What makes you unique?

 

Why Do Interviewers Ask “What Makes You Unique?” In Interviews

“What makes you unique?” is an innocent question and there is no one right answer. What interviewers really want to know is how well you can sell yourself to convince them what makes you stand out from the other candidates to be selected for the job. In other words, they want to know what you will be able to bring to the table, should you get hired. 

Moreover, this question provides the interviewer with the perfect opportunity to get to know you and your skills better. For instance, maybe you have the right skill sets that the job description entails. The answer you deliver gives them an insight into how creative or unique you are.

Steps To Answer “What Makes You Unique?”

To provide the best answer to “What makes you unique?”, the following steps should be able to help you:

1. Go Through The Job Description: For every job vacancy, it is the employer’s part to draft a job description that includes everything related to the profile. If you do not have the JD with you, ensure that you ask the person who contacted you for the interview to send it to you. From the roles and responsibilities to the skills required for the vacant profile, go through everything thoroughly. 
2. Pick A Skill Or Two From The Job Description: Once you have gone through the JD, pinpoint a skill or two mentioned there that you are good at. For instance, the JD may mention that candidates must possess good communication skills, which is their strength. It can be both hard and soft skills. Be it your skills, traits or abilities, ensure that you choose one that is in line with the JD.
3. Look Back On Past Experiences: Once you know what your strengths are, think back on the times when you were praised or recognised for them. Was there a time when your strengths were able to save the day? No matter the accomplishment, the experience needs to have a positive impact. 
4. Formulate A Compelling Answer: Your answer cannot be as vague as “I am a determined and hardworking person.” You need to make it compelling and eventful to make it stand out. Combining the three steps above should be able to help you do just that. For instance, maybe there was a time when your excellent communication and interpersonal skills were able to resolve a dispute between your colleagues at your previous workplace. This would make for an interesting response. 
5. Make It Concise: Ensure that you stick to the points and not spend more than three minutes answering this question. The longer the answer, the more likely you are to derail from the points and waste both the interviewer’s and your time.

Sample Answers: What Makes You Unique?

By following the steps above and looking at the “What makes you unique?” answer examples below, you will find it easier to cook up your own response to this question.

Sample Answer 1

“One unique quality I possess that has helped me this far in my professional and personal life is my gifted interpersonal skills. I have a way with people because I find it easy to understand and connect with them. I assume that this is one of the reasons why I was promoted to a team leader in just two years by my last employer. Whenever there were customer complaints, I was able to put out the fire by empathising and relating with them, no matter their occupation or gender. And as your JD says you are looking for someone with excellent communication, problem-solving, people and leadership skills, I believe that I would be perfect for this job and company.”

Sample Answer 2

“My continued hunger for knowledge is what makes me unique. I am always ready and willing to learn new things. Even when I interned at Company X, my eagerness to learn allowed me to get a grip on the ins and outs of the business quicker than my other fellow interns. As a fresher and a success-driven person, I know that I need to constantly upskill myself to stand out from the crowd, do my job well and climb the ladder of success.”

Sample Answer 3

“What makes me unique is my versatile and creative writing skills. I was only 16 when I won my first award for writing, which was an online creative writing competition. My 3-year-long experience working for an agency that catered to clients from various sectors has very much helped me in polishing my writing skills. Be it fashion or IT or hospitality, I have always had a knack for concocting just the right pieces for clients, no matter the sector. So, I do believe that I will make a great addition to your content team.”

Sample Answer 4

“My extrovert personality is definitely what makes me unique, which is one of the reasons I decided to go into Human Resources. In an office where people of different backgrounds and personalities come together five days a week, there has to be someone who is able to connect with everyone and whom people can approach easily when they have any queries or issues. In my previous company, my extrovert nature allowed people to trust me enough to share their thoughts and concerns with me. I was also able to share my thoughts while still taking into consideration their perspective too. So, yes, my gregariousness is what makes me unique as an HR professional, and a person.”

Sample Answer 5

“I do believe my uniqueness is my SEO skills. While it takes most brands three months to even years to get their blogs to rank well on Google, most of mine only take a month or two to be in the top 10. I read on the  JD that writing and SEO skills were prioritised. I believe that my 3-year-long experience in this field and my unique skill sets will be of much help to your team.”

Why Did You Choose This Career?

 

Why Does The Interviewer Ask, “Why Did You Choose This Career?”

Employers want to hire applicants who will stick by the company for a long time. The interviewers ask this question out of interest to understand your motivations behind choosing this career. It is one of their ways to comprehend how much research and planning you did to make your career selection. 

So, to make the deal, you must be honest and give an impressive answer that makes you unique from the other candidates.

Sample Answers: Why Did You Choose This Career?

Here are some different ways to answer the HR interview question, “Why did you choose this career”:

You Developed An Interest With Time

At a point in school or college, we are encouraged to choose activities that interest us. The main reason behind these choices is our overall development. Many people generate interest in one particular thing. 

So, if you are one of those people who developed an interest in a specific thing over time, this is how you can answer, “Why did you choose this career?”:

I chose Art as an elective subject for extracurricular activities in high school. Over time, I was deeply interested in drawing. I learned various aspects of lines, shapes, colours, and how you can depict the emotions of an object on a piece of paper. 

It was that time when I knew I wanted to be an artist. With time I kept practising, applied for online courses, did better, and chose this as my profession. This field encourages me to learn more about the field and always brings out the best in me.

Your Family/Friends Encouraged You

It happens very often that our career choices are influenced and inspired by our family or close friends. To answer this question, you can talk about that particular person and how they encouraged you to choose this career path. 

A simple answer to “Why did you choose this career?” can be like this:

Since childhood, I have bonded with my maternal uncle, a software engineer. His skill in different programming languages has always fascinated me to learn more about it. We used to talk for hours about how engineers work. 

I started learning basic programming principles and later found my interest in it. I knew I could see my career in it, and my uncle guided me to make the right decision. I completed a BTech degree and gained experience in making applications. Throughout, I always knew this was my dream career.

A Movie/Documentary/Book Encouraged You

Books and movies are always the best companions. It inspires so many of us in many different ways. Watching or reading about other people’s lives, getting motivated to do the same, etc. However, it cannot happen without having the passion and persistence to achieve it. 

So, when HR asks you, “Why did you choose this career?” you can reply like this:

I was a theatre child and loved watching movies, documentaries, and reading books. With time I started writing and always dreamt of becoming a good writer. Today when I see myself, I know there is no other profession I would choose but this.

It Gives You Satisfaction

Many people get confused between monetary accomplishments and job satisfaction. However, from a long-term perspective, job satisfaction and motivation are two essential aspects that keep you going.  

Hence, when someone asks, “Why did you choose this career?” you can simply mention growth scope, motivation, etc., to justify your explanation. Here is an example: 

I have always found the scope and job satisfaction in banking, and from day one, I knew I wanted to become a banker. What keeps me satisfied is the growth, fixed working hours, teleworking, job diversification, etc. I believe it is one of the most powerful jobs in today’s world that offers numerous opportunities to employees, and it is one of my reasons to choose this profession.

Your Teacher/Mentor Encouraged You

We all have a person in our lives who we look up to. It can be our teachers, mentors, professors etc. Teachers are always good supporter who encourages students to do better at every step in life.  

So, when the interviewer asks, “Why did you choose this career?” you can simply answer like this:

My economics professor has been an incredible support throughout my college times. I used to love logistics, trades, exports, imports, etc., and I always wanted to build my career as an economist. She gave guidance and encouraged me to pass the hurdles with confidence. She has been my greatest support, and I am here today because of her.

What Not To Say In Answers To “Why Did You Choose This Career?” Job Interview Question

Here are some things that you should take into consideration and not mention during the interview:

• Avoid mentioning the money element when you discuss the story behind choosing the career path. It can make you look money-focused, who can quit the job for a higher-paying opportunity. 
• Do not mention any points like, “I joined the company because they offered remote job opportunities and flexible working.” It may lead the employing manager to believe that you joined the company because of the perks it offered to the employees. 
• Avoid responding that you struggled to find the job, and one of your contacts recommended it to you. It will make you sound like you chose this job out of convenience and lack of interest. 

Linux System Administrator

 

Job opportunities as a Linux System Administrator in India.

If you are from the IT industry, Linux System Administrator needs no introduction. To put it mildly, the role of a Linux System Administrator is to take care of computers running on the Linux operating systems. This includes compiling, patching, securing, and troubleshooting Linux servers in diverse settings. He or she will have to detect and fix issues utilizing monitoring systems and ensure that the systems are updated with changing technologies.

Since its first release in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, Linux has become a vital part of the IT industry.

According to a Linux Jobs Report in 2014 by the Linux Foundation, the demand for those with Linux skills was quite high, so much so that searching for Linux talent went up to 77% from 70% in 2018 as it was a top priority for employers and recruiters. In fact, 97% of employers/recruiters report that they will hire more Linux-skilled professionals compared to other skills.

There are a plethora of job opportunities for a Linux System Administrator. From MNCs to startups to top-notch companies, there are many employers who are on the lookout for Linux System Administrator. In India, many MNCs have set out their offshore offices in India. In places like Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi NCR, the demand is higher.

Your future as a Linux System Administrator is quite bright as there are a plethora of job openings for this post all over India. The best part about being a Linux System Administrator is that aside from the Linux platform, there is a wide area of applications such as Desktop Application Development, Kernel & Device Drivers Development, Web Development & Deployment, Systems Administration, and Systems Architecture or Engineering where they can utilize their skills and grow.

What Are Interpersonal Skills?

 Importance & Examples

What Are Interpersonal Skills?

Interpersonal skills are the traits and behaviours you are born with or develop along the way that help you effectively connect, interact and communicate with other people. These sets of skills allow you to make new relationships with others or maintain old ones.

Importance of Interpersonal Skills

In your professional life, your interpersonal skills determine how well you can work with your colleagues, clients or customers. Here are some of the reasons why interpersonal skills are important:

1. Hiring managers and recruiters look for candidates who will be able to communicate effectively with others to get the job done. So, skills such as teamwork and communication skills are often the deciding factor in job interviews.
2. Interpersonal skills allow people to function well in society.
3. People skills allow employees to empathise with customers and resolve complaints and queries more efficiently.
4. People with interpersonal skills such as emotional intelligence, reliability and positivity are known to be professional and decent.
5. With interpersonal skills, a team can function well as there are hardly any miscommunications or misunderstandings.

Examples Of Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are soft skills that you are born with or develop gradually. They are transferable from one person to another, often influenced by your environment or the people around you. Following are interpersonal skills examples:

Communication Skills

Among interpersonal skills, being able to communicate effectively with others is one of the most important traits. To complete an assignment on time and without any errors, there should be no miscommunication as it can lead to misunderstanding, which can further hamper the workflow and outcome. 

Emotional Intelligence

Without understanding and empathy, communication can be received as insincere and ineffective altogether. Employees with emotional intelligence can often create a positive work environment, improving job satisfaction and the productivity of others around them. Moreover, such people can attract more clients or customers for the company.

Positivity

The work environment of a company plays an important role in whether or not employees are productive and happy. So, employers often look for people who have a positive attitude, as they will be able to brighten up the workplace even in the midst of crises. 

Reliability

From reaching the office on time to meeting deadlines to being trustworthy, employers prefer their employees to be dependable. They are the ones they can trust with even sensitive information or big projects. 

Active Listening

More often than not, we hear what people are saying, but we don’t always pay attention. Through active listening, employees not only listen to the person speaking but also pay close attention to them and engage with them. Additionally, their body language and facial expressions are also observed to understand the tone of the conversation. An active listener is able to absorb all information and pass it on to others in the team or company accordingly without error. 

Conflict Resolution

In a place where people with different personalities come together every working day, there are bound to be conflicts every once in a while, and how well the employees handle them is important. Through conflict resolution, team members can find peaceful solutions and can even easily resolve customer complaints. 

Leadership Skills

When one has exemplary leadership skills, it means that he also has emotional intelligence, such as compassion, patience and strong decision-making skills. Employers look for candidates who possess strong leadership skills, especially in managerial positions, as they will be able to perform their job well while creating a positive work environment for all.

What Jobs Require Interpersonal Skills?

You may notice that some JDs specifically mention “Interpersonal skills” under the required skills. While not many professions require candidates to possess soft skills, there are others where they are preferred over hard skills. Here are some of them:

Customer/ Sales Executives

For those whose professions involve dealing with customers on a daily basis, having people skills is a must. Customer/Sales executives have to deal with different kinds of people, and there are times when most of them are hard to handle, especially when the customers have complaints or queries. So, they need to be able to deal with a calm, patient, and understanding approach. 

Teachers

To be a teacher, one must have good interpersonal skills such as emotional intelligence, active listening, patience and problem-solving. They will not only have to deal with their students but also the parents and school administrators. So, they must have people skills in order to communicate with everyone efficiently. 

Medical Professionals

Medical professionals, especially nurses and caregivers need a high level of interpersonal skills. To provide the best care for their patients, they must have patience, empathy and a spirit of humanitarianism. 

Marketing Professionals

Marketing professionals have to work with their teams and their clients collaboratively to ideate marketing campaigns. With people presenting different ideas and clients constantly pressuring them, they need to have strong interpersonal skills. 

Office Assistants

The roles and responsibilities of office assistants include answering phone calls, sorting emails, creating schedules, and other clerical and administrative tasks. Basically, they have to communicate with different people, including their superiors and clients, daily. So, they need to have strong people skills to perform their tasks.

How To Improve Interpersonal Skills

Some people can naturally connect and communicate with people. But there are also others who feel they lack certain interpersonal skills. If you are among the latter, here are some tips to improve interpersonal skills:

Start By Thinking Positively:

Reminding yourself to be positive even in the tensest situation is the first step to improving your interpersonal skills. Focus on the positive things in your life and what you have rather than what you do not. Manifesting positivity will eventually teach you to perform well even in stressful situations.

Become Self-Aware:

Being self-aware of your actions, emotions, strengths, and weaknesses will help you understand which areas you need to work on. For instance, let’s say your team is not responding well to you. It could be because you lack leadership or communication skills. Once you identify the area, you can go from there.

Utilise Online Interpersonal Skills Assessments:

There are many online interpersonal skills questionnaires and tests you can take for free. After completing these assessments, you will be able to identify the skills you need to develop.

Ask Feedback:

Ask your colleagues, friends and family members to give you feedback on your soft skills. Their constructive criticism will help you understand the ears in which you need to improve.

Join Workshops:

There are many workshops and online classes you can join where you can practice developing your interpersonal skills. If you are looking for something that’s free of cost, YouTube has got you covered.

Highest Paying Jobs

 Here is the list of the Top 11 Highest Paying Jobs in India-

1. Machine Learning Expert
2. Medical Professionals (Doctors and Surgeons)
3. Full Stack Software Developer
4. Blockchain Developer
5. Data Scientist
6. Management Consultant
7. Product Management
8. Investment Banker
9. Marketing Manager
10. Business Analyst
11. Chartered Accountant

Top 10 Best job portals in India

 All kinds of firms, from small to large, require the best workers who can accelerate their routine business operations; thus, all HR professionals have to search for dedicated employees to help their employers, so to assist them we have come up with the best job portals in India . 

Contract Jobs

Contract jobs is one of the best job portals available in India for both job seekers and providers; which is committed to fulfill the needs of all kinds of candidates present in the job market and giving you a plethora of work opportunities in top corporate and government organizations such as Wipro, Bureau of Indian Standards, Ministry of Electronic and Information Industry, DLF, Big basket etc.

After enrolling on the website, you can easily start your job search, and this portal will always be ready to match you with the appropriate recruiter based on your preferences.

Three significant benefits it brings to you are- 

• Easily create your free profile
• Let you work the way you want
• Provide you with timely payments

We offer staffing services for all industries and businesses looking to hire individuals on a contract or full-time basis in this era of rapid industrialization, where hundreds of startups and huge organizations are expanding their branches. All kinds of employers, from small to large industries, get curated candidate databases to improve their hiring process in this application.

Contract jobs provide the following services to help recruiters- 

• Recruitment and selection
• On-boarding and placement
• Pay rolling and payouts
• Legal Compliances

Naukri.com

You must be aware of Naukri.com, one of the established portals for several candidates applying for jobs and recruiters searching for suitable workforce. This job portal stands out for its unique features, which include providing the candidate with up-to-date information on prominent organizations hiring professionals and freshers.

It also assists the hiring manager in finding the best of the best employees for their company, as millions of job seekers from different domains and industries have a presence on this portal.

Monster India

Monster India is one of the job portals available online to candidates wishing to work with top organizations and companies. You can do a job search according to your requirement owing to the filter option available on the site. Apart from this, you will also get many premium services that help you build your resume and CV according to the job you’ve applied for.

Shine

Shine.com is owned by HT Media and built-in 2008, providing you with various job search-related services such as hiring trends of multiple industries, and its data-focused methodology makes it unique from other job portals.

Indeed

Indeed is another famous name among top job portals in India in 2023 through which you will get all kinds of job-seeking help with the help of which you can turn the stepping stone of your career. Here you can get the top companies and their reviews on salary, work culture etc. As it is an MNC, it is one of those job sites through which you can conduct international hiring for your company.

Linkedin

Linkedin is the portal through which you can connect to the world of professionals by creating an account on the same site. You will get to connect to those people who are working within your industry and domain and employers can post the latest vacancies in their organization on a separate tab through this portal, or they can directly connect with the candidate whose profile matches their work requirements.

Freshers World

Every year a large number of graduates apply for various vacancies across the country, and their primary concern has been being a fresher finding a good company to work with. At this site, all fresher candidates can apply for the vacancies offering opportunities matching their requirements. You can also enrol yourself in skill-based programs that furnish your knowledge per the industry and its requirements.

Glassdoor

A well-known website called Glassdoor allows users to compare and evaluate the most recent income trends across many sectors. For instance, readers can learn the average, minimum, and maximum salary that an industry or domain pays for a given position. It helps you know in advance the company where you will work or planning to join so there is rarely any company which has yet to make its presence on this platform.

JobsforHer

This platform is specially designed for women candidates who are looking for job opportunities across the country, and with the aid of this platform, they will be able to upskill themselves and make the best use of it in extending their future.

TimesJobs

You will get all kinds of blogs and company reviews on this platform, allowing you to know everything about your industry and field. Here, you will also learn about current government job vacancies, which excite most of the youth candidates.

Communication Skills

 

What are Communication Skills?

‘Communication’ comes from the Latin word communis, which means to participate, engage and involve. These abilities enable effective communication while keeping the flow of information smooth between a sender and recipient. For instance, speaking clearly and confidently while addressing a large audience is advisable to ensure that the intended message is adequately conveyed to your listener.

Examples of Communication Skills

You might wonder why these skills are necessary to acquire. You must know that your communication will help you stand out from the crowd and land the finest opportunity of your career, which is a prerequisite for success in any field.

Following are the significant examples of communication skills –

Active Listening

You might hear people saying, ‘You need to be a good listener to be a good communicator’, which may appear simple to follow.  But, you must be very cautious to understand what others want to say to comprehend their emotions. Additionally, when someone speaks to you, put aside all your distractions, such as laptops and cell phones, to become an active listener.

Adapt your way of communication as per the targeted audience

You must keep track of who your audience is and how familiar they are with the topic you will be discussing since an audience can be classified based on their level of understanding and knowledge. This is why we should use only those words and terms that suit the people in front of which you deliver the speech. There will be times when you are about to speak in front of your boss in which you need to frame your conversation formally rather than in an informal manner. Moreover, you should know that each situation demands you moderate your communication accordingly.

Friendliness

This is one of the crucial components of efficient communication that aids in the growth of trust between us and our coworkers, families, and friends. This is why it’s advised to sound pleasant and kind so that your listener feels at ease and can relate to you. You need to bring a positive attitude in your nature to show friendliness when you interact with someone. Also, ask questions about the other person which shows you are curious to know more about them.

Confidence

It is important to be able to speak confidently in front of others, especially if you want to convince them. Finding opportunities to speak in front of your family and friends and your workplace will help you build this confidence. The primary ways to sound confident are making eye contact, sitting straight and speaking fluently without hesitation with a cheerful smile.

Be Ready for Feedback

Feedback is something that helps you progress and become better than before, regardless of the sector you work in, it will help you improve everywhere. The most outstanding technique to determine your strengths and areas on which you need to work is positively looking for feedback from your teachers or mentors.

Volume and Clarity

You should be audible and clear while having a conversation with anyone. A candidate’s personality might be incorrectly assessed in interviews because it is seen that many of them remain unclear and inaudible when answering the interviewer’s questions; thus, you should be able to alter your vocal tone based on the situation as some circumstances may call for you to talk formally and clearly.

Empathy

Empathy is a feeling that emerges when you can understand how others are feeling in a particular scenario. When interacting with someone, it is imperative to show empathy to relate your thoughts with that person.

For example, you and your friend both received your semester results, but you passed the exam, and your friend did not. In such a scenario, you can try to comfort them by showing empathy.

How to Improve Your Communication Skills

Improving communication skills requires you to practice and recognize your strengths and weaknesses. After doing this, follow the below-written steps, which will help you build strong communication skills.

Take feedback by speaking in front of someone

There is no better way to determine your level of speaking proficiency than by taking feedback. This may sound a little embarrassing, but you can pick someone you are comfortable with such as your best friend or a member of your family who can examine your abilities and provide you with the proper feedback. You can use this feedback and progressively get better at communicating.

Attend communication skills workshops or classes

You can register for online and offline courses that are available for those interested in learning practical communication skills. In these programs, you will get lots of opportunities to speak with people from different backgrounds in seminars and classes.

Communicating Effectively In The Workplace

Effective communication skills at work will undoubtedly help you succeed in your goal, as good communicators are always given preference over those unable to bring forth their point of view on a specific subject.

Practice Empathy

To build relationships with anyone, you must be able to comprehend their thoughts and feelings clearly and have empathy for them. It will not only help you communicate effectively but will also help you build healthier relationships in society.

Assert yourself

You should learn how to assert yourself wherever required, as it is necessary to present your point during a group discussion or debate. You may find a thought or idea irrelevant and want to oppose it during the conversation, and you should be able to express your opinions without hesitation.

Understand the importance of body language

One of the aspects of communication when speaking in front of someone is how we use our body language. This includes hand gestures and facial expressions. For example, making a serious point requires you to have a serious facial expression, whereas when welcoming someone, you should smile and show warm body gestures.

How To Highlight Communication Skills?

Everywhere you go, from the workplace to home, you need a firm grasp of communication skills, but each place requires you to use them differently. Below are the situations where you can highlight your communication skills.

Communication Skills for Resume

You should ensure your resume remains free of grammatical errors if you want it to stand out from the competition. Nearly all job roles demand strong communication abilities; thus, you can only succeed in your job search with communication skills.

Communication Skills for Cover Letter

A cover letter conveys your personality in general in front of the hiring managers who make it their basis to shortlist candidates for a vacancy; therefore, you should carefully prepare this crucial document using your communication skills, such as using concise phrases and avoiding typos and grammatical errors.

Communication Skills for the Job Interview

It is the most important place where you make the best of your communication skills since many job seekers get their dream job by impressing the interview panel with the help of communication skills.

Some of the practices you can follow during your job interview are –

• Do not look around or use the phone
• Sit straight and introduce yourself confidently
• Listen the questions carefully
• Take your time and then speak
• Do not hesitate to ask questions when given a chance

Conclusion

Anywhere you go, whether at home or work, you always utilize some verbal or nonverbal communication. Hence regularly practising, speaking and participating in interactive workshops and classes,  can help you develop yourself into a person with whom others like interacting due to your high-standard communication skills.