The best way to secure a job when the competition is fierce is to rise above the pack and shine. Yes, that may sound simple, but it requires a little effort to make “you” the ideal candidate. There are five things you need to do to be the perfect candidate.

1. Prepare
2. Question
3. Listen
4. Be an asset
5. Be more than a resume

Prepare.

When an employer is seeking to hire someone, they’re looking for people who can step into the company and completely “fit in.” the hiring process is not just about resumes and accomplishments. the hiring process is frankly, about what you can do to make that company the best it can be. By finding out where that company is going in the future and what their aims are for their stockholders, clients, customers and employees, you will determine whether you have a role in that company. Once you find that role, that is the place you want to be. You are not just applying for a job; you are applying to advance the mission and goals of the entity.

Every company has a mission statement and a brand image on the market. As you search the Internet you will find information that each and every company makes public, so that their clients and customers knows what they stand for, end sets forth their vision for the future of the company. There she is the information you need to absorb.

Preparedness comes by being open and learning all there is to learn. Leave your defensiveness and ego at the door. The interview is not about you. It is about the future of the company

Question.

Some interviewers are going to begin by asking you questions. As you answer their questions, be honest and straightforward. If you are not, a good interviewer will know. be prepared to talk about the mission of the company and its goals as you describe how you can be a viable asset to the company’s overall mission and objectives.

Throughout the years, I have hired countless people in various industries. In doing so, I was more impressed by those that could say what I wanted to hear without sounding like bragging. When people brag about their credentials, they get lost in themselves they get lost in their own accomplishments, and they lose focus on the company at which they are applying for employment.

if you find yourself talking too much about yourself, pause and ask a question about the company shut. Show curiosity and interest to let the interviewer know that you are looking for a growing role in the company, and not just a job.

Listen.

As you listen, do not allow yourself to get caught up in your own concerns about how you will later impress them. Make it about them and their needs. To learn those needs you must be open and present. Be in the moment actively listening to them as they speak.

As you listen, it is imperative that you pay attention to everything. And I’m not talking about just listening with your ears. It is about listening with your entire being. To listen with your entire being requires an active sense of curiosity about the person with whom you are speaking.

What is important at this level, is that you take in every piece of information about the other person and the company. Your interest in the company will be more important than your interest in what you have achieved to date.

Simply put, do not speak until you have truly listened. If you are thinking about what you’re going to say next, you are not listening. A discussion that I had with a friend 20 years ago, centered around the question, “What is the opposite of speaking?” It is certainly not the expected answer of, “Listening.” The more accurate answer is, “The opposite of speaking is waiting to speak.”

Listening is a separate task, and in fact is an art. If you’re waiting to speak, you are preparing to address the other person with words. Do not wait to speak. Stop wanting to speak. Convince yourself that you have nothing to say. Convince yourself you are there to learn.

Remind yourself that nothing you say will make you sound smarter or more endearing.

Keep focused on the end goal of being hired because you are trusted and will benefit the interviewer and her company. If you want to be hired, the interviewer must be able to trust you. The need to trust in your knowledge and ability to get the job done; they must believe in you.

If you are concerned about feeding your ego, stop! Be prepared to wait until you have learned enough to describe how you are an asset in the company’s vision rather than your own vision.

Be an Asset.

When you begin to talk about yourself, describe how you are going to be a meaningful asset to the company. By using all of the information you have amassed, you need to make your experiences and resume valuable to the company. Make it personal. Describe for the interviewer how based on everything you’ve learned, you know that this job is not just a job, but it is a role you were born to achieve.

The more you know about a company and the direction they are going comma the more your answers will be honest and forthright. When you try to make things up in an interview to sound like you are the perfect person without having a strong basis, you may simply sound like you’re placating the interviewer. Never do this. Make it real. Keep it real, and be honest.

If you are unable to keep it real, you have to question whether or not you really are meant for the job for which you are applying. This requires significant soul searching and risk, but the pressure that it will put on you will create the inner strength to be yourself at the interview and create a bond with the interviewer that will lead to employment.

Be more than a resume.

You know you are more than a resume. But, when we get into a job interview situation, we panic. We get nervous. And we fear that we’re not getting the job. Despite your inner desperation to land employment, you must put aside the fear and be yourself throughout the process. I have interviewed many people who fake and pretend, And I can assure you that none of them have made it through the process.

When someone is faking and pretending to be someone they’re not, an experienced interviewer simply knows the truth. When that happens, the interview will fall apart.

Through it all, be present. Being present is being mindful. Strive to be mindful in all that you do. Direct your focus to the task at hand. Presence demands that when you are doing one thing, you should only be thinking about the thing you’re doing. Nothing else.
Do the one thing and focus. Do not think of things that happened earlier in the day. Do not think about your meeting yesterday. Disregard the horrible traffic that you were stuck in on your way to work. Keep your mind focused on that very moment.

And one more thing. Clean up your social media. No matter how good your resume is, if an employer looks at your social media and sees someone different than the person sitting in front of him, you might as well accept that the interview is over.