Job Interview Questions: How to Give Unique Answers and Stand Out
Hundreds of candidates face the same set of questions. Those who give generic answers quickly get eliminated.
So, how do you stand out and win over employers when facing common job interview questions?
At CoachMatcher, we share unique strategies and insights from top career coaches - especially helpful when preparing for job interviews in Switzerland.
✍️ CoachMatcher | 📅 13.10.2025 | 🕗 5 min
Why Uniqueness is the Key to Success
In today's competitive job market, you're not just competing with a few candidates, you're up against hundreds. When everyone gives the same rehearsed answers to common job interview questions, employers struggle to remember who's who.
Here's the reality: Employers aren't just looking for correct answers. They're searching for someone who stands out authentically while proving they're the right cultural and professional fit.
What makes answers truly unique:
- Personal authenticity: Your genuine experiences and perspective shine through, making you memorable
- Relevant storytelling: You connect your background directly to their specific needs and challenges
- Confident delivery: You demonstrate both competence and cultural alignment
The good news? With the right preparation, you can transform standard questions into opportunities to showcase what makes you irreplaceable.
Top 5 Common Job Interview Questions & How to Prepare Standout Answers
CoachMatcher has listed below the most common job interview questions that anyone will face. Please refer to and remember them for the best interview preparation.
However, instead of giving template answers, apply these answer strategies based on the STAR method to turn them into opportunities to shine.
1. "Tell me about yourself."
This isn't the time to recite your entire CV. Summarize concisely, focusing on experience and achievements most relevant to the position you're applying for. For example, you could start with: "I'm a marketing professional with 5 years of experience..."
Example of a generic answer: "My name is John, and I have 5 years of marketing experience. I like this job and want to develop my career."
✅ Example of a standout answer: "I'm a digital marketer with 5 years of experience who has increased campaign ROI by 300%. I'm passionate about combining data and creativity to create effective marketing strategies."
2. "Why did you leave your previous company?"
Never badmouth your boss or former company. Give positive reasons, like wanting to seek new challenges, career development opportunities, or better alignment with personal goals. But go deeper into the details.
Example of a generic answer: "My boss was very difficult and unfair. Low salary and a toxic work environment. I couldn't stand it anymore."
✅ Example of a standout answer: "I learned a lot at my previous company, but I felt I had reached my growth ceiling. I want to seek new challenges and opportunities to develop leadership skills."
3. "What do you know about our company?"
This question tests your level of interest. Research thoroughly about the company's history, products, mission, and culture - the more detailed the better. Then, connect what you know with your skills and personal goals.
Example of a generic answer: "I know you're a big, well-known tech company. Beautiful website, and I see there are many job opportunities."
✅ Example of a standout answer: "I know the company was founded in 2015, specializing in e-commerce solutions. You recently expanded to the Southeast Asian market and have about 500 employees. I'm particularly impressed with the acquisition of startup X last month, as this shows the company's commitment to AI-supported logistics optimization. The recent collaboration with Y is also a signal that you're seriously penetrating the European market. With my background in supply chain automation, I think I can contribute significantly to this expansion strategy, especially the integration challenges that acquired companies typically face."
4. "What are your strengths and weaknesses?"
This is the classic question about interview answers for strengths and weaknesses. For strengths, provide specific examples. For weaknesses, choose a minor weakness that doesn't affect the job and prove you're working to improve it.
Example of a generic answer: "My strength is being hardworking and responsible. My weakness is being too perfectionist and caring too much about details."
✅ Example of a standout answer:
"Strength: I can translate between technical and business language. For example, when the dev team talks about 'microservices architecture' and the sales team asks 'how will customer experience improve?', I'm the person who bridges that gap. Last year, this skill helped me reduce project miscommunication by 60% and accelerate product launch from 8 months to 5 months.
Weakness: Previously, I tended to be reactive rather than proactive in stakeholder communication. I learned this lesson the hard way when a project nearly missed the deadline because I assumed everyone understood what the timeline meant. Since then, I've implemented a 'Friday Forward' system - meaning, every week I proactively update all stakeholders about progress, bottlenecks, and next steps. This system has helped me prevent 3 potential crises in the past 6 months."
5. "Why should we hire you?"
Synthesize all your elements - skills, experience, strengths, and cultural fit - to convince the employer that you're the perfect choice.
Example of a generic answer: "Because I have relevant experience and will work hard. I'm reliable and can contribute well to the team."
✅ Example of a standout answer: "I have 5 years of experience in this field, with a proven project management track record and solid technical skills. For example, at my previous company, I also encountered a similar situation to what's happening here - fragmented data systems, 40% manual processes, team struggling with scaling. In 8 months, I implemented an automation framework, reduced manual work by 70% and increased team capacity by 150% without adding staff. I also have the ability to adapt quickly to new environments, thanks to Career Coaching on Emotional Intelligence with experts. So I'm completely confident in an interview as well as in daily work with the team."
Ready to perfect your unique answers? Connect with a CoachMatcher’s specialized career coach who understands the Swiss job market and can help you practice these strategies!
Beyond Answers: Complete Interview Preparation
Moreover, to have a successful interview, the best interview preparation needs more than just memorizing answers for job interview questions.
- Research deeply: Beyond basic company information, understand their challenges, recent news, and industry position. Check LinkedIn for insights about your interviewer's background.
- Optimize your materials: Ensure your CV highlights achievements most relevant to this specific role. Prepare questions that demonstrate strategic thinking about their business.
- Practice deliberately: Record yourself answering common questions. Focus on tone, pace, and body language—not just content.
- Prepare mentally: Interview nerves are normal. Use breathing techniques, positive visualization, or brief meditation to center yourself before the conversation.
- Dress appropriately: Your appearance should reflect respect for the opportunity and alignment with their culture.
In Switzerland’s competitive job market, specialized preparation makes all the difference. This is where a career coach can help, not only by refining your CV and interview skills, but also by sharing insights into the Swiss and DACH job market and workplace culture. Swiss employers, for example, value punctuality, precision, and modesty, qualities you can reflect in your interview preparation..
CoachMatcher - Your trusted partner in Career Coaching
On CoachMatcher, you can connect with verified career coaches — starting with a free 15-minute chemistry call to ensure the right fit. Whether you need to practice answers, refine your CV, or understand the Swiss and DACH job market better, find your coach on CoachMatcher and prepare with confidence.
Why candidates choose CoachMatcher:
- Verified coaches with proven expertise
- Insights into the Swiss & DACH job market
- Simple online booking verified career coaches in one place in just 3 steps
Conclusion
Passing an interview isn't magic, but the result of thorough preparation. We hope the interview preparation advice in this article gave you a more complete perspective. Remember, each unique answer is an opportunity for you to shine.
If you’d like a personalized interview preparation plan, Find Your Coach on CoachMatcher. We will connect you with experienced career coaches who can help you prepare with confidence and succeed in every interview.