My husband, a natural athlete, finds competition in any situation. Physical competition on the rugby field, intellectual competition playing Trivial Pursuit, and strategic competition through all of the Fantasy Sports Teams offered on ESPN.com. His professional life is a series of beat-the-numbers logistical decisions, an environment which suits him perfectly. This competitive spirit pushes him to constantly improve, constantly move forward. He has an unmatched ability to rally his team (at work, on the field, and in his family) with this spirit, inspiring everyone to give all that they have for the cause: no one wants to let him down, as he always has the utmost confidence in his team’s ability to be victorious. And, if he doesn’t win today, he will tomorrow.
I, too, am fiercely competitive, but my struggles tend to be more internal. I compete with myself, trying to be better than I was yesterday. I grew up playing the piano (not running plays on a field), and the annual judges’ panel that I faced was not assessing my skills against anyone else’s. I was trying to deliver a more polished performance than last year, constantly reaching for that perfect score. Once I reached that goal, I set my sights higher, earning the same perfect score for a far more challenging piece. Always reaching, never satisfied with what I have achieved so far. I rarely look at the accomplishments of others when setting my own goals; I know where I am now and where I want to be next week. In this way, I act much like the typical job seeker…but it’s the wrong approach for the job market.
Since most job seekers do not come into contact with their competitors, it is difficult to remember that they exist. Job seekers first look at the qualifications on the job description and then compare this list to their resume. If they see a match, they assume that their chances of getting an offer are good. Candidates will often ask “What could I have done differently to have been selected?” The assumption is that their skills or experience are simply not presented well enough; if we truly understood what they are capable of, we would have selected them. The honest answer to the common candidate question: “What could you have done differently? Have this person’s background. This person is simply the better candidate.”
So, how do you compete when you don’t know the competition? First, understand that it is a competition and not a presentation. When giving a presentation, you prepare your documentation, put together a fancy PowerPoint, stand before the audience and show off your knowledge of a certain subject. This is great if you just need to relay information. Remember, however, that in an interview or application, you need to prove yourself to be better than the candidate who interviewed before you. You aren’t simply presenting yourself. You need to feel that you are presenting the candidate with the most relevant experience, the strongest performance track record and the best understanding of the position’s priorities.
Second, use your competitive spirit to push yourself beyond the status of “qualified candidate” to “most qualified candidate.” There is an enormous difference. You have a degree in Finance and 5 years of experience as an Analyst. That’s a great start, but we have 50 other candidates with the same credentials. So, what do you have that they don’t? Remember, this is a competition. This is where firm facts and statistics can be very helpful. Tell us the scope of the projects you have led and the size of the budget you were working with. Let us know that you increased revenue, but be sure to include the percentage of the increase and what steps you took to effect this change. You could even throw in data from your most recent Performance Evaluation, as long as there were clearly defined goals and you can show how you met those goals and asked for more.
Recognizing that each application and interview is an attempt to be the victor will change your perspective and, hopefully, your approach. There are no shortcuts, there is no such thing as “good enough.” There is only the will to win.
In this case, I must admit (although it pains me) that my husband is right…




