So you have an interview coming up, or you’re writing a job application, and you’re looking for a great way to answer the question: What makes you unique?
In this article, we share The WHEAT Formula – an easy-to-remember formula that you can use in any interview situation to give a structured and comprehensive answer.
Why have I been asked the question?
It is facets of your personality that are targeted when you are told: Tell us what makes you unique…
In other words, what distinguishing features do you have that separate you from other candidates who (on paper at least) boast exactly the same qualifications?
In truth, we are all unique because of the way we have been made: we act differently, believe in different things, love, taste, see and hear differently.
But to be unique in a professional sense is ultimately to have a little bit of something extra. You should always be actively managing your personal brand to help identify your uniqueness.
The following are some of the key character traits recruiters will take notice of in their search for uniqueness (and how you answer them is just as important, as we shall see):
- Something that makes you stand out from the crowd in an effective way
- How well you can work together with a team of people
- How creative you can be when applying yourself to challenges
- What makes you excited, inspired, enthusiastic or motivated
- How you cope with stress and view it with a positive spin
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What am I expected to say?
Generally speaking, you will know which of your unique qualities are to be revealed by the nature of the job for which you are applying.
For instance, if you are applying for a funeral director’s job a zany character is not what is sought.
But if you are applying to be the editor of a magazine a smidgen of zaniness may be exactly what is needed.
The interviewer hopes you, more than any of the applicants, are suitable for the job on offer. But before coming to a decision they will take into account the words and phrases you used, your body language, the way you were dressed, your confidence and your mannerisms.
GIVE THEM the best possible version of you, and TELL THEM why it must be you they hire and nobody else.
It is important to remember that a ‘unique’ person is not often one who can bend spoons by rubbing them, or flick their eyelids inside out. Those types of you-ness are not normally what an employer looks for, nor are they good enough reasons to get you the job!
So, how do you answer it?
Answering questions during an interview is tricky at the best of times (see our interview guide for help with that).
But the question What Makes You Unique? takes things up a notch.
You don’t want to falter nor do you want to fluff, and dillydallying is a definite no-no.
Worse still, don’t give your interviewer the impression you can talk your way out of a paper bag and waffle, for how you waffle says a lot about you.
Stick to answering within your realm of comfort; if you are as qualified as your resume states you should be able to field even the most probing of questions.
However, if you need some time to think of the answer to a complicated question then simply say: ‘Please give me a moment to think about that’.
Although ideally you won’t need to stall as you should have prepared in advance. Having a pre-prepared personal elevator pitch will also help with this interview question.
In the case of answering the question of what makes you unique here is a brief guide. Basing your answer around one or all of these five points will go some way to helping the recruiter separate the wheat (you) from the chaff (the others).
Be confident. Be honest.
The WHEAT Formula
Use The WHEAT Formula to help structure your response:
W = Workplace successes
Illustrate occasions on which you increased productivity for a business, or gained a professional accolade.
H = High stakes
Disclose examples of how well you deal with stressful situations and why people have relied on you to achieve the right outcome.
E = Experience
Point out your skills, background and professional development and explain why this gives you the edge over other candidates.
A = Approach
Explain how you would use these skills and your creativity to tackle new challenges or address complications.
T = Temperament
Describe how you think others see you; describe your good points and bad, and provide examples of how you can solve every day dilemmas better than most.
Is unique always good?
As we have seen, the key to answering What Makes You Unique? is balance.
Of course, uniqueness is good, for imagine how boring life would be if we were all identical.
No-one would stand out; no-one would lead; no-one would farm, build, or take action.
But there is a difference in how we each perceive uniqueness. Some of us use it in a flamboyant way, to stand out and to be noticed, perhaps to play the fool, or to impress.
These are the spoon benders and the eyelid flickers: the ones who have missed the interviewer’s point.
By asking this interview question the employer is simply trying to find a candidate with the X-Factor. It is their technique for choosing from dozens, perhaps hundreds, of candidates who, from the employer’s point of view, do look identical.
So, if you have the right attitude, creativity or outlook you think will make you more want-able, it is high time you spoke of it when asked the question: What Makes You Unique?
Make yourself memorable, and remember: the most valuable thing you have to offer is you and your personal brand.
