What Makes You Unique? How to Answer, With 10 Example Answers

"What makes you unique?" can feel like a trick question; most people don't think of themselves as unique. But the interviewer isn't looking for something extraordinary. They want to know what you'd bring that other candidates for this job might not. The best answers usually aren't a single rare talent but an uncommon combination: two skills that don't often go together, a background that gives you a different angle, or experience in a setting most applicants haven't seen.

What the interviewer is checking

• Do you know your own strengths well enough to describe them?
• Is there something you'd add to the team beyond the basics?
• Can you link it to the role, rather than just talking about yourself?

How to find your answer

Ask yourself:

1. What combination do I have? For example, finance plus coding, nursing plus teaching, sales plus engineering.
2. What setting have I worked in that's unusual for this role? A startup, another country, a different industry, a nonprofit.
3. What do people come to me for? The thing colleagues ask for help with.
4. What did I learn somewhere that others in this field might not know?

Then pick the one that would be most useful in this job.

A three-step structure

1. Name it. "What sets me apart is…"
2. Prove it. One short example.
3. Link it. How it would help in this role.

Example: "What sets me apart is that I'm an accountant who can code. At my last firm I wrote small scripts that pulled data from three systems into our month-end reports, which saved the team about a day each month. In this role, where you're automating more of finance operations, I could help bridge the finance and engineering teams."

10 example answers

1. Two skills combined. "I'm a designer who also understands data. I can read our analytics and design changes based on what users actually do, not just what looks good."

2. Different industry background. "I came to software sales after five years in healthcare. I understand how hospitals make buying decisions, which is useful for a company selling into health systems."

3. International experience. "I've worked in three countries, so I'm comfortable with teams across time zones and cultures. That's useful for a role coordinating your European and Asian offices."

4. Startup experience. "I've worked at two early-stage startups, so I'm used to doing whatever is needed with little structure. In a new team like this one, I'd be comfortable building processes from scratch."

5. Customer-facing technical person. "I'm an engineer who's spent a year on customer support rotations. I know how customers actually use the product, and I write code with that in mind."

6. Teaching background. "Eight years of teaching means I can explain complicated things clearly and patiently. In a customer training role, that's most of the job."

7. A hobby that connects. "I've run a small online shop as a side project for three years. I've handled everything from product photos to ads to returns, so I understand e-commerce from the seller's side."

8. Languages. "I'm fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. With your expansion into Latin America, I could help with customer calls and local marketing from day one."

9. Recovering projects. "I'm often the person brought in to fix a project that's gone off track. I'm calm under pressure and good at finding the one or two changes that matter most."

10. Entry level. "I worked full-time while completing my degree, so I've had to be very organized and dependable. I'm used to balancing several commitments without dropping any."

What to avoid

• Generic traits. "I'm hardworking and passionate" isn't unique.
• Exaggeration. "I'm the best problem solver you'll ever meet."
• Something irrelevant. A fact that's interesting but has no link to the job.
• Personal characteristics like age, religion or appearance.
• Putting others down. You don't need to compare yourself with other candidates.

Variations of the question

How to prepare

1. List your skills, experiences, industries, languages and hobbies.
2. Find two that don't usually go together.
3. Pick the combination most useful for this job.
4. Write one example where it made a difference.
5. Practice saying it in under a minute.

If you're switching careers, your previous field is often your best answer here; see our guide to a career change at 40. Make sure it fits with your answers to tell me about yourself and what motivates you.