Hiring managers frequently ask graduates interviewing for a graduate program or position what they can bring to the company. This question helps interviewers evaluate the candidate's skills and strengths. A strong answer can demonstrate your value and the advantages you can offer the company.

Why ask this question?

While your education, experience, and skills are crucial factors in the recruitment process for a graduate program or position, your ability to fit into the company culture is equally important. This includes how well you can collaborate with others, your work style, and how you align with the company's values. Your answer to this question will reveal your approach to teamwork, your work ethic, and your capacity to produce high-quality work.

How to answer this question?

Before heading into an interview, take some time to carefully consider this question, reflect on your experiences and achievements, and prepare a thoughtful response. Here are a few tips to guide you in crafting your answer:

Give examples

This question gives you an excellent opportunity to highlight your achievements and showcase your potential as a valuable asset to the company. When answering, provide a specific example from your work experience that demonstrates how you applied your skills and knowledge to drive success. Ideally, choose an example where you made a significant impact, such as contributing to a major project, initiating positive changes within the company, improving efficiency, enhancing the company's reputation, or helping increase revenue.

Highlight your skills

Many graduate CVs include a section that outlines the applicant's skills, but it can be challenging for employers to understand how you apply those skills in real-world situations. This question provides an ideal opportunity to elaborate on the skills you’ve listed on your CV, giving you the chance to demonstrate how you've successfully utilised them in previous roles.

When responding, link the skills you've employed in past situations to highlight how they contributed to achieving success. Be sure to mention skills that are directly relevant to the position you're applying for, as this will help emphasise the value you can bring to the company. Including a unique skill that sets you apart can also help make you stand out.

Link to the business

You can now draw a clear connection between your past contributions and how you can bring similar value to the role and the company you are interviewing for. While it’s important to discuss your previous experience, remember that the question is focused on what you can contribute to the company moving forward. To provide a strong response, start by researching the company's goals, objectives, and values, and carefully review the job description and selection criteria. This will enable you to make direct connections between your past achievements and your ability to contribute in a similar way in the future.

Show proof

While sharing examples of your past contributions and skills is valuable, your answer will be even more impactful if you can back up your claims with concrete evidence. This could include statistics, figures, or data that clearly demonstrate the tangible results of your contributions. Providing evidence not only shows the interviewer that your achievements are genuine but also highlights your ability to meet or exceed the goals of your previous employer.

Share your ideas/objectives

If you have limited work experience to reference, another effective approach is to share your ideas or goals that you plan to pursue once you begin the position. These goals should be aligned with the company’s values, objectives, and the specific responsibilities outlined in the job description. It's important that these goals are achievable, ensuring you don't set unrealistic expectations for yourself or the employer. This approach will demonstrate your work ethic, creativity, and strategic thinking, as well as the value you can add to the company. Rather than simply stating your goals, you should also explain how you plan to achieve them and the positive outcomes they will bring. This shows initiative and provides the interviewer with a clear sense of how you can contribute to the company’s success.