The interview process is one which can potentially turn the most confident and assertive candidate meek, especially when ill-prepared. For some however, it is a chance to display those strong interview skills and ultimately snag the job. After all, an interview is a professional performance, whereby the candidate is the star, and the expectation is to shine brightly.
When the question of "Why should we hire you instead of the other candidates" arise, candidates can be tempted to respond by saying " I believe I am the best for the job or I am qualified and able to perform the job responsibilities etc. In the defense of these candidates, it is possible that they are, but let us examine what the interviewer is fetching for through this question.
What the interviewer is subliminally asking is what can you do for me? What deliverables can you help accomplish? what value can you add to the team, and the company at large. When a candidate responds by saying that " I am the best for the job, they place the focus on themselves rather than the company, which could consequentially cost them the job.
While interview confidence is extremely important, there is a fine line between confidence and cockiness, which interviewers can spot a mile away. So, instead of a candidate saying I am the best candidate for the job, consider saying, “I realize that one of the goals of the company is to diversify its offerings, in my previous role, I was responsible for expanding the product line from three to five over the course of two years, which helped increase revenue by 40 percent” This can potentially open the door for follow up questions, from the interviewer, giving the candidate a chance to expand on their strengths in a confident but appropriate way thereby showing that they are infact the best for the job...without saying it.
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