How to answer what is unique about you?

Answering "What is unique about you?" effectively requires self-reflection and alignment with the job role. The goal is to highlight qualities, skills, or experiences that set you apart and demonstrate your value to the company.

Why This Question Is Asked

Interviewers want to understand how you stand out among other candidates and how your unique qualities can contribute to their team or company. It’s a chance to showcase your individuality while emphasizing traits or experiences that align with the job.

Steps to Answer

1. Identify Your Unique Qualities

• Reflect on what makes you different in terms of skills, experiences, or perspectives.
• Consider your personal strengths, hobbies, or achievements that are relevant to the role.

2. Relate It to the Role

• Connect your uniqueness to the job or company’s needs.
• Show how your qualities can solve problems, improve processes, or add value.

3. Provide Evidence

• Use specific examples or anecdotes to back up your claim.
• Quantify your achievements where possible.

4. Be Genuine

• Avoid generic responses that lack depth, like "I work hard" or "I'm a perfectionist."
• Focus on being authentic and confident.

Example Answers

1. Unique Perspective or Skill

"What makes me unique is my ability to combine technical skills with creativity. For example, during a software project, I designed an intuitive user interface while also optimizing backend performance. This dual approach not only improved user satisfaction but also reduced system load by 15%."

2. Adaptability

"I have a unique ability to adapt quickly to new environments and challenges. When I joined my previous internship, I had no prior experience with the tools they used. Within two weeks, I became proficient and implemented a feature that improved efficiency by 20%."

3. Personal Passion

"What sets me apart is my passion for environmental sustainability in engineering. I worked on a personal project designing energy-efficient algorithms for IoT devices, which I believe aligns with your company’s commitment to green technology."

What to Avoid

• Overconfidence: Avoid coming across as arrogant by overstating your uniqueness.
• Irrelevant Qualities: Focus on what’s professionally relevant, not personal quirks unrelated to the job.
• Vague Responses: Specificity is key to making your uniqueness stand out.

Tips for a Great Answer

• Tailor your response to the job and company culture.
• Keep your answer concise and engaging.
• Use your unique trait as an opportunity to highlight how you’d contribute to the team.

Resources for Preparation

• Prepare for behavioral questions with Grokking Modern Behavioral Interview by DesignGurus.io: Learn More.
• Refine your strengths and traits with 5 Common Interview Mistakes to Avoid: Read Blog.

By focusing on a trait or experience that aligns with the role and demonstrating its value, you can confidently and effectively answer what makes you unique.