What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?: Why It Is Asked & How To Answer [With Sample Answers]

Have you ever been in an interview and felt it’s going well until the interviewer asks, “What sets you apart from other candidates?”

Maybe you froze up a bit or took things a little too negative about your competition. Perhaps you simply didn’t know what to say.

You are not alone! It’s a challenging question to answer, but with proper interview prep, you can demonstrate your abilities and confidently make a good impression.

We’ve got you covered with a comprehensive guide to explain why interviewers ask the question, how you should answer, and tips to craft a stellar response.

Why Do Interviewers Ask “What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?”

Hiring managers asks this question to learn what unique skills and attributes you perceive distinguishes you from other suitable candidates. While your CV and application letter paint a nice picture of you, this question provides an opportunity to build on them.

The question is also a chance to note areas the usual interview questions haven’t touched on. Interviewers often save it for the few who make it to the final round.

It’s not the time to speak ill of other candidates. It’s about describing how your experience will benefit the organization you’re applying to work for. You should create a connection between your background and the job description. That way, you’ll have a far better chance of getting the job.

What Is the Interviewer Looking For?

The interviewer wants you to elaborate on how you’ll apply your unique skills, motivations, aspirations, capabilities, and experience in this position. They want you to confidently acknowledge your strengths and showcase why you’re the ideal applicant for the job. The points you make in your response will be critical strengths you’re presently improving.

Interviewers also use the question to establish whether you’ve done your homework about the position and the organization:

• They can get a good idea of your knowledge of the organization and the position through your answers.
• Doing research allows you to discover distinct capabilities that make you a good fit for the position.
• It allows the hiring managers to evaluate how much planning and innovativeness went into your preparation for the interview.

How To Answer “What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?”

Understanding why the interviewer’s ask this question is the first step toward crafting an answer. You need to do some prep work and come up with some key points to touch on with your answer.

What To Focus on When Answering This Question

Start by creating a list of ideas that will satisfy the interviewer and provide a clear picture. While you don’t want to sound too robotic or rehearsed, be careful to touch on every point.

1. Do Your Homework

You must conduct thorough research on the position and organization before the interview. The interviewer will know if you didn’t research and will likely go with someone who went the extra mile to secure the job.

2. Concentrate on Your Most Important Assets

Identify one or two attributes and achievements that distinguish you from other candidates or are typically harder to find in job seekers. To emphasize any special experiences, such as previous projects and educational accomplishments, ensure they’re relevant to the position.

3. Give Actual Examples

Stating that you possess specific skills is one thing, but providing a thorough explanation and actual samples is another. Consider instances when you made a positive impact at work, such as winning a valuable customer or saving a project from collapsing.

4. Be Confident

You don’t need to be modest when answering this question. The interviewer is testing your confidence and expects you to boast a little. You should respond with self-assurance and clearly explain why they should choose you over the others.

What To Avoid When Answering This Question

Creating a loose outline for your response is helpful, but before you open your mouth to answer, keep these things in mind.

• Don’t Focus on Your Shortcomings: Concentrate what makes you stand out as the most qualified applicant. Don’t let the term “unique” scare you.
• Don’t Go Off-Topic: Irrespective of how thrilling the anecdote might be, the hiring manager isn’t interested in hearing about an unrelated moment or memory.
• Avoid Negativity: It’s easy to think the question invites you to bash other candidates, but that’s not it. Employers don’t appreciate individuals likely to bring negative energy into the workplace.
• Don’t Tell Any Lies: Interviewers often go the extra mile to verify your references, and being dishonest won’t earn you any points.

Examples: How To Answer “What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?”

You can better respond to this question by organizing your strengths and concentrating your response on one particular strength. Keep your responses specific and relevant to the position you’re interviewing for.

Example Answer 1

“Having spent the past two years working on projects like this one, I’m aware of the issues that might emerge and how to avoid them, freeing up team resources for other essential pursuits. Furthermore, I’ve demonstrated leadership skills by successfully steering a project to timely completion and within budget.

During my stay at ABC Company, I developed such comprehensive plans that my manager requested me to standardize the department’s approach to documenting future projects by creating a template of plans, actions, and proposals. That did increase all teams’ output, and it felt good having made a bigger contribution to the firm.”

Why This Answer Works

The interviewee’s focus in this answer is to emphasize their qualifications. They do it by describing their past work experiences and giving concrete examples of their abilities. It’s an effective response since it elaborates on their strengths and highlights what they can contribute to the organization.

Example Answer 2

“Creative problem-solving is one of my key strengths, and I believe it sets me apart from the competition. While working at company DCE, I landed a big client by adopting a distinct approach from my coworkers. Instead of using the same old sales pitch, I tailored my presentation to their requirements.

I persuaded the client on a level that no other salesperson had been able to previously. I’m looking forward to applying my creativity to this position and developing inventive solutions to any problems that may arise.”

Why This Answer Works

The answer demonstrates how one might showcase a skill not evident in their resume. The candidate boasts of their creativity and unique approach to problem-solving. They present evidence from their prior work experience and tell a story that the interviewer will not forget easily.

Example Answer 3

“A special skill that makes me stand out from the crowd and could be helpful in this marketing position is my ability to speak Spanish. I did my homework and learned that the company hopes to attract more Spanish customers.

If hired, my command of the language could prove invaluable in this quest. I would be happy to lend a hand in developing a fully functional website in Spanish and any related marketing initiatives. My bilingual abilities might help develop crucial business and marketing relationships.”

Why This Answer Works

The answer is effective because it’s precise and shows that the candidate has researched the organization. They have established a connection between their accomplishment and the job description, demonstrating how their experience directly applies to the open position.

Additional Tips To Impress an Interviewer Asking What Sets You Apart From Other Candidates?

Still struggling to come up with the perfect answer? Here are some interview tips and tricks that will help you answer the question correctly:

1. Be Precise

You might kill the interviewer with boredom if you give an overly long response. Choose one or two key attributes from your list to highlight why you’re the best candidate. Begin by discussing what you believe they’re searching for and how you can meet their requirements. Your narration needs to demonstrate why they should hire you rather than anyone else.

2. Keep It Professional

The last thing you want in an interview is to make a wrong impression. You should avoid sarcastically saying, “I didn’t know there were other candidates.”

Always give an unambiguous and straightforward answer. That’s what the other applicants will provide, and you don’t wish to stand out by giving a generic answer. Moreover, responses that are unaccompanied by evidence are unsatisfactory.

3. Concentrate on Your Profile

Rather than attempting to second-guess other applicants’ abilities, experiences, and qualities, concentrate on how you can help the organization.

You might begin your response by saying, “I’m uncertain what the other applicants can offer,” but I trust my seven years of experience and abilities in E, F, and G make me unique.

Additional Questions To Be Aware Of

Here are other common questions interviewers ask:

• Why Are You a Great Match for This Role?: The interviewer uses this question to gauge whether you comprehend the position’s duties and responsibilities. They’re also seeking to learn if you have the skills to perform the job should they hire you.
• What Are You Passionate About?: The question is a great chance to talk to the interviewer about your interests, passions, or anything else that means a lot to you. They seek to discover as much as possible about you and your contribution to the firm.
• What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?: The interviewer asks the question to help them understand your areas of development, interest, and goals you haven’t had a chance to achieve yet but you’d like to.
• What Can You Bring to the Company?: Interviewers use this question to determine which of your abilities, traits, and accomplishments make you the greatest candidate for the job and the organization.
• Explain Why Your Background and Experience are Good for This Job: An interviewer uses this question to understand better how your previous work experience relates to the job’s requirements.

Wrapping Up

When going for a job interview, preparing for unusual questions that interviewers might ask you is essential. Among the most challenging interview questions is “what sets you apart from other candidates?”

Hiring managers use the question to learn more about your unique capabilities. Talk about your strengths and what you can contribute, and concentrate on the positives.

It’s the time to assert your worth and explain why you should get the job. Reach our team through the comment section below if you have any questions.