Don’t ‘play it cool’—how one job seeker beat out over 1,000 other applicants to land the job

Hiring someone is one of the most important decisions a leader can make. It’s also one of the hardest.

I recently made my first full-time hire to support my business and received more than 1,000 applications in just a few days.

Many of the final candidates had impressive resumes. Some had even worked with others like me — speakers, authors, and thought leaders. But the person I hired, Meagan, didn’t have direct experience in this world.

Here’s how she stood out among 1,000+ applicants, and how you can do the same.

Too often hiring managers don’t give high-potential candidates a chance because their background isn’t the perfect fit. 

The role I was hiring for wasn’t a cut-and-dried assistant or business operations role. I needed someone who could stay flexible to the inevitable changes of a startup; someone who knew how to manage up effectively, take initiative, and bring structure to a growing business. The job required navigating ambiguity, making sense out of chaos, and anticipating needs without constant direction.

During the interview process, Meagan didn’t try to match every bullet point on the job description. Instead, she leaned into what she was great at: building systems, creating clarity, and getting things done.

She didn’t speak in buzzwords or generic phrases. She gave real examples of how she’d used her relevant skills to approach similar challenges, even in unrelated industries. 

Experience is important. But it’s not everything. If that’s all you focus on, you might miss the best person for the job. I’d rather hire someone who:

• Thinks independently and takes initiative
• Communicates clearly and with care
• Learns quickly and adapts often
• Knows how to solve problems, not just follow instructions

In a competitive market, enthusiasm matters.

A lot of advice out there tells candidates to play it cool so you don’t diminish your negotiating power later on. But when hundreds of people are vying for the same role, knowing that you’re excited makes the hiring manager excited about you, too.

Meagan didn’t try to hide her interest. She made it clear this was a job she wanted, not just one she was qualified for. In fact, she even went so far as to make it clear this was her top choice.

Toward the end of the process, I’d narrowed the pool down to two strong finalists. Both had different strengths. Both had impressed me in different ways. And both would’ve been great hires.

I wanted to make sure my instinct was backed by actual insights, not just bias or recency. I turned to AI to analyze the interview transcripts I’d recorded using an AI notetaker, assessing what got each candidate excited and what stood out as their strengths. 

Meagan’s responses showed she was excited about bringing structure to chaos. AI identified strengths like turning scattered processes into smooth, repeatable workflows and anticipating needs before they surface — which I realized would complement my weaknesses.

It made a guess as to what her personality would be like on the job — someone who’s steady under pressure and communicates clearly and confidently — which was in line with what I saw in our interviews and what I was looking for in the role.

You don’t need to check every box to be a top candidate. The more you can ground your responses in real-world examples, the more your hiring manager will be able to visualize you in the role. 

And if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about the job, communicate that at every stage of the process. This is not the time to be subtle. You can start early by messaging the hiring manager after you submit your application. Most people don’t.

Out of the 1,000+ candidates for the job I posted, fewer than 10 messaged me on LinkedIn — and only about five of those messages actually stood out, including notes from Meagan and the other applicant who went on to become a finalist.

Strong messages had:

• A sentence or two sharing why they were excited about the role
• A clear (not generic!) mention of relevant skills or experience
• A personal touch that didn’t feel copied and pasted

Forgettable messages had:

• A vague “I applied!” with no context
• No indication they knew what the role involved
• Zero personalization or effort to connect

It doesn’t take a long message — just a thoughtful one.

Ultimately, I didn’t hire the person with the most relevant resume. A few months in, I couldn’t be happier with that decision.

Lorraine K. Lee is an award-winning keynote speaker and CEO of RISE Learning Solutions. She’s also the best-selling author of “Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career,” which was named a must-read by the Next Big Idea Club. She teaches popular courses with LinkedIn Learning and Stanford Continuing Studies. Past clients include Zoom, Cisco, LinkedIn, ASICS, McKinsey & Company, and many others.

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