Written by Vaclav Koranda

How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Win the Job

Large, successful corporations with a strong brand are highly attractive to job seekers. They offer excellent learning opportunities, potential for career growth, competitive compensation, attractive benefits, and, last but not least, their names look good on resumes. It’s no surprise that when these companies open a vacancy, they are inundated with hundreds of applications. Many candidates wonder how they can capture the attention of recruiters and hiring managers, stand out from the crowd of applicants, and secure their dream job.

In the previous issue of my newsletter, I warned about a widely recommended practice of annoying the recruiters and hiring managers by email. This is definitely not the right way to stand out and may jeopardise your chances to get the job.

So what is the correct way?

First of all, ensure that you fulfil all the criteria of the job. Out of the several hundreds of applications, about half of them usually don’t meet the basic criteria and are eliminated. Then, you should also tick a few extras, such as speaking an additional language or having an extra skill or experience that is not required but can be useful in the context of the job. That should get you on the shortlist and an interview invitation. Additionally, you have to be quick with your application, and sometimes you need a bit of luck, too, to be honest.

Next, you need to know how you can make a difference in the actual interview. I have analysed over a hundred stories from successful candidates about what they said or did in the interview that won them the job. They all share a few things in common:

  • They were candid and spontaneous.
  • Their answers to the usual interview questions were unusual, surprising, or funny.
  • They didn’t mind telling the truth even if it was unpleasant for them or the interviewers (but without being offensive or self-destructive).
  • They managed to establish a human connection with the interviewers.
  • None of them mentioned sending a thank-you note after the interview.

While all the other candidates were sweating in their seats anxiously focusing on correctly delivering the answers they memorised, the successful ones were just the best version of themselves, genuine and convincing.

If you want to learn all the secrets of successful interview preparation, check out my book, Get Your Dream Job.

Good luck!

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What would you like to hear about next? Tell me at vaclav@getyourdreamjob.co

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  1. Get my book – Learn all the job search insider tips and tricks and use them to your advantage.
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