Wanna let the other guy get your job?

My job had disappeared. I was scared. Another re-organisation, a whole scale redefinition of jobs. I didn't know what to do, what job to go for, if I was good enough.

I started my research.  In which jobs would I have most influence and impact? Which ones matched what I thought I was good at? And which ones were slightly scary, but really quite exciting?

I spotted the one. A pure people development role that my IT colleagues scoffed at. I asked my boss what he thought. He shrugged, “What have you got to lose?”.

The previous year I had failed a promotion I had gone for so I wasn't taking any chances. I called the guy running the selection process he told me “There are only three posts across the whole organisation, it will be very competitive. Unless you can prove that you can... then you are wasting your time!”

I was deflated.

But something hit home. I found myself listing all the things that I had done to prove that guy wrong, that he shouldn't dismiss me.

I wrote my CV. I got the job. Not only that but my CV was held up as a model - the best CV they had ever seen.

So if you are wondering what to do:

• Imagine the job as if you were already doing it
• Mine for gold - what you have done in the past that makes you the ideal candidate
• Don’t be shy - tell them what they need to know about you
• Focus on business outcomes
• Keep it short and snappy - they have a lot of applications to read.

 Good Luck

Anne