When it comes to life goals and aspirations, second best doesn’t really cut it. You won’t hear an Olympian declaring their goal of attaining a Silver medal, or a politician hoping for second place in the elections. Second place finishes can be equally frustrating when you’re in the depths of a job search. If you’ve had enough of missing out by a whisker, or simply can’t risk missing out on your dream job opportunity, then read on to find out how you can go from ‘runner-up’ to ‘frontrunner’ at your next job interview.
It’s the same thing, time and again. You invest hours of time honing your CV or completing tedious company-specific application forms, you have oodles of skills and experience, you’re reliably called back for interviews, and you tend to get a good vibe from the interviewers you meet. You’ve invested emotionally and mentally in each and every job application and may have even indulged in some confident visualisation of yourself ‘in situ’ doing the job. Which makes the disappointment all the more crushing when you keep getting ‘pipped at the post’ by someone with that almost imperceptible edge over you. The employer’s feedback is always positive, and with nothing concrete or critical to work on, the takeaway message is as un-constructive as it is reassuring. In the end, hearing that ‘it was a very tough choice, and you were a great candidate’ doesn’t put you any closer to that dream job offer.
As for the imperceptible edge, if you are to strike career gold, you need to establish what that is, and fast! Your interview success depends not just on you wanting the job; not even just on knowing why you want the job; but crucially the ability to confidently and authentically articulate this to the interviewer. When employers talk about that elusive ‘edge’, it’s more than likely not because the other candidate was better than you. It’s because they were simply better at articulating their value to the employer.
At FindMyWhy, we believe that it is far easier to achieve something if we can convey with confidence why we are striving for it, and why we are uniquely positioned to succeed at it. That’s why we’ve developed a personal purpose project to empower great candidates like you to understand, with absolute clarity, what excites, drives and resonates with them as an individual. FindMyWhy provides affordable and constructive guidance, unlocking a level of personal insight that is second to none, and enabling you to present yourself to the next interviewer with the kind of confidence, focus and authenticity that will truly set you apart.
Developed by our expert team of psychologists, FindMyWhy is a completely free and accessible online service. Our ‘Psychological Selfie’ questionnaire delves into a holistic assessment of individual values, goals, purpose and personality, resulting in a personalised report, a bespoke toolkit to offer guidance on opportunities that uphold these values, and the means to articulate them effectively at interview. But we don’t just stop there – if you looking to be supported and guided more closely through your job search, we’re with you all the way. Our Dream Job package is a free, tailored online personal coach, which takes your ‘Psychological Selfie’ report even further. Packed with specific, practical and valuable resources, the Dream Job pack is designed to support you with wording your CV according to your reported preferences and strengths, preparing for different types of interview, constructing and articulating your best interview responses, and generally navigating the waters of the recruitment cycle. Based on your unique Psychological Selfie report, we provide guidance that is unique and specific to you, your profile, your values and your purpose, enabling you to sell the best version of yourself with confidence and authenticity.
FindMyWhy not only entices you to explore more about making your dreams and career goals a reality, it can provide you with vital and unique insight, enabling you to channel your interview preparation and mindset in exactly the right direction, resulting in success. There are no silver medals in the search for a job. The only target is career gold.
Read more about FindMyWhy on our website, or sign up now to create your account; it’s completely free.