PART 2

How to Prove You Are the Best Candidate

Being good at a job is not enough to get hired. Have you ever applied for a job that was given to someone else and thought, I’m better at that job than she is? If you’re better, why did the employer hire the other person instead of you? Most likely, she proved she offered something the employer needed that you did not offer. We’re not saying that you didn’t have what the employer needed. We’re saying you didn’t prove it.

Every day, thousands of great applicants are screened out because, although they might be great for the job, they didn’t prove it. Employers are not mind readers. If you don’t offer clear evidence, they will go with the person who does. And remember, employers care about all six areas of PADMAN, not just ability. In addition to skills, the best candidate will also have the right presentation and attitude, be dependable, with a motivation to help the company achieve its goals, and bring a network that will build and not hinder the business. So even though your technical skills might be better, the person hired may have proven that he was stronger in another area the employer needed.

JD had never been a delivery driver before, but he had a clean driving record, understood the importance of keeping to a schedule, and had a friendly, joking personality that ensured regular customers would love him. The manager knew he could teach JD to do the paperwork, load the van, and use the GPS system, but that personality is hard to find. What hard-to-find quality, attitude, or skill can you offer an employer so you stand out from the crowd? To find it, either start with your unique strengths and determine which employers need one or more of them, or start with the job you want and determine how you can meet a need of the employer’s that is often lacking. It doesn’t have be an extraordinary strength, just one that is needed and uncommon—a manager who can inspire workers to give their best and can create a positive work environment even in tough times, a customer service agent with a great memory for names and faces so returning customers feel important, or an administrative assistant with a vast network who can get things done quicker or at a lower cost.

It’s important not just to stand out, but to stand out for the right reasons. What is sought after in one job may not be valued in another. For example, reputable employers want creative marketing executives, not creative accountants. “Patient listening” is a virtue for social workers, not call center operators who work on volume. What strength can you offer that the other two or three hundred applicants can’t or wouldn’t think to offer? If you’re not sure, ask your previous employers what they appreciated most about you, or your friends and family what they think are some of your greatest strengths. Then determine which employers need those things and target them. Or ask industry insiders what qualities, attitudes, or skills are most difficult to find in the field you want to work in, or what employers often complain about regarding people who do the job you desire. Remember, employers dip into their profits because they think the person they’re hiring can solve a problem, make them money, or meet an unmet need.

A single hard-to-find quality, attitude, or skill can tip the scales in your favor, as long as it’s supported with proof that you can meet the employer’s other needs as well. If JD hadn’t had a clean driving record or was unable to lift heavy boxes, his hard-to-find personality alone could not have gotten him hired. So it’s important that you develop unique proof that you can meet the employer’s top three to six needs in each area of PADMAN. This will give you more than twenty targeted selling points for why an employer should hire you!

There are four ways to transform generic selling points into proof that you are uniquely qualified for a particular job. They are not necessarily new or revolutionary, but they are often overlooked. To stand out you must give Facts about your accomplishments, clearly Demonstrate that you naturally possess what an employer needs, offer Credible References to vouch for you, and tell Stories that paint a picture of you doing the job well. We’ll teach you how each of these four techniques can make you stand out from the crowd, but first let’s look at three important principles to make sure your selling points prove you can do the job:

1. Your selling points must be specific. Everyone the employer interviews will say he or she is hardworking, dependable, and good at the required tasks. If you don’t offer specific evidence from your own experience, you will sound like everyone else. To stand out from the crowd, enhance your generic selling points with the four techniques in the chapters ahead.

2. Employers are most comfortable with verifiable proof from paid work history and formal education. But if your work history or education isn’t very strong, don’t despair. Evidence can be found in lots of less traditional places, too. Chapter 9 will show you how to pull verifiable proof from your whole life.

3. It’s only proof if the employer buys it as evidence that you can do the job. So be prepared to offer supporting evidence and follow the rules we’ll give you for using transferable skills.

In the next few chapters, not only will we teach you our four techniques to transform your generic selling points, but we will also show you how to use them so you stand out whether you’re conducting a traditional front door job search or cleverly looking for a side door. Remember, side doors can be used to find jobs in both in the Open and Hidden Markets, but front door approaches are only effective in the Open Market. (If you don’t remember what these are, see Chapter 1.) Follow our advice and you will stand out from the crowd, rather than being screened out with the crowd.