The question “Is there anything else you want us to know?” is usually asked at the end of an interview, and is not meant to be a hoax.
In fact, it is a question you should hope to be asked. This gives you an opportunity to reinforce two things: why you are the best person for the job and why you are motivated to work for the company.
Is there anything else you want us to know?
This is one of the most common questions in job interviews and also one of the best questions that will inevitably keep you away from any other questions that can be directed to you.
Some other formulas
Some common questions that have other variants of the question “Is there anything else you want us to know?”:
- Should you tell us something else?
- Would you like to tell us something we don't know about you?
Why does the interviewer ask you this question?
Interviewers ask open-ended questions like these in order to gain insight into your personality, knowledge of yourself, and ability to communicate effectively.
The interviewer wants to see if you can demonstrate confidence in your potential as a job candidate.
They will also be impressed if at the end of the interview you are eager to continue the conversation in order to make a lasting impression.
How to prepare for an answer
Begin your answer to “Is there anything else you want us to know?” with a summary of some of the key strengths you've already shared. This will help the interviewer to remember briefly why you are a strong candidate for the position.
After you summarize your qualifications, add one or two items from your list that are not covered. These could be skills or abilities you haven't mentioned yet, or experiences you've had. Make sure everything you mention is relevant to the post. This type of answer does two things:
- Summarizes why you are a strong candidate.
- Shows the interviewer that you are passionate about the job.
Examples of answering the question
Response forms can help you carefully understand how to answer. Consider these sample answers to help inspire you to prepare your own answer:
I did a very thorough job at getting my strengths. We discussed my writing, presentation, and computer skills, but I didn't have the opportunity to tell you about my persuasive abilities. For example, I was able to persuade seven local businesses to sponsor the charity I organized for my brother, and successfully published several stories in the local media about a client during my PR training.
I believe we have covered a number of my work experience that makes me a strong candidate for this position, including my ten years of teaching experience, my management experience, and my communication skills. I should add that I also have experience managing after school programs for teens. In my previous job, I led two after-school programs: the school newspaper, which employed twenty-five students, and the literary magazine, which employed fifteen. I also want to assure you that I am very excited about this opportunity here. I am very excited to pursue this position and will devote maximum energy to success if hired.
Actually yes! I don't think we've talked about it, but I do have a few years of experience in customer service, which I feel would serve me well in this role as I plan some of our new products. I will be able to anticipate questions and concerns customers have, and implement better customer problem-solving processes through our support ticket system, FAQ and more. I feel like this is something that sets me apart from the other candidates, so I wanted to mention that.
Actually yes! I know we've touched on project leadership and coaching new team members as I develop in this role, but I don't think I've done a great job of explaining how much experience I have in this area. This is something that interests me a lot, and I had the opportunity to coach six new team members in my last role while overseeing their daily work, setting weekly goals, and running weekly meetings to check their progress. So this is a job that I will be able to handle very comfortably, and it's something I enjoy too!