Suzy Welch: How To Answer The Question 'Why Should We Hire You?'

When you're prepping for a job interview, it's important to consider not just the potential curveballs you might be pitched, but also the seemingly straightforward questions like interviewer favorite, "Why should we hire you?"

Bestselling management author and CNBC contributor Suzy Welch tells CNBC Make It that while this question may seem like an easy one, you better be prepared to answer it.

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“Your opening salvo should sound like this: ‘You should hire me because I have the skills, values and desire to deliver results from day one.’”

Then she says, you want to “amplify that statement” by taking each of the three steps below in your answer:

1. Highlight your skills

First, Welch says, you need to explain the skills that you bring to the table and how they make you, specifically, a “perfect fit” for the job.

She gives examples like, “You need quantitative analysis. That was my college major,” and “You’re looking for innovation. That’s exactly what I did at my last job.”

“The key here is to be as specific as possible,” Welch emphasizes. “With your particular capabilities and experiences, you are the puzzle piece the hiring company is looking for.”

2. Demonstrate your values

It’s time to highlight how your values and the organization’s values align.

“Here are your company’s values,” Welch recommends you say, “which I happen to know so well. And great news — I not only share those values, I embrace them.”

Welch adds that you’ll receive bonus points if you have an actual story “that shows you demonstrating that statement in action, with an example of your tenacity, say, or bent for collaboration, or authenticity.”

3. Tell them how much you want the job

Being transparent about how bad you want a job, Welch admits, can feel awkward. But, she says, “job hunting is an awkward and vulnerable experience, and having the poise and self-confidence to reveal your beating heart of desire to a prospective employer is amazingly powerful.”

She encourages job-seekers to frankly state how much they want a position, because employers read it as “appealing and authentic.”

You’re probably going to get this interview question. The key, Welch says, is to “not let it faze you.”

Suzy Welch is the co-founder of the Jack Welch Management Institute and a noted business journalist, TV commentator and public speaker. Think you need Suzy to fix your career? Email her at gettowork@cnbc.com.

About CNBC Make It.: CNBC Make It. is a new section of CNBC dedicated to making you smarter about managing your business, career, and money.

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Suzy Welch: Here’s how to answer the interview question, ‘Why should we hire you?’ | CNBC Make It.