How To Break The Tie: When You’re One Of Two Great Candidates

In today’s market, there are often very highly talented people vying for the same positions. If it comes down to two (or even three) candidates, the intangibles are likely to make or break the deal. So, in thinking over your interviews and other interactions in your pursuit of the opportunity, ask yourself if you did the following:

• You were always authentically you, honest about who you are, and didn’t fib on anything.
• As part of your authenticity, you were not all about you; you care about your co-workers, the success of the organization, and you can sell your background without arrogance nor conceit.
• Likewise, as part of your authenticity, you demonstrated through example and appropriate story telling that you are a person of high moral character and integrity.
• You demonstrated your ability to be flexible and adaptable to changing situations.
• You demonstrated your ability to be a team player, no matter your role on the team; and, if you were the leader of the team, you led and inspired rather than managed, where appropriate.
• In every work (or other appropriate personal) experience, you have learned from your mistakes, and have seen failures as an opportunity rather than as a negative.
• You can take initiative and where necessary, be creative.
• If the organizational culture supports it, you have a good sense of humor and can keep things light when the going gets rough.
• You have outside interests (no need to disclose anything about race, religion, politics, etc.) and keep yourself growing, both personally and professionally.

If you have done all of the above, you probably have a high factor of likeability and, thus, you are probably in a good position to get the job. If not, these are things to consider next time; don’t force them, just let them happen, as appropriate for the situation.