And we all know what we achieve when that happens...
As I mentioned a while back (last year, I think!), one of the seven habits that all the most effective job candidates share is that they've learned to guard themselves against shiny object syndrome.
Whether through learning the hard way, or simply through common sense, they've accepted that success comes from nailing the fundamentals.
Yes, the fundamentals.
Things like:
Being 100% clear on what you, as a candidate, uniquely bring to the table, and being able to articulate it as a clear value proposition.
Knowing what your core competencies and signature strengths are, and being able to communicate them in your answers to common interview questions while backing up your claims with anecdotes and hard numbers.
Having the ability to research potential employers quicky, so that you know exactly what they're looking for in the ideal candidate, and being able to tailor your answers so that they highlight these traits.
Practicing your interview answers over and over again until you can voice them with conviction, while sounding confident, trustworthy, focused, and comfortable -- until you own each word with every fiber of your being.
Understanding the interviewer's motive behind every question he or she asks so that you know: (a) what information to provide; and (b) when you're being thrown a curve-ball and/or tested with a "meat cleaver" question.
These are the fundamentals.
They aren't as exciting as chocolate bar resumes, or websites that look like a Mario game, or standing at a train station holding a fluorescent sign.
But mastering them is the fastest route to landing your dream job.
That's why Interview Success Formula isn't about shiny objects or whatever the newest fads are. Because these things won't help you become successful.
And that's why the most effective job candidates steer clear of shiny objects.
What’s the Shiny Object Syndrome?
Maybe you've heard about "shiny object syndrome".
It's something to which we are all susceptible – to a greater or lesser extent.
It describes our unconscious tendency to be drawn to new and exciting ideas, and, as a result, allow ourselves to be distracted by the newest and latest fad and get pulled in ten different directions at once.
Alan Carniol
Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 80,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.