The Simplest Way to Get the Job You Want

Over the past few months, I've had multiple friends and family members get the axe at their jobs. As they all looked for new positions, sometimes seeing hundreds of applicants per job, their question was always the same: How can I stand out and get the job I want?

A lot of people answer that question with one word.

More.

More skills (be a lifelong learner and grow!). More social media posts (gotta connect!). More hobbies (be well-rounded!). Even, if you dare, more gifts (no, really, it's a thank you, not a bribe). Just out-more the other schmucks and you're in.

Admittedly, there are times when this strategy works. But more often than not, people just end up exhausted and frustrated as the rules and expectations around what's "enough" change.

So, if the answer isn't to "more" your competition out of the picture, what are you supposed to do?

Become visible.

What it means to be visible

When I say visible, I'm not talking about your reach, which is simply a measure of how many people you know in your industry or have on your X (Twitter) account. I'm referring to the degree of attention you have from those within your reach.

The basic idea is rooted in concepts around neuroscience and awareness. Roughly summarized, people can be fully conscious only of what their brain pays attention to.

To demonstrate this point, think for a moment here about the experience of being seated in your chair. Do you feel the cushion pushing back against you? Can you sense the warmth between your body and the seat?

You probably can feel and sense those things now. But why not before? It's not like your body and the cushion started to exist only a moment ago. They were always there. Yet, if your brain puts attention on something else, they become invisible, selectively processed right out of the picture.

When you are aiming to get a job, your goal is to become visible to the person (or people) who will do the hiring. You must ensure that, despite all the other people who might be in the environment, they focus on and perceive only you.

And how do you do that?

Service.

Are you present when it counts?

Service can look like a lot of things. It's being the person who always opens the door or thinks to hand an exhausted teammate a warm coffee. It's asking what you can do for your coworker. It's connecting people who need to connect.

But the common thread is presence.

If there is a need, are you there to fill it?

This doesn't mean you're a doormat who does everything for everybody. It doesn't mean you don't consider your own welfare. And for clarity given the return-to-office debate, it also doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be in physical proximity. It's not just about face time. It's much more about how you maneuver the resources you have to effectively solve the problems that people have.

Being present just means that, when the rubber meets the road, people trust that you're going to be the one to provide support, safety, or practical results. It means that, because you've consistently been there for others and proven not only your skills, but also your authenticity, reliability, and compassion, you've made having you front of mind an easy habit. It means you've showed up and delivered enough that it's unthinkable that anyone could do the job better than you. Because others think of you this way, it feels completely natural for them to write you letters of recommendation, refer you to opportunities, or directly hire you when openings become available.

Why do so many people fail at this?

Service as a concept is simple. But it takes effort and patience to constantly seek out where to help. As the world increasingly rewards instant gratification, most people do not have the stamina necessary to gain a clear vision about what others need or can be. That's why there aren't many true servant leaders . But if a person is not present to serve over the long haul, there is no way they can command the attention of anyone else in the repeated way necessary for habitual recall, emotion, and thought. And if they're not commanding attention...

...they're invisible.

Being present and serving well in a way that increases your visibility also requires humility by default. Without humility, it is impossible to be observant enough to notice the opportunities you have to take action on behalf of others. Most people, however, seek not to fill the needs of others, but to have their own needs filled. They do not realize that, by taking care of others, they naturally create the types of deep, reciprocal relationships that guarantee they will be well-considered and protected.

Another common mistake is that people approach service too strategically. They seek to assist, but they are over-selective and solve problems only for those of influence or power. This is especially common among people who want to advance fast. Because this behavior quickly gets interpreted by others as favoritism or brown-nosing, it becomes divisive and fails to unify in the way that's characteristic of solid leadership.

Consistently showing up where you are needed is easier when you remember that treating others well and holding to integrity is not about big maneuvers. It's about making a habit of small gestures that add up. The more you do small things, the more natural and part of your character service becomes over time.

Remember, too, that humility and service are not about putting yourself below others. They are about seeing yourself as equal to them and loving them as you love yourself. We are all interconnected, and when you take care of someone else, you care for yourself, too. Focusing on that interconnection and reciprocity rather than on pure individualism can give your acts of service a pragmatic rationale of improving social strength that makes follow-through easier, but it also offers warmth and empathy that naturally will draw others toward you and reveal where you are needed most.

Gaps filled with kindness are always the right move

When all other things are equal (that is, you're just as qualified as the next person), what makes you competitive for a job is how visible you are. And visibility is not a product of performance or mastery. It's a matter of connection and empathy. Working for these things can be unnerving at times, because you're not necessarily going to get immediate gains -- it can be tough sometimes to tell how much another person respects or trusts you. But if you are genuinely seeking to understand and fill gaps others have, and if you are delivering your service with kindness, there is little risk that you would move in the wrong direction.

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