Why should i hire you?

I was busy preparing for a class that was scheduled in the next 30 minutes. Suddenly, one of my colleagues from placement services approached my cabin with a request to address the students who had been shortlisted for a job interview. It seems that as a part of the initial step, the company expected a one-minute video clip from the students on “Why should I hire you?” So my beloved colleague requested, will you conduct a session on that topic for job-aspiring students.

During that time I was in a hurry as my class was scheduled, and I took a pause for a while, gave it some thought, and confirmed I would do it. The whole conversation went on for just sixty seconds. Later, while going to the class, I was thinking, about what content I should cover on the topic “Why should I hire you?” I recalled that some time ago I did a similar session on the topic “How to Prepare for Interviews.” Okay, I thought, I’ll re-run the same presentation, but I’m still not convinced. I finished my regular class work, came back to my cabin, and started jotting down the points on Why should I hire you?

Many of us faced such a question during the interview. But, now it has become the new normal to ask, “Why should I hire you?” with a minute-long video clip, much before entering the interview board room. Hence, it has become a pivotal question for the recruiter, much before calling for an interview, by using it as a filtering mechanism. So it is the most important question for the job aspiring candidates who are eagerly looking for jobs through on-campus placement services or even outside.

At present, due to the ongoing slowdown, many companies are receiving floods of resumes from job seekers. Hence, companies are using such innovative processes for screening candidates during the initial rounds. As a result, job seekers should be aware of how to persuade a recruiter in less than a minute. But, certainly, it raises the question of how to convince. I will try to answer it here.

Broadly speaking, job aspirants fall into two categories. First, are called lateralsi.e. one who has experience. Second, a fresher does not possess any sort of experience. The Experienced candidate can answer it most readily as such, he can talk about his identity, education, about nature of work, job experience, technical skill sets, certifications, professional courses etc.

Further, he can also highlight his novel contributions while managing crises in the workplace. More so ever, he can able to talk about his experience in managing the team as a leader else as a member. Further, he can demonstrate his leadership abilities and initiative at his previous workplace.

Somehow, the candidate should also mention qualitative elements like his strengths, and weaknesses, and how he overcame them during his tenure. If required, he can also talk about successful events and employee performance evaluations. Remember, all these points should be covered and captured in the one-minute video clip. Yes, one minute is too short, but with enough practice, one can fit all the above elements into that one-minute clip and impress the recruiter.

Now, let us try how to address the same question as a fresher. It’s not easy and simple for a fresher. As a fresher, you can begin by introducing your identity, education, strengths, skill sets, certifications, achievements, and co-curricular activities. While doing so, try to highlight how you are the best fit for the said job profile. Of course, it’s not an easy one, but keep the following points in mind so you can convince the recruiter and enhance your chances of getting selected for the next rounds.

First, candidates should focus on presenting value-creating elements in that one-minute video. Strengths are the ones that can be built over time. But while citing skillsets, do the skill mapping with the given job profile. Try to identify the key skill requirements mentioned in the job description. Build a thorough understanding of what those skill sets are. Just assess whether you possess such skill sets; if not, think how long it takes to build such a skillset. Once you have clarity, mention those skill sets and cite the required keywords in that one-minute clip. Through this, you can minimize the chances of rejection. So skill mapping is the real skill to implement. Next, talk about your internship experience, the nature of the work you did, timely targets that you have met, your mentor’s feedback, peer learning, and skills you learned while pursuing the internship. All these things bring your move closer to the next round.

Finally, to conclude, why should I hire you? Is an opportunity to do the self-appraisal by doing self-introspection. It’s a great challenge to convince other people without understanding yourself and without thorough preparation. So accumulate the value creation content on your resume that is worth mentioning and do several rounds of practice until you are fully convinced. Finally, that one-minute clip ensures you advance in the selection process and are chosen for the job you applied for.

(The author is a Associate Professor & Program Head – PGDM BFS Institute of Public Enterprises Hyderabad)