How To Answer “What Makes You Unique?” In A Job Interview

How NOT To Answer “What Makes You Unique?”

Before you can come up with a great answer to this interview question, first, you need to know what to avoid. The hiring manager absolutely does not want to know that you play in a band on the weekends, you can solve a Rubik’s Cube in 30 seconds, or that you have a pet rat.

When interviewers ask, “What makes you unique?” the real question is, “Why should we hire you over the other candidates?” That’s what you should answer.

A personal answer may be interesting, but it won’t help you land the job. All of your job interview responses should focus on telling them what they need to know in order to say, “You’re hired!”

Think about what makes you valuable in this role and why it’s valuable to the organization. Ultimately, employers want to know how you will save or make the company money. Prove your value by showcasing results from past roles, especially numbers, percentages, or measurable impact.

Here are three powerful ways to answer the uniqueness question based on what employers really care about: your career background, your professional experiences, and your skills or soft skills (that pertain to the job).

1. Explaining Your Career Background

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A strong answer often connects your background to the unique perspective you bring.

“My background is a little different from others in the field, which gives me a unique perspective that has allowed me to see solutions that are creative and resourceful. For example, I came up with X solution [say what it was] to solve Y problem, and it worked out beautifully. This solution improved [specific metric, percentage, or dollar amount].”

Why this works: It shows you can leverage your background in a way that directly benefits the employer.

2. Sharing Your Previous Experiences

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Use your education, work experience, or career path to demonstrate what makes you different.

“I believe that my education in X [name your degree or classes here] combined with my work experience in Y gives me an especially great advantage when approaching [a critical problem this job addresses]. I draw on both to solve everyday issues and special challenges. For example, in [name a situation], I took [action you took] and achieved [quantifiable results—numbers, percentages, or revenue impact].”

Why this works: It highlights how your past roles prepared you to bring measurable value to this new position.

3. Selling Your Skill Sets & Personality Traits

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Sometimes your soft skills (communication, organization, leadership, adaptability) can be your strongest answer, especially if they align with the job description.

Sample Answer:

“I believe I have exceptional organizational skills. In my last job, I created a new system for task assignments that streamlined productivity and improved it by 20%.”

This little bit at the end—”improved it by 20%”—transforms your answer from a vague claim to a compelling, results-driven statement. It grabs attention and tells them exactly how much you matter.

For job search (and interview) success, always tie your unique qualities to business impact, productivity improvements, or measurable results.

Final Strategy: Focus On Value Over “Uniqueness”

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If you have skills, experience, or achievements that would make you valuable in the role, now is the time to mention them. Worry less about being “unique” and focus more on proving your value and competitive edge.

Next time you have a big job interview, try using these strategies to answer “What makes you unique?” with confidence, clarity, and quantifiable proof. Delivering a strong, value-driven answer could be the key to landing your next opportunity.

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