Bill Gates has shared how he’d remedy a common interview question that we all dread answering.
It’s safe to say the billionaire has learnt an awful lot about business, having founded one of the biggest tech companies in the world in 1975.
The former Microsoft CEO is now worth a huge $162 billion, making him the sixth richest person in the world, as per Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.
His advice could help calm jangling nerves ahead of your next job interview because let’s face it – the job hunt is an absolute minefield.
Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft when he was just 20 years old (Doug Wilson/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
It can be hard enough to secure an interview, then you get some bosses pulling secret stunts to catch you out, like the now-famous coffee cup test or the lesser-known ‘salt and pepper’ test.
Not to mention that sometimes, giving just one wrong answer could sometimes instantly get you rejected.
In 2020, NBA star Stephen Curry sat Gates down and pretended to interview him for a software engineering job at Microsoft.
Gates gave his ideal answers to common interview questions – including to that awkward salary expectation question.
One important question that you’re pretty much guaranteed to be asked is: ‘Why should we hire you?’
It seems simple, but is asking you to show off multiple different strengths.
Job interviews are nerve-wracking situations (Westend61/Getty Images)
Gates said: “You should look at the codes that I’ve written. I write software programs way beyond any classes that I’ve taken. I think I’ve gotten better over time, so take a look at how ambitious I’ve been there.”
“Software is cool, and I want to be involved.”
Gates has touched on a number of key points here – firstly, illustrating his commitment and passion for coding by going above and beyond the classes he took, as well as highlighting his ambition.
He then touches on his strength of team working, but interestingly slots in a potential weakness here with his ‘harsh criticism’ comment.
But this is really quite clever, as he’s showing he trusts his own expertise, has authority and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
Bill Gates is the sixth richest person in the world (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
Yet this doesn’t impact his ability to work with others. In fact, it suggests he is still open-minded and values others’ insight – a crucial part of any business.
He has then applied his positive qualities to the company itself, explaining how he would be an asset in helping Microsoft grow. He’s showing commitment to not only the job, but the company and its targets.
Obviously if you’re not interviewing for a software engineer job, then you can adapt your answer accordingly.
You might want to refer to your jam-packed journalism portfolio (ahem), for example…
As long as you’re highlighting your key skills, growth mindset and enthusiasm – while demonstrating how you can help the company – you should be good.
