Because the most compelling candidate is most likely to get the offer.

compelling candidate

This is a guest post by Lynn Tulip. If you’d also like to guest post here on JobMob, follow these guest post guidelines.

It is the difference between being just mediocre, and being outstanding.

The difference between success and failure means you need to be distinctive and set yourself apart from the competition. Nothing less than being formidable will do.

Being a compelling candidate ensures that you apply for the right job, access the best employer and reach your potential.

In a nutshell: you must stand way, way out from the crowd.

Top tips to be a compelling candidate

Self-discovery

1) Identify your own strengths and talents. Be confident in what you know and what you can offer

2) Discover your uniqueness: use a wide range of self-assessment inventories and/or discussions with a career coach to clarify your motivation, values, interests and skills

3) Finalize your personal brand and USP [unique sales proposition] and highlight your expertise, values, contributions and results in your career/work to date

Presentation

4) Have a powerful, original CV/resume for every application, making sure it not only looks good and reads well, but also is an accurate and positive reflection of your successes

5) Capture your personality and accomplishments and position yourself well on paper

6) Prepare yourself for meeting in person; rehearse your elevator pitch and look people in the eye

Research

7) Define your job search to the point where you are specifically targeting as narrow a market as possible – one that matches your talents

8) Use your network and set up informational interviews to gather more inside knowledge

9) Analyze and refine what you learn from those interviews so you can apply the knowledge effectively

Marketing

10) Prepare to use social media in your marketing campaign. Use blogs and forums to show-off your expertise and knowledge and what and how you offer solutions

11) Keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date and keep in touch with new and old connections. Post updates that are relevant to your job search and contribute actively to groups

12) Clean up your online footprint so that potential employers will have no surprises.

Interview

13) Understand your personal brand and how you can sell it

14) Rehearse your success stories and recount your accomplishments fluently in response to interview questions

15) Prepare questions to ask the interviewer; ones that will clarify your thoughts so you can judge if you are looking at the job of your dreams in which you will flourish

Being acceptable is just not good enough. You do not want employers to look elsewhere.

Be a compelling candidate and guarantee your job success.

About the Author

lynn tulip portraitLynn Tulip runs her own HR and Career Management Consultancy. She works with individuals, helping them rekindle their work passion. She has worked with numerous candidates in career transition and presented job search topics at different conferences. Connect with Lynn online or follow her @LynnTulip and @A4P_HR. Read her newly published Get That Job, the art of successful job hunting and Can’t Get That Job, 7 killer CV mistakes that destroy your chances of job success.

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