No doubt you have been preparing for this scenario, at least in your mind. Graduating from Pharmacy, you haven’t taken only a diploma with you, but typically also a huge student debt. Finally the studies are over, you are ready to reap the rewards of hard years, making a bank while working as a pharmacist. There is just one problem: the number of job applicants outnumbers the number of job openings. And it does so in a huge way… Hence you will have to pass a rigorous hiring process, including a face to face interview. One of the dreaded questions you will face is “Why should we hire you (and not one of the other applicants)?”

It really is tricky, considering you are on the same starting line like 90% of other applicants. Fresh graduate, little on your resume, dreaming big, hoping for the best. So how can you stand out with your answer? And why should they choose you, instead of one of the many other job applicants? I hope to help you find the answers, especially if you lack ideas. You can bet o both humility and confidence, while trying to stand out in the eyes of the hiring manager. Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question, including some unconventional choices. Do not forget to read also the text below the answers, for additional hints and guidance.

 

7 sample answers to “Why should we hire you as a pharmacist?” interview question

  1. You should hire me because you want to hire the best. I’ve always tried to excel in everything I do, and I want to give this career a best shot. Having me onboard customers will love to return to the Pharmacy, enchanted with my spotless customer service and attention to detail. What’s more, I am in this career for a long run, love the city, and if I get a chance to work here you can count on me staying for years on end, doing an excellent job day in day out.
  2. In my opinion, I would just fit perfectly into this place. Have visited your pharmacy on numerous occasions, know the staff members, the atmosphere in the workplace, the personalities. I really believe I would be a great match for that, and at the end of the day that’s the most important thing: Employees should cooperate together supporting each other, delivering the best service to the customers of the pharmacy. I believe I can bring some harmony onboard and help your team work even better as it does now. That’s why you should choose me instead of anyone else.
  3. In all honesty I cannot tell. I have a lot of respect for other people. No doubt other applicants for a job in this great pharmacy also have their strengths and dreams, and can offer you a lot as employees. I also have my strengths–communication, empathy, enthusiasm, and believe you had a chance to recognize them during this interview. Then it is more about picking the best fit for the existing team, and that’s something I cannot help you with. Of course, I hope you will choose me, but if you decide for someone else (considering them a better match for this place), I will congratulate them and be happy for them.
  4. Experience is the answer. I’ve worked in a similar pharmacy before, for 7 years. Have seen it all, have faced all challenges one can face in this job. And yet I still enjoy doing it! If I didn’t have to move out of Nee Jersey, I would still work in the pharmacy in my neighborhood. But I had to move here, and I am looking forward to starting in a new place, a pharmacy that will benefit vastly from my experience and the commitment I have at work.
  5. Just give ma shot and you won’t regret it. Nobody beats me in commitment. I just love this work, I live alone, have no obligations, do not mind late evening or weekend shifts, and am ready to sacrifice a lot for my dream of making it as a pharmacist. What’s more, I live just 100 meters away from this place, so it will be super easy to call me as a last-minute replacement should something happen on a shift, or should you need an extra pair of hands when the place is crowded and busy.
  6. Wanting to be honest and fair to all other candidates, you will have to find the answer to this question yourself. Just like anyone else I have my strengths and weaknesses. I try hard, but I also make mistakes, just like anyone else. My goal is to be completely honest and authentic in this interview. Once we are done here, you should know who I am, and what I can offer to you. I sincerely hope you will make a good decision, and wish you good luck. But you alone will have to decide whether it makes sense hiring me, or you should go with one of the other job candidates.
  7. You should hire me because of my customer obsession. I learned this attitude while working part time for Amazon during my studies. To really focus 100% on the customer, their needs and desires, including the secret ones. It helped me to deliver exceptional results and achieve the best possible level of customer satisfaction. And I want to continue to stick to my principles in my new role of a pharmacist, and believe you will strongly benefit from having me here.

Make sure you backup your claims with your presence and answers to other questions

What you say (or write on a job application) is one thing, what the hiring managers perceive while talking to you another. Once you lose your credibility in their eyes it is almost impossible to get it back, and you can say goodbye to a coveted job contract. That’s why it is pivotal to backup your claims with your interview presence.

For example, when you talk about your passion for the field of pharmacy and the job, you should show this passion in the interviews. They should get an impression that you are pumped up for the opportunity, that you’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. And when you claim that you pay attention to needs and feeling of customers, you should show the same attitude towards your interviewer. What I try to say here is that your answer should correspond with what they hear and perceive while talking to you. If it does not, they won’t believe you, and won’t hire you.

 

Humility can win you a job contract

Answering “Why should we hire you?” question, most people believe it is all about praising your strengths, and convincing them that you are better than other applicants. What they do not understand though is that confidence can go hand in hand with humility. Pharmacy managers and owners prefer to hire people who are aware of both their strengths and weaknesses, people who can admit making a mistake, and people who can recognize others for their strengths and good work. Check sample answers no. 3 and no. 6 on my list. Applicants show great attitude and humility with such words. In many cases you will stand out with a similar answer, and it can no doubt win you a job contract…

Ready to answer this one? I hope so! Make sure to check also other tricky interview questions for Pharmacists:

Matthew Chulaw
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