I interviewed for a new job at my company recently. I didn’t get the role.

But did feel like I put my best foot forward.

There’s the common saying, “Either we win or we learn”…

Well, I didn’t win. So, what did I learn?

Below is a list of some things I did that I think were useful and some I didn’t do that I think would have helped.

• Preparation is key. The more prepared you are, the better you perform. Practice is a part of preparation.
• Be ready to elaborate on anything you want to bring up. (For example, if something is a strength or weakness – be prepared to talk through examples & why)
• Stack the deck in your favor. Ask your relevant people in your network to proactively reach out with an endorsement. (this is something I thought about doing, but didn’t do)
• Be creative with how you stand out. Bring print outs of key projects you want to discuss. Consider recording a video or writing a hand-written note as a follow-up.
• Build rapport and stay connected. My last promotion was after not getting a job the first time around, but I stayed connected for the next time there was an opening. Stay in contact with anyone you connected well with from the panel.

What would you add to this list to stand out when interviewing?