An exclusive interview is a one-on-one conversation between a journalist or media outlet and an individual who agrees to not talk to other reporters about the subject until the interview has been published. It is normally done when the spokesperson has information or a good story that they think will make a compelling piece for their audience.
Often, hiring managers ask this question to see how candidates can take pride in their accomplishments and highlight important career highlights. Ensure that you choose an achievement which is relevant to the role for which you are applying and explain why it stands out as a career highlight for you. Try to avoid sounding brazen or overly egotistical when answering this question, but do be confident about your achievements.
It’s worth noting that if you bad-mouth an employer or colleague during your interview, it may raise red flags about your professionalism and work ethic. Additionally, it can reveal a toxic workplace culture that you would not want to be part of.
It can be hard to get tier-one publications interested in your news without an interesting angle. Unless you have significant funding news, or a highly-valuable customer (who can be interviewed) to promote the news, it’s unlikely that journalists will agree to an exclusive. This means that you could miss out on much broader coverage that could drive customer traction, partnerships or board perception. This can be a risky strategy for a startup.