Bengaluru man reveals secret his HR friend revealed on how to land a job: ‘Skills get you shortlisted but…'

A Bengaluru resident recently took to the subreddit BangaloreJob to explain how he landed a job after a long dry spell when he was clearing interviews but not getting jobs. One friend who worked in HR told him that while skills definitely get a candidate noticed, what truly matters is whether the authorities like you or not. “Skills get you shortlisted; being liked gets you hired,” he said.

How He Made People Like Him

He then went on to explain how he tried to stand out and make interviewers and bosses like him. He looked up interviewers on LinkedIn and found something in common – a city, a hobby, or interests in common. Send a short email to them, say that you are looking forward to meeting them, and bring up the connection. Smile at interviews and bring out the connection; like, mention if you are from the same city too. By the time the interview starts, you are not a stranger.

He then explained how he managed to make himself an exemplary candidate to the employers too: “Before the interview, call a few people who work there. Say you’re researching the company and want to understand it better,” he said. Ask where the company is headed in the next 6-12 months and where the role/position you are applying for fits into that. He also asked the Reddit users to ask for a roadmap and how you’d help them meet it.


He explained that once they make an impression of being a capable candidate, recruiters and the company will not be considering another candidate if they get someone who understands what they are looking for. “This is common sense, but surprisingly we miss it!” he said.