What makes you unique?

When preparing for a job interview, there’s a lot to consider, including behavioural questions, competency-based questions, and demonstrating your most relevant skills and experience. Then there are questions you might not be prepared for.

“What makes you unique?” may seem unusual for an interview question, but it serves an important purpose. It’s designed to give the interviewer or hiring manager insight into what you believe sets you apart different from other applicants. It gives you a good opportunity to leave a lasting impression.

In this article, learn how to uncover your personal differentiators and how to answer this interview question in a way that makes you stand out from your competition.

• Why employers ask “What makes you unique?”
• How to identify your unique qualities
• Examples of unique qualities
• How to structure your answer
• Sample answers
• Tips for delivering your answer effectively
• What to do if you can’t think of anything unique
• How to tailor your answer to the job
• Common mistakes to avoid
• FAQs

Why employers ask “What makes you unique?”

When hiring managers ask, “What makes you unique?” they want to know what skills or strengths you could bring to the role that other applicants may not have. Your answer can reveal your values, work ethic and personal traits, which gives insight into how well you’d fit into the team and how successful you’d be in the role. By connecting what makes you unique to the selection criteria mentioned in the job ad, you can show your suitability for the role and the company.

How to identify your unique strengths

Before you can formulate an answer, first you need to be aware of your unique talents. To identify your unique strengths, make a list of:

• All your skills
• Any achievements you’re proud of, at work or school/university, including awards and good results
• Your personal traits and attributes
• Any challenges you’ve overcome. What was it about you that helped you solve a difficult problem?

Next, ask other people – family, friends, colleagues, teachers or mentors – what they think is unique about you. Once you have a list of qualities, match it to the job ad so that your strengths, skills and talents line up with what the hiring manager is looking for. For example, they may say the ability to handle pressure is a must. You may have a calm demeanour and thrive in a fast-paced environment – something that is uncommon and would make you unique.

What makes me unique – examples

What makes you unique is what sets you apart – what people say when they describe you. That could be a rare technical skill, a special talent (like languages), your personality, your work background or an experience you had that has helped you professionally. Consider traits and attributes, like:

• Creativity
• Enthusiasm
• Adaptability
• Patience
• Ethics
• Beliefs

What makes you unique may be your perspective, resilience or attitude. Passion for your industry could also be what’s unique about you, if you can provide an example of how this sets you apart.

How to structure your answer

The STAR (situation, task, action and result) method is a great way to structure your answer. It can help you not only share what you think are your distinctive attributes, but show how you have used them in the past. Structure your answer like this:

• State your unique trait
• Share a specific situation or challenge where you’ve used this trait
• Outline what you had to do to overcome/tackle the situation
• Detail how you used your skill or strength
• Conclude with the result of the situation, having your unique strength

Sample answers

It’s important that you can relate an example of your unique trait/s in action. Prepare some examples of how to answer the question, so your interviewer can see how your uniqueness could be a benefit to you in the role. Here are some examples for different talents and traits.

Creative unique talents

Creativity can foster unique talents that can be applied to many different jobs, including graphic design, marketing, hairdressing and even more analytical roles, like programming and consulting. It’s important that be specific about your creative abilities, for instance:

• People always say my ability to create custom hair colours makes me unique. I studied visual arts, including colour theory, on top of my hairdressing certificate, so I’m able to consult clients on specific colours that suit their complexion and styling.

Be specific about your unique strength, rather than providing a generic or broad trait.

Problem solving unique skills

Problem solving is a skill that’s valuable in any job, and is especially important in management and customer service roles. If you choose problem solving as your unique talent, first research the company, so you can make your answer specific to them and the role there. For example:

• I think my love of solving problems is something that is unique to me. I play strategy-based board games as a hobby, so I enjoy untangling challenging situations and coming up with different solutions.

A transferable skill like problem solving is something that all employers value.

Being organised – unique strengths

Your love of being organised is an appealing quality for employers. People who are organised tend to be more efficient and better at managing their time; they're generally seen as more competent. Here’s an example of using 'being well organised' as your unique strength:

• I believe my passion for keeping things organised makes me unique. I feel I'm a natural organiser – I keep a tidy and well-organised home – but I also need to be organised at work. In the past it has helped me keep accurate records with inventory and monthly budgeting.

What may seem like a natural part of your personality may be what helps you stand out in an interview, especially if you can give specific examples and show how it could help you in the role.

Tips for delivering your answer effectively

How you deliver your answer is just as important as the answer itself. Like any response in a job interview, you want to be confident, positive and professional. Being prepared with examples of how you’ve used your unique talents in the past will help your interviewer see how your uniqueness could make you an asset to their organisation.

What to do if you can’t think of anything unique

If you’re struggling to come up with a unique skill, think about whether you have common skills in a unique combination. Whether it’s technical skills paired with creative skills or written communication skills and video-editing skills, highlight any unusual skill sets you have. Maybe you're an all-rounder with no specific specialty, just lots of different skills – that can be a unique strength, too. You should also use real-world examples to demonstrate how these skills can be used in a productive, work-friendly way.

How to tailor your answer to the job

Your job interview answer should be tailored to the job you’re applying for. In this case, your uniqueness should connect to the job ad or the company culture, and reinforce why you’d be a good fit. By researching the company and job before your interview, you can match your unique traits to that business and role.

For example, if you feel your communication skills are a unique trait and you’re applying for a sales role, you could give examples of how you use communication differently to others to connect to potential customers and the results this has brought you. If you consider creativity your unique skill, you could share how your creativity helps you think outside the box and find solutions others often can’t.

Common mistakes to avoid

It’s not always easy to talk about yourself, particularly if you’re the more introverted type. The trick is to prepare your answer ahead of time – and to avoid these common mistakes:

• Being too generic: make your answer specific and include an example of your uniqueness in action.
• Using clichés: avoid cliches like “I’m a hard worker” or “I’m a perfectionist” as they don’t sound authentic.
• Focusing too much on weaknesses: frame your uniqueness in a positive light.
• Answers that are irrelevant: your uniqueness should be related to the job role, so avoid mentioning, for instance, your ability to juggle or your keen sense of smell, unless those things are relevant to the role.
• Not doing research: to make your unique strengths relevant, you need background information on the role and the company.
• Lack of self-awareness: saying “I don’t know” or “I’m not unique” won’t make a good impression on the hiring manager.

Most interviewers will ask some form of “What makes you unique?”, whether it’s directly, by getting you to list your strongest skills or by asking why you think they should hire you. It’s your chance to tell them what you can bring to the table that you feel no one else can.

To find your unique talents, consider skills, achievements and challenges you’ve overcome. Choose the ones that relate to the selection criteria and the company culture, to show how your unique blend of skills and attributes make you a stand-out person for the job.

FAQs

How long should my answer be?

Your answers to interview questions should be around 30 seconds to two minutes. This gives you enough time to give a detailed response while still being concise.

Should I mention unique qualities that aren’t directly related to the job?

Unique qualities that aren’t directly related to the job can still help you stand out during an interview. Connect these qualities to how they can help you in the role. For example, being creative may help you think outside the box when solving problems. Being calm and patient can help you train or lead coworkers.

Can I use the same answer for multiple interviews?

It’s important to tailor your answer to each job. While you may have similar answers, tie them back to how it makes you ideal for the specifics of the role. Reviewing the job ad before the interview and matching your skills with the role criteria will help you adapt your answers where needed.

What if I’m not sure what makes me unique?

If you’re unsure what makes you unique, reflect on your skills, experiences, achievements and personal traits, and what has helped you overcome challenges. Ask your friends, family and colleagues what they think is unique about you, to get different perspectives.

How can I make my answer sound genuine and not rehearsed?

To help your answers sound genuine, remember the main points you want to talk about, but don't try to memorise full answers. Practising with a mock interview beforehand will help you remember your points in the interview.

What should I avoid saying when answering this question?

When asked “What makes you unique?” in a job interview, you should avoid making your answers generic or irrelevant to the job. You should also avoid focusing on any weaknesses or negative qualities. You should also have answers ready and avoid saying “I don't know”.