How To Become the Ideal Candidate For The Job?

Investing In Yourself & Your Dream Job

Do you want to become the ideal candidate for your dream job ... the only one the company wants to hire for the position? Is there a company you are dying to work for but can't figure out how to get your foot in the door?

The answer is to become the dream candidate for the position.

How Do I Become The Ideal Candidate?

Once you understand that you want to become something , you are halfway there. And once you know what a dream candidate is and isn't, you have a great head start on landing your dream job.

Start with Where You Are

You begin with exactly where you are now ... and understanding where you stand in terms of your current skills, job and industry knowledge, work experience, work ethic and attitude.

These five elements make up the core of what makes an ideal candidate so perfect for a position that the interviewer knows it almost right away. 

Ideal candidates don't talk themselves into a position, their previous work and portfolio show they can already excel at the job ... so it is a matter of seeing if the personalities match and working out the details.

Just so you know, here are the five elements ...

	Be Great At What You Do You need more than just the basic skills to be an ideal candidate .. you need to excel at the work. That high level of performance means you will not be a hiring mistake and will need very little time or training before you start contributing to the bottom line an the bosses goals. When you can demonstrate all of your gifts and talents, you show rather than tell about how you can put them to good use in solving the company's problems.
	Be Knowledgeable about the Job and Industry Known as "being dialed in" ... when you know as much or more about the job than the boss does, you instill confidence that you can excel at the position. You know what needs to be done, why , and how the job fits into the company's mission and bottom line. And when you understand your industry and the company's position in it, you know the problems and challenges it faces, as well as where the opportunities are and what the customers want and will pay for.
	Have On Target Work Experience While skills prove you can do the work, your work experience shows the results of the work you do. Lots of people can type, including monkeys .. but few can write a masterpiece. Your paycheck is for your performance ... as well as your passion and knowledge. Work experience shows how you apply your gifts and talents to the task at hand, the environments you thrive in, and the impact of your decisions in the past.
	Have Great Values & Work Ethic Once the interviewer knows you can do the job with your hands tied, it comes down to looking at seeing if there is a match between you and the company and work group in terms of culture ... basically work values and ethics. Conflicts in personalities , work styles, egos and ethics can undermine the group, kill productivity and ruin a great place to work.
	Have A Great Work Attitude People who are ideal candidates don't bring baggage to the office. Instead, they are inspired and inspired others. They look at work as a gift to be enjoyed, are happy to show up on Monday morning and roll with the twists and turns of the business day. They love the work they do and the company that pays them well to do it.

So How Do I Get Started?

Knowing what hiring managers are looking for is one thing .. but becoming it takes a lot of work ... an investment in your self and your future. Quite honestly, unless it is for a job that you love ... your dream job ... it is probably not worth it. 

But if you love what you do ... or know what you want to spend you life doing because you love it and are drawn to it like nothing else ... then it is not a lot of work at all. Doing what you love is more like play .. its fun and inspiring.

How many hours do you spend doing what you love just for fun? Would you like to turn that time into an investment in your future?

Taking Stock

If so, then you want to take stock of how close you are to being the ideal candidate for your dream position .. a job you will love ... 

It starts with knowing where you are now in terms of the five areas above in terms of your dream job. How is your skill level and do you have all the skills you need? Where are you in terms of your industry knowledge? What about your work experience .. do you have enough and the right kinds?

Task 1: Create a Current Master Resume & Work Portfolio

Nothing brings you face to face with your current situation as well as making a master resume and a work portfolio. That gives you a great perspective of what you currently offer ... and how much you already have to contribute to your dream job.

Task 2: Create A Fictional Ideal Candidate Resume & Portfolio

You want to know what a hiring manager is looking for and what you are missing. So use your imagination and create a fictional ideal candidate that has it all ... the ideal skills, work experience , knowledge, values and work examples. (This exercise is for your eyes only, so never take or use this in an interview.)

Task 3: Compare Yours & The Ideal Candidate's

Now, look at the difference between your master resume and the imaginary ideal candidate. What skills and work experience are you missing? How can you get it? Is it worth it?

This exercise is a great one for helping you see if you are serious about finding and landing your dream job ... and beginning to see what it will take to become the ideal person for the position. 

Whether you are just about there, or you are have a long way to go ... it all begins with setting a goal and being inspired to turn your dreams into reality.