Being First

Your whole life you’ve wanted to be first.

First in line at the ice cream stand, first in your class, and first place in the race. In many situations, being first has become synonymous with being the best.

But not when it comes to a job search. This is a special case where you really don’t want to be the first candidate at the gate. Because let me tell you a secret: The first candidate rarely gets the job.

I’ll take that back for an exception - if a manager has already hired for a specific job and knows exactly what is needed, he or she is able to recognize talent. If you come along and are the perfect candidate, it will be recognized, and you’ll get the job. In this case the first candidate may be hired.

But if you are applying to a new role, or a role that is just being developed, it’s a different situation. This is a time when you really don’t want to be first. In this situation, even if you’re the perfect candidate, the manager doesn’t have the tools to recognize it, and you likely won’t be hired for the job.

Look at the situation for a moment from the point of view of the hiring manager. He or she is about to make a very important decision that will affect the organization and disrupt the status quo in his or her department. If you walk in the door first, he or she won’t know who to compare you to - you can’t be the best if there’s no one else.  

So what does this mean for you as a candidate? When you see a brand-new job posting, don’t jump in immediately. If you are contacted by a recruiter or speaking to a hiring manager, consider asking the following questions. 

What does the recruiting process look like? What is the interview progression? How long should the process take from start to finish? How many candidates have you met or considered so far? At what stages are you with other candidates? Is there a candidate in an advanced stage, who has finished all or most interviews? Is there a consensus among the decision makers on what a strong candidate looks like? 

These pieces of information will tell you whether you should go straight to an interview or whether you should hang out for a few days and wait first. 

A mark of caution - while you don’t want to be first, you certainly don’t want to be late to the game either. If you’re just doing an initial interview while other candidates are finishing up the process, you could find yourself left out in the cold. So, aim for that sweet spot.

Here is the bottom line: To make a decision, human beings need to feel that they have a choice. This is why people go to ice cream parlours with many flavour options, even though in the end they’ll only choose one.