How do you differentiate yourself? You have to know what you’re good at and what you’re not so good at. Self-reflection is challenging, for sure, but you’ll find that it’s worth the effort.

In order to know and evaluate yourself better, here are some guidelines to help you:

1. Don’t be a walking encyclopedia.

Forget about being smart and focus on your skills. Nowadays, the spread of technology is so rapid that computers can work like humans. People value skills and talent, not your encyclopedic knowledge. Terminology doesn’t impress anymore; application is what will make you useful. Be creative and progressive, not full of disconnected facts.

2. Connect to people.

Marketing departments pay attention to people who can communicate easily. Work on your interpersonal skills. Your emotional intelligence is the key to getting employers to hire you. This is visible in the reports from human resource departments across different industries. Learn to communicate with people the right way: be emotionally intelligent.

3. Know what you value the most.

Realize and understand what your preferences are—what you value the most. Find what intensifies your interests. Get to know your core values; what inspires you? Discover what your motivation is, what inspires you to persist and work harder. This way, you can be more productive and progressive.

4. Be exceptional with your ideas.

It’s really tough to come up with a new and unique idea, but when you come up with one, how do you know it’s exceptional? Tell it to other people and see if they’re going to talk about it. Wait until they ask for further questions. If they don’t, accept the fact that they’re not interested. When people tell you that you made a mistake, accept that criticism. Always remember that it’s okay to be wrong sometimes.

5. Get real.

Don’t fascinate yourself with the idea of an unreal environment. Face reality and play with it if you have to. Remember that there will are always people who are better than you, but also know that there’s always that one certain thing where you’ll be better than them. You cannot force people to adjust to you; you have to modify yourself in order to coexist with them. Deal with the truth, and you may be surprised at how effective you can be in all aspects of work.

These are just some new strategies you can try to help you get a job. Don’t skip the part where you should assess yourself and learn what your principles and values really are. Once everything is clear for you, hunting for a job will be easier.