The 3 People You’re Competing Against as a Job Seeker

Pixabay – CCO Licence

If you want to ace that next big interview, you need to know about the kind of competition you’ll be up against. That way, you can work out how to beat them and be the person who gets to sign that contract…

The Super-Powered Preparer

There’s always at least one candidate who takes the preparation for the interview far more seriously than anyone else. He’s the guy who starts boning up the second he’s invited to the interview. He’s the one who spends every spare second reading industry journals, boning up on the latest technology and practicing what he’ll say to any possible question posed to him on the day.

How do you beat him? You do just enough preparation to get you through. How does that help you? Because overpreparing really is a thing. Yes, you may need to do exam prep for contractors or study up on the latest accounting techniques if you require particular skills or knowledge, but do you really need to go over every possible answer to every possible question? No. If you do that, you run the risk of sounding like a robot, reeling off pre-prepared answers that don’t show your ability to think on the spot, and that is often a big part of what employees are looking for. So, do some prep, but don’t feel the need to go overboard.

The Doesn’t Preparer

The polar opposite to the guy above, the doesn’t preparer is a free-wheeling free spirit who doesn’t bother to spend more than 30 minutes preparing for his interview. He has plenty of self-confidence and believes that he knows enough to play it by ear and use his charm to secure him the role

How can you beat him to the job? Well, doing your homework is a start. If you take the time to read up about the company, the main players in the company and a few pertinent questions that you can ask to look in the know, you’ll show the interviewers that you know you’re stuff and you’ve put the effort in. You may also want to conduct a mock interview to help you feel as ease as he obviously does on the day.

The Perfect Match

The perfect match is the guy who’s at least 85 percent right for the role. He has plenty of previous experience, all of the skills the company is looking for and several years of working in either the same or a very closely related industry. He seems like the perfect candidate and you feel like there’s no way you can come out ahead of him.

How do you beat him? Well, you try for one thing. Don’t feel like you’re defeated before you’ve even interviewed. Also, remember that just because he seems like a good fit, doesn’t mean the interviewers will agree. If he’s only 85 percent perfect or the role, that gives you some leeway. He might be able to do the job, but is he likable? Does he seem like a good fit for the company’s culture? These are both areas where, as long as you are competent, you could beat that sure thing, because really, there is no such thing.

Good luck!