At some point during your career you will almost certainly be asked the interview question "With so many talented candidates, why should we hire you?"

It is a ridiculous and insulting question, but we can't blame interviewers for asking it because the standard interview script is the only one they know.

The question "Why should we hire you?" is ridiculous because there is no earthly way you could possibly know why they should hire you over any other candidate. They know their business inside and out -- you don't!

The question is insulting because it requires a job-seeker to roll over and play the submissive dog. If companies want to ask job applicants "Why should we hire you?" they should be ready to sell the candidate on their job opportunity just as hard as they want you to sell them on yourself.

Like most of the standard interview script the question "Why should we hire you?" is pointless and degrading, but you still have to be ready to answer it.

Job-seekers hate the question "Why should we hire you?" because even if they want the job, they don't necessarily want to start praising themselves. It's not seemly, and it's not appropriate for a job interview.

The worst way to answer the question "Why should we hire you?" is to say "Because I'm smart, I'm hard-working and I want the job." Every candidate will say that! You have to change things up. You have to shift the script. That's the only way you will remain in the interviewer's mind after the interview is over.

Here are five ways to answer the question  "With so many talented candidates to choose from, why should we hire you?" without stooping to praise yourself, list your talents and virtues or beg for the job.

Interviewer: With so many talented candidates to choose from, why should I hire you?

You: That's a great question! You definitely have the advantage over me, since you know exactly what you're looking for and I'm just learning

 about your company.  It sounds like you need someone who is going to deal with issues A, B and C in their first six months on the job. Shall I tell you about how I handled those issues at my last job?

End of Script

Interviewer: With so many talented candidates, why should we hire you?

You: I think that's the key question. Am I the right person to join your team, and is this the best job for me? We've talked about my management experience and my experiences developing software tools. We've talked about your growth plans for next year and the overlap between my background and the role you're trying to fill. What else can I tell you that we haven't touched on yet?

End of Script

Interviewer: With so many talented candidates, why should we hire you?

You: What if I tell you what I heard about your needs -- so we can see if I'm in the ballpark?

Interviewer: That sounds good.

You: I heard that you need someone to revamp your customer service organization including recruiting, training, call center operations and your compensation plan. I heard you say that you want to review your vendor relationships to make sure they're still appropriate going forward. I heard you say that you want to double your call center capacity next year. What did I miss?

End of Script

Interviewer: With so many talented candidates, why should we hire you?

You: I know you have a big decision ahead of you and I don't envy you that. I haven't staffed a department yet but I can only imagine that it's not always easy to decide whom to hire. In our conversation today, I hope I've conveyed my understanding of financial reporting and analysis along with my passion for organic chocolate. I'd love to join you here at Angry Chocolates but I also know that if you and I are meant to work together in 2018, the universe will make it happen!

End of Script

Interviewer: With so many talented candidates, why should we hire you?

You: Of course, I haven't met and won't meet the other candidates for the job but I can say that the role is very close to my dream assignment. As we discussed earlier, I've been working my way up in commercial real estate for the past eight years.

My job search is entirely focused on Leasing Manager Roles and my ideal scenario is to run a regional office for a successful firm, like yours. I'm especially keen on this role because of your company's joint venture with Magnitudinous Properties, and I think my background is a good match for your strategy. What's your take?

End of Script

Source & Author: Liz Ryan is CEO/founder of Human Workplace and author of Reinvention Roadmap. Follow her on Twitter  and read Forbes columns. Liz's book Reinvention Roadmap is here.