide information on if you can do the work and the results that the company is looking for. Are you a good fit for the team and the company culture? Are you that candidate that stands out from the crowd with just the right skills and experience?

The answer you give should demonstrate confidence and that you’re able to provide your strengths when asked. Your answer should state specific reasons why you’re the better candidate without bad-mouthing the other candidates. This gives the interviewer insight into you as a worker, but it also reveals your character and what it’s probably like to be around you.

Example answers to show that you’re more qualified than the other candidates

When answering a question about why you’re more qualified than other candidates, you should avoid criticizing them because you don’t know their qualifications. Tell the interviewers as a disclaimer that you are not familiar with the strengths of the other candidates. There’s a large chance that other candidates are impressive as well, but it’s your goal to ascertain the interviewers that you have the skills that will enable you to make a significant contribution to the company. In short: keep it about yourself.

To start your answer off, you can tell the interviewer something in the order of:

‘I don’t know the other candidates’ qualifications, and I don’t have their resumes, I am sure that there are a lot of talented people that would like this job. The only thing I can speak on is my own qualifications, and I think that my unique experience and background demonstrate that I’m a strong candidate for this position.’

After the disclaimer, you can provide your answer. An example of a customer representative role might sound like this:

‘My five years of experience with managing a sales team and customer relations has provided me with the right perspective on what customer service management involves. I’m very committed to set goals and objectives. My enthusiasm for what I do helps me to motive and inspire others around me. Last year, my team ranked in the top 10 customer service teams globally. My personal contribution as a manager was mainly that I was involved in hiring and training over 15 new team members, all of whom are still part of the team today. I could really see myself building and developing a new team here as well.

Furthermore, besides being involved in the final hiring decisions, I have experience with setting and managing different budgets for the team. I’m an efficient communicator that leads the team with no fear of putting in hard work myself. I’m really looking forward to making similar contributions to the team here.’  

Points to focus on in your answer

1. Show confidence

You need to show the interviewer that you are confident in your skills and experience. However, there are interested in more than just that; the interviewer wants to get to know your personality to analyze you’re a good fit within the existing team. Showcasing that you have a winning personality is an important part of convincing the interviewer that you’re the right person for the job.

2. Show interest

Be enthusiastic. Confidence, in combination with enthusiasm and solid preparation to your answer in general, is the key to success for this question. Give the interviewer the impression that you’re happy to be there and that you’re enthusiastic about joining and contributing to the organization.

3. Match your skills to the job requirements

Mention relevant experience and how it relates to the position you’re applying for. For instance, if you interview for an event manager position that will focus on booking large groups, mention that you have extensive experience in handling the needs of large groups of people. Discuss the top four responsibilities of the job and describe how you can use your work experience to help the company succeed and add value.

4. Understand how you can help the company and the team

Research the company and the job description thoroughly. This information will give you the power to provide strong answers. The more you get to know about the company before the interview, the more you can anticipate and react to questions that require you to describe how you can help the company and team.

Research the company website and social media channels to get information on the company culture, dress code, recent news, and any publications.

5. Be honest

Provide an honest impression of yourself but make sure that you put yourself in the best light as possible. Don’t lie or brag too much, but don’t be too humble either. Focus on what’s important and show that you’re a confident individual that believes that you’re the right person for the job.

What to avoid in your answer

1. Rambling

Don’t get off topic. Focus on the message that you’re trying to convey and stick to that, nothing more. Avoid lengthy explanations or including too much information in your answers. Just answer the question and provide enough context so that the interviewer gets what he or she wants to know. Practice common job interview questions prior to the interview so that you have time to refine your answers a couple of times to ensure that they come out right during the interview.

2. Vague answers

Don’t give generic answers that can be applied to all other jobs too. Connect your skills to the ones related to the position that you’re applying for.

3. Don’t undersell yourself

Reiterate why your skills and experience match the role, even if you already discussed your qualifications earlier. This question is one more opportunity for you to emphasize why you are the perfect candidate for the job.

4. Don’t brag too much

Confidence is good, bragging, and overdoing; it is not. If you come across as arrogant or too confident in yourself, you might not be a good addition to any team.

5. Don’t badmouth other candidates

This is probably the most important point on this list. The interviewer does not expect you to compare yourself to others, because you do not know their qualification. Therefore, stay away from such comparisons and don’t talk negatively about people you have not met or have not worked with.

Job Interview Topics – Common Job Interview Questions & Answers

Below you can find a list of common job interview topics. Each link will direct you to an article regarding the specific topics that discuss commonly asked interview questions. Furthermore, each article discusses why the interviewer asks these questions and how you answer them!

1. Accomplishments
2. Adaptability
3. Admission
4. Behavioral
5. Career Change
6. Career Goals
7. Communication
8. Competency
9. Conflict Resolution
10. Creative Thinking
11. Cultural Fit
12. Customer Service
13. Direct
14. Experience
15. Government
16. Graduate
17. Growth Potential
18. Honesty & Integrity
19. Illegal
20. Inappropriate
21. Job Satisfaction
22. Leadership
23. Management
24. Entry-Level & No experience
25. Performance-Based
26. Personal
27. Prioritization & Time Management
28. Problem-solving
29. Salary
30. Situational & Scenario-based
31. Stress Management
32. Teamwork
33. Telephone Interview
34. Tough
35. Uncomfortable
36. Work Ethic