Cameron
How can I set myself apart without seeming arrogant?
When applying for jobs I feel awkward pitching myself as "the best candidate". I want to seem like a team player and I dont want to give off the impression that I think I'm better than everyone else, but I do want to set myself apart from others so I can get hired.
#hiring
3 answers
Eula Biezen
Eula’s Answer
Hello Cameron C.,
Glad to help you out with this one.
In one word EXCELLENCE.
Be excellent in everything you do. This makes you stand out, and the best way to apply it is to your character.
Standing out, is not something you do, it is something you get, that makes you stands out.
Everything you do, everything you say reveals if you have this quality. The other option is to settle for mediocrity.
It is called self management ( or taken verbatim from our company values, self-governance - see it below)
Self Governance is one strength, that inherent in anyone who has the capability to successfully direct and manage his own self, gives him a power above all those who cannot."
Being excellent is not arrogance, do not confuse the two. Arrogance is giving a higher importance to yourself that you do not deserve. Excellence is receiving recognition that you do deserve and that accurately describes you, and yet still remain level-headed and not let your ego think that you higher when in fact you are not.
To reference to your question. You do not know who the candidate is that is the best one, simply because you do not have an eye on the inside to qualify them. You are hoping that you are. What you do have is your entire performance during your life as a student and all the work you have done there. Make a list of everything you have accomplished at school. This is your resume.
You must not 'think' that you are better than everyone else, you must make sure that you are.
You do so by doing excellent work, by handling yourself well, by focusing on quality work, in what you do and say, on paper, in a meeting and by making sure that your work is done on time, and that it is to your complete satisfaction. If it is not, then you are not done yet.
Being a team player is a desirable quality when you are in a team. You must relate well to others, have social skills, be able to listen well to other's ideas and share your own; cooperate with them. This is called social capital. Together the team selects the best solution.
As you ascend however, you will find you must not be part of the group, but must observe everything from a higher angle, take charge and lead the group. You will stand out for this too. and here your work MUST be better than everyone elses.
To stand yourself apart and make sure you are hired, you must focus on what you DO, your past accomplishments. Your unique values, things like being punctual, working efficiently, finish tasks on time, being sincere, and also technical values, like knowing all your materials and study courses.
There is a difference between excellence and arrogance, it is attitude. Search the definition in the dictionary, or online. Excellence is admired. Arrogance is reviled.
Once you do things excellently in a consistent manner and without missing one beat. In time, others will notice and raise you up, and they will set you apart and put you in charge of others.
Be a leader, but don't be a snob. Be excellent, but not arrogant.
Let me know if this helps, OK?
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Michael Valiante
Michael’s Answer
Thank you for the note, and this is a really good question. From my experience as a hiring manager, my best advice is to be authentic and be prepared. From my perspective, a candidate who is well prepared, confident and authentic doesn't have to "sell" themselves as the best candidate as it comes across naturally. Working well with a team can showcase you are the best candidate.
- Be preapred
- Be authentic
- Be a team player
- Be ready to share real examples that demonstrate your competency and what value you bring to the organization
- Be open to feedback
- Don't be afraid to say you're the best candidate for the position. It's perfectly OK to recognize there may be multiple people competing for the position, but you are competing for a position and the interviewing team needs to know you're the best candidate to join the team.
I hope this helps!
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Katie Burell
Katie’s Answer
To avoid coming across as arrogant, it is also important you are able to answer questions about your weaknesses and lessons you have learned from your failures. Prospective employers want to know that you are self-aware and will be able to take feedback to further your development.
When answering questions about your weaknesses, it is important to be authentic. I find candidates are often caught off guard by questions about what they need to improve, and sometimes, I think they give me an answer that they think I want to hear instead of an answer that is true for them. You should also be able to talk about progress you have made in addressing your weaknesses and what you are doing to continue to improve.
There will be interview questions about projects that did not turn out as expected or team environments that were difficult. You should be prepared to answer what you learned from these experiences and how these experiences have shaped your current work habits. To avoid coming across as arrogant, do not blame others; be prepared to discuss how your work/behavior contributed to a failure.
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