“Nice” candidates have a higher chance moving forward in a job search

Job seekers are sometimes surprised to hear that one of the top reasons committees move forward with a particular candidate is a rather simple metric: niceness.

Gabriel Lucas

May 18, 2021

“Nice” candidates have a higher chance moving forward in a job search

This is not code for fitting in, but ultimately about building relationships.  A "nice" candidate connects with introverts and extroverts.  A "nice" candidate can read the power dynamics of a room and finds the right balance between respecting authority and soliciting other opinions.  A "nice" candidate knows how to present bold, new ideas without turning off veterans who had previously championed yesterday’s innovations that are now today’s institutionalized systems.  A "nice" candidate can put people at ease with well-timed humor and explore serious topics with dignity — without overdoing it at either end.  The lesson is powerful but simple: Yes, experience and credentials matter...but at the end of the day, humans will decide your fate, not machines.

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