Why Asking for a "Chance" Could be Hurting Your Chances of Getting the Offer.

First, let me assure you, I come in peace! I get it. You've been applying for months, maybe even more than a year. You've had countless interviews and gotten to the final round just to be told that while the panel was impressed with your experience, they have chosen another candidate. Worse still, you might have been ghosted and never learned what the final decision was, you just know it was not you.

You're educated, talented, experienced and driven. You're ready to do the best job and be the best employee they've ever seen! Yet you just can't seem to get your foot in the door or convince the hiring manager that you should be their first choice. If only they would just give you a chance, you could show them how amazing you are. Although a chance is what you need, I've found that it is one of the worst things to say when presenting yourself to a perspective employer. Here are three reasons why.

" Chance: something that happens unpredictably without discernible human intention or observable cause" - Merriam-Webster

Asking for a chance can sound like an admission that are unqualified and that the employer should overlook your deficiency to hire you.

While you're seeking an opportunity to show your skill and demonstrate your expertise, the term "chance" gives the impression that the employer is expected to select you without the skill and expertise you seek to demonstrate. Instead, consider asking the perspective employer what additional formats beyond your resume and cover letter they would be open to receiving to demonstrate your knowledge. Perhaps letters of recommendation, samples of projects and publications that you produced for previous employers, or writing samples if applicable to the position you are competing for would be a good way to supplement your application and let the employer know that you are willing to go above and beyond to stand out among your competitors.

"Chance: the assumed impersonal purposeless determiner of unaccountable happenings" - Merriam-Webster

Asking for a chance can sound like a request for the employer to abandon a fair and unbiased recruitment process to select you.

Though we all know that favoritism and opportunity are not synonymous, they often ring in the ears of hiring managers with similar tone. Again, chance by definition conveys the absence of any use of objective contributing factors to a decision, so although your desire is for the employer to see you as the most qualified candidate in a competitive recruitment, asking for a chance can easily be perceived as a request to neglect the competitive process. Instead, you might want to offer unique information about yourself outside the typical education and years of experience. Do you have a unique connection to the organization or community that makes you particularly invested? Maybe you grew up using their products or have origins in the surrounding city or town where the organization is located. Perhaps the organization represents a cause that you are especially passionate about. It is often advantageous to speak to these unique connections in response to questions such as "tell us about yourself" or "why do you want to work for this organization".

"Chance: to accept the hazard or risk associated with taking a certain action" - Merriam-Webster

Asking for a chance can suggest the employer has nothing to gain by hiring you.

Asking for a chance is very me focused. It only tells the employer that their decision to move forward with you as their selected candidate will benefit you, but says nothing about the gain to be received by the hiring manager or the organization. This can leave an employer with the impression that there is nothing in it for them if they select you as a candidate, though you know they stand to gain so much by you being their newest team member. Instead, do some research or simply ask the perspective employer about their biggest pain points and challenges as it relates to the work you are seeking to secure and show specifically how you bring solutions that solve those problems. Do you have a proven method to increase efficiency in their operations? Have you identified a little known solution to their error rates? Shift the focus from your need for their offer of employment and highlight how you can satisfy their need for solutions to their pain points.

Having experienced extended unemployment and the frustration that comes with being a perpetual runner-up in the competition for employment, I know exactly what you mean when you say, "please just give me a chance", but by reconsidering and adjusting your approach, you can present yourself in a way that encourages hiring managers to offer you opportunities to demonstrate your greatness.

What do you think?

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