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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesBill Gates’ answer to “Why should we hire you?” is a useful example, not a universal script. In a mock interview with Stephen Curry, Gates role-played a junior software-engineer candidate and pointed to work he had done beyond class, how he had improved, his ability to work with others, and his interest in ambitious software projects. The practical lesson: back up your fit with evidence that matters to the specific job.
What Bill Gates said in the mock interview
In Stephen Curry’s State of Inspiration series, Curry asked Gates to role-play a junior software engineer interviewing at Microsoft. Asked “Why should we hire you?”, Gates suggested the interviewer look at code he had written beyond his classes and consider how he had improved over time. He also said he worked well with people, liked ambitious goals and thinking about the future, and wanted to be involved in software. Forbes published the exchange as a mock-interview answer, not as a real Microsoft hiring interview. Forbes’ account and transcript.
That specificity is the point. A software candidate may be able to show code and explain how it improved; a candidate for another role needs different proof. Repeating Gates’ software-focused lines without relevant experience would not demonstrate fit.
Why interviewers ask “Why should we hire you?”
The question gives an interviewer a chance to hear what you believe you would contribute and how your qualifications match the role. It can also help hiring managers compare candidates and explain a candidate’s value to others involved in the decision, according to Indeed’s guidance on showing interviewers why they should hire you.
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So treat the prompt as a request for a concise case, not a demand to boast or claim you are better than every other applicant. Make the connection between what the employer needs, what you can show, and how you would contribute.
How to build an answer that is yours
- Choose a need from the job description. Identify a responsibility or skill central to the role. Avoid listing every qualification; focus on the needs your experience can address.
- Give concrete evidence. Name a relevant project, task, result, or example. Explain what you did so the interviewer can assess the claim rather than take a string of adjectives on trust.
- Show development when it matters. Gates pointed to improvement over time. You can describe how you built a skill, took on greater responsibility, or responded to feedback, if that history is relevant to the job.
- Explain how you work with others. If collaboration is important, use an example that shows how you contributed to a team or worked through a shared challenge.
- Connect your interest to this work. Say what genuinely attracts you to the role or organization, and tie it to the work you would do. Researching the employer and aligning your experience with its needs are also recommended in the World Economic Forum’s career guidance.
- Keep the answer focused. A few connected points are easier to follow than a long inventory of strengths. Finish by making clear how those points could help in the role.
What to adapt—and what not to copy
Gates’ answer combines evidence, growth, working well with people, ambition, future-oriented thinking, and genuine interest in software. Those are useful prompts for shaping an answer, but the details should change with the job and your own record.
Rank #2
- For an experienced applicant: use a relevant accomplishment and explain how your approach or skills transfer to the role.
- For an early-career applicant: coursework can be part of your evidence, but consider projects, internships, volunteer work, or other examples that demonstrate relevant skills beyond simply saying you are eager.
- For a career changer: connect transferable skills to the job’s requirements and support the connection with a specific example.
- For any applicant: avoid unsupported claims such as “I’m the best candidate.” State what you can substantiate and why it is relevant.
A practical answer framework
Use this as a structure, not a script:
“You’re looking for someone who can [important need]. In [relevant example], I [specific action or contribution], which demonstrates [relevant skill or result]. I’ve also [evidence of growth or collaboration, if relevant]. I’m interested in this role because [specific, informed reason], and I’d bring that experience to [the work the role requires].”
Replace every bracket with a truthful detail. If you cannot name evidence for a claim, leave it out or choose a different strength. Before the interview, check that each point links to a real requirement and that you can explain your example if the interviewer asks a follow-up.
Rank #3
How to check your answer before the interview
- Role relevance: Does each point connect to an important responsibility or qualification?
- Evidence: Can you describe a real example that supports each claim?
- Contribution: Have you explained how your strengths could help with the employer’s work?
- Motivation: Does your reason for wanting the role reflect informed interest rather than a generic compliment?
- Clarity: Can you say the answer naturally and leave room for the interviewer to ask more?
Forbes’ transcript is the basis for the reported wording of Gates’ role-play answer; the article presents it as a published account of that exchange. It does not establish that the answer guarantees a job or that the same wording suits other roles.
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