When the interviewer asks, "Why should we hire you?"
And you reply, "Because I'm punctual, diligent, thorough, responsible, hardworking, detailed, professional and results-oriented."
Does it answer the question? Yes.
But is it enough? No.
What is wrong with this answer?
Nothing...
...except that it doesn't sound convincing at all. When interviewers hear it, here's what they do: they yawn, think about lunch, and end the interview earlier than it should.
Then your resume takes a permanent vacation to the trash. Ouch.
How to Answer: Why Should We Hire You?
1.) Choose only one strong trait.
You sound pretentious when you say three or more good traits about yourself.
I get it. You're a multi-talented, super good employee.
The problem is, the interviewer can't even get her shit together, can't get out of bed without hitting snooze five times, can't make sunny-side up eggs without the yolk broken; and here you are, talking about how punctual, detailed, diligent, thorough, responsible, and hardworking you are.
Ikaw na!
Sticking to only one trait sounds more genuine. When you sound more genuine, your interviewer loves it. She'll sense she's going to hear something worth listening and BS-free.
2.)Â Support your answer.
There's nothing I hate more than a horror movie with 100% scary scenes with 0% explanation why the lady with the axe stuck on her head keeps haunting the mansion.
It turns a horror movie into a comedy.
Don't let your interview turn into a comedy. If you say you have strong work ethics, don't stop right there. Explain why, or even provide examples and scenarios of you proving your claim of greatness. It adds credibility to your answer.
How to Support Your Answer
Use FAB
FAB stands for Features, Advantages, and Benefits.
Customer service representatives use FAB to negotiate with unhappy customers. Sales representatives use it to sell. Advertising use it to make money.
As a call center applicant, you can use it to land a job.
F- Feature
In the case of answering, "why should we hire you?", your feature will be that one trait we discussed above. Let's say you consider yourself a professional employee. Then say:
I'm a professional employee."
If you want to say you're dedicated in advancing your career, you can say:
"I'm not only looking for a paycheck, but a career."
A- Advantage
The advantage of being professional at work is this:
This means I have no problem separating work from personal matters ."
And the advantage of being dedicated in your career is this:
You can guarantee that however difficult the situation is— over the phone, during night shifts—I'll always deal with it, like a professional employee would.Â
B- Benefit
In a way, this is similar to Advantage but this is where you need to be more specific. This is where you explain, in details, the benefits of your features.
To explain, you can provide
- proof
- reason
- example.
You don't have to worry about me getting upset and hanging up the phone just because the customer is yelling at me.
I've developed a thick skin over these kinds of situations. As a service crew, saleslady and cashier in SM, I've dealt with customers face to face every single day. Whether they're happy or unhappy, everything happens face to face.
I can't say taking phone calls is going to be easier. But I'm sure I can handle it.
The applicant used proof and example. By retelling a verifiable story, (job experience can be verified in the resume), he made his story credible and convincing.
The reason why I'm applying in _(insert company name)_ is because I've read and heard good things about you from your employees and from the internet. They said you take good care of your employee's career growth. I know I want that from a company. And given the chance of becoming a part of your company, I'll never disappoint you.
The applicant used reason. She first explained why the company should hire her. And second, why she chose to apply to that company, not to the others. It paints a clearer picture, than just saying she's looking for a career.
The Combined FAB Answers
FAB Example 1:
I'm a professional employee. This means I have no problem separating work from personal matters.
You don't have to worry about me getting upset and hanging up the phone just because the customer is yelling at me.
I've developed a thick skin in these kinds of situations. As a service crew, saleslady and cashier in SM, I've dealt with customers face to face every single day. Whether they're happy or unhappy, everything happens face to face.
I can't say taking phone calls is going to be easier. But I'm sure I can handle it.
FAB Example 2:
I'm not only looking for a paycheck, but a career.
You can guarantee that however difficult the situation is— over the phone, during night shifts—I'll always deal with it, like a professional employee would.
The reason why I'm applying in _(insert company name)_ is because I've read and heard good things about you from your employees and from the internet. They said you take good care of your employee's career growth. I know I want that from a company. And given the chance of becoming a part of your company, I'll never disappoint you.
How you should say it
With confidence, make eye contacts with the interviewer, sit straight, don't slouch and pay close attention your voice. Your tone of voice is very important. How effectively you compose your answer in words won't matter if you don't sound like you mean it.
I recommend you read this blog:Â How to be Confident During Your Call Center Job Interviews
That's all for now. Goodluck with your call center interview!
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