How to answer “What can you bring to the company?”

“What can you bring to the company?” is a common interview question, but it’s tricky to know how to answer it – especially when you're early on in your career. Sure, you’ll do the job but what else is there to say? Let’s look at what employers are really asking here. Plus, we’ve got several sample answers to get you started.

Learn how to respond to this question and show that you’d be a great hire by reading up on:

• Understanding the question “What can you bring to the company?”
• How to prepare
• Best sample answers
• What not to say

Employers have got your CV and cover letter, so why can’t they tell what you’d offer? Even if your application spells everything out, hiring managers will still ask you about what you’d bring because they want to hear directly from you about how you’ll benefit the company.

Plus, they’re also using your response to detect other things, such as:

• Whether you’ve researched the company and know what they’re about
• How good your communication is
• How you compare to other candidates
• If you’ve got long-term plans with the company
• What you think your best skills are
• What your values are

As you can see, a lot's going on when interviewers ask this short question, so it's important to get your answer right.

It’s highly likely an interviewer will ask you a question like “What would you bring to the company?” or “What can you bring to the team?”, so it’s time to think of a response.

The top steps for preparing what to say are:

Get to know your potential employer. Look on their website and socials to find out more. See if they come up in any recent industry press. Doing research will help you know where the company has been – and is planning to go. Having this information will make it easier to clue you in on what they expect people to bring to the team. If they’re an innovator, they want candidates with fresh ideas. If they put their customers first, big up your service skills.

The job advert will explain what you'll do in your day-to-day working life. Use this information to explain why what you’ll bring to the company is what they need. Make sure you think beyond the basic requirements. Consider what you’ll bring to the company in the long term, and how you’ll help the company grow by growing your role.

Understanding the company is one thing, but you also need to know yourself. It’s only possible to explain how you and the company will mesh if you know who you are. So, take time to think about what motivates you and what your goals are. If it’s a well-suited job, your values will naturally align.

You’ve got to sell yourself, so you need to be confident. That doesn't mean you should be arrogant, but you’ve got to be comfortable stating why you’re a good choice. If you don’t believe in the value you’ll bring, why would an employer?

Now that you've researched the company and know what you’ll bring to the role, it's time to figure out how to communicate this to the interviewer. Here are some examples of what to say. Obviously, they won’t be accurate for you and the job you're applying for, but they’re good for inspiration. Use the below as your starter, tailor them and make them your own. Before you know it, you’ll have the perfect response.

“Throughout my studies, I’ve become fluent in multiple coding languages such as C++ and Java, meaning I’ll easily handle the coding requirements of this role. I’ve also studied extensively in my own time and gained experience working with networking and Kali, which means that I’m able to help on a wide range of projects and come up with solutions that other programmers won’t think of.”

The above is a strong answer because it shows that they’ve got the skills they’re looking for (in this case, coding knowledge). It then goes further and explains why they’ve got abilities beyond what they’re expecting from candidates (eg. networking and Kali experience). Plus, this answer wraps things up nicely by explaining why the extra knowledge is a good thing (being able to come up with solutions other programmers can’t).

“I know that I’d work with clients in this role and I’ve got the experience to do this. When I worked in a bar, I took on extra responsibility and booked tables. I handled all the interactions with a local business that paid for our biggest ever group booking. We took over £10,000 just from them. We received a thank you from the business, who mentioned how much they enjoyed dealing with me. I’d bring my communication and customer service skills to this role when I deal with clients.”

This answer uses a specific example to back up what they’re saying. It's important to note how it comes back around to what they’ll bring to the business. It's no good stating past successes without linking them to your future with a new company, so think about how your existing experiences show what you’ll bring.

"I’m always trying to find ways to improve things. In my last testing role, I suggested a new procedure to my managers. Even though I was a junior at the time, they took on my idea which streamlined the process. My actions saved the company around ten hours per week. For a company as big as this, I know innovation is important to keep at the forefront of the market. I want to be a driving force for that in my team and I’m excited for how many opportunities to create efficiencies I’ll have in a bigger company."

This is a great example, as it shows that they’ve got plans to do more than fulfil their job requirements. It makes it clear that they’re committed to improving the business and that they’d be beneficial to the company in the longer term.

"I understand you offer an extensive range of training opportunities for employees. I’d like to learn what skills are most needed in my team and take full advantage of your training, so that I’ll become a more helpful figure in my department."

It's okay to admit you aren't perfect. An answer like this shows that you’re willing to improve. It also suggests that you see a long future in this job. So, if you don’t have all the skills they’re looking for, it’s OK to talk about how you’ll get them – but don’t put yourself down. If you focus on willingness to learn here, make sure you call out your existing skills in other questions.

Everyone has different skills and competencies that they’ll bring to a company, so there are very few wrong answers here. However, there are some pitfalls to avoid.

Here are the most common mistakes people make when trying to answer "What can you bring to the company?":

Everyone has something to bring to a company. Yes, everyone. That includes you! Even if you don’t think you’re better than other candidates, you’ve got to big yourself up. Don't be vague. Instead, be sure to mention specific things you'd do.

Yes, you need to say how you'll meet the job specification. However, you don't want to make it seem like you only just meet the criteria. They expect every candidate to do that, so what else will you bring? Remember to mention things that look forward towards later growth for the company – and yourself.

You’re here to sell yourself, but you need to avoid sounding arrogant. Projects are usually a joint effort, so don't take the glory for your entire team's success (unless it was all your work, in which case explain how). Focus on the actions you did that led to success without taking the credit for things you didn’t do. Companies want to know you'll work well with the existing employees, so call out the teamwork and show that you’ll be a good collaborator.

“What can you bring to the company?” is a common question in interviews. It’s intimidating if you haven't prepared for it, but it gets easier once you know what to say.

To get a good answer ready, think about it before the interview. Research the company and consider how you meet what they’re looking for – not just now, but in the future.

Remember that you want them to know why you’re the best candidate for the job, so be confident and share specific examples without being arrogant.

To sum up: do your research, ask yourself “What can I bring to the company?”, practise your answer and get ready to smash your interview.

Looking for more help with common graduate interview questions? Check out our guides on how to respond to other questions below.