Outdated tactics are killing your chances of landing a job

Employers say the best candidates prove one thing before anything else. And it’s not what you think

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The current job market is brutal. Outdated tactics leave job seekers floundering while employers call the shots. With layoffs in sectors such as tech, media and retail, automated systems screening applications and more candidates chasing fewer jobs, the competition has never been tougher.

It’s no surprise, then, that job search norms from the past are long gone. Many candidates still behave as if it were 2005, which is why they’re struggling. Employers set their own hiring processes to protect their businesses, reduce risk and ensure consistency. Hiring the wrong person can be costly in training, severance and lost productivity. The best candidates don’t resist that reality: they adapt.

Even so, hiring hasn’t stopped; it’s just slowed. The ones who succeed share five traits that make employers take notice:

• Comfortable and authentic
  The strongest candidates come across as relaxed and genuine. Too many rehearse lines and aim for perfection, but confidence shows in those who admit mistakes and share what they’ve learned. Authentic candidates don’t give scripted answers. They follow the interviewer’s lead, ease tension and build real connections. Employers often find candidates more credible when they acknowledge missteps, sometimes even serious ones, rather than only boasting of achievements. In contrast, those unwilling to admit mistakes often raise doubts. The most common mistakes are:

• Firing off an email without proofreading
• Failing to ask for clarification

Both are easily avoidable, yet both cost trust.

• Balanced interest
  Candidates who appear desperate come across as insincere, while those who show no interest seem aloof. The best candidates ask thoughtful, challenging questions that show engagement and help them weigh their options. Even in this market, skilled and visible candidates have choices; employers prefer to hire people motivated by more than a paycheque, such as loyalty, initiative and the desire to make an impact.
• Positive mindset
  Interviews aren’t therapy sessions. Yet many candidates use them to vent about past employers or frustrations, sometimes even on LinkedIn. No hiring manager wants to bring negativity into the workplace. Candidates who focus on what they can contribute, and who project optimism, are the ones employers want to keep around.
• Researched and prepared
  With the resources available today, there’s no excuse for walking into an interview without knowing the company, its culture and its people. Google and LinkedIn can tell you about recent news, leadership changes and workplace reputation, which helps candidates enter the interview with a clearer picture of where they may fit. These tools are often the difference between walking in blind and showing genuine interest.
• Desire to make an impact
  This separates average candidates from memorable ones. The best don’t focus only on what they want: salary, benefits, time off, advancement. Employers want to know how you’ll advance their goals. The strongest candidates explain how they’ll contribute, offer concrete examples from past roles and make it clear they understand that employment is about delivering measurable results, whether that’s boosting sales, improving service or cutting costs.

That’s the difference between job seekers who keep waiting for a break and candidates who get hired: they don’t plead for work; they prove they’ll deliver.

Nick Kossovan, a well-seasoned veteran of the corporate landscape, offers advice on searching for a job.