It would be nice to think that job positions are based on merit. But deep down I think we all know that this is not entirely true. The job market is not fair (even though, especially in the public service, put a lot of effort into pretending that it is). Its competitive. Its just that the rules of the competition are more obvious to some than they are to others.

The only difference between the people who have worked their way up further than you, is that they know the rules better than you do. That's what gives them the upper hand, but its about to be what gives you the upper hand instead.

They may know the right people as well mind you. But the main benefit they get by knowing the right people is when those right people share the right insider knowledge that others are not privy to.

And when they have the right knowledge, they know the right things to say, especially during an interview. Most importantly, when you know things that others don't, you think differently. And it's the way that more successful people think that leads them to opportunities that others miss out on. This in turn makes them more confident, which in turn makes them more appealing to employers, especially when it comes to the more competitive jobs.

In my own companies, I've had to employ a lot of people. I have reviewed hundreds of job applications and have trained my own HR staff how to look for the 'hidden' red or green predictor flags that indicate how someone thinks (which we can use to predict how they will act). The red flags mean that, no matter what the person's experience, we should steer clear of them. The green flags mean we should chase after them and compete for them to snatch them up before another employer gets to them first.

Even if its in a different industry, that other employer becomes our competitor. They may not be competing for our customers, but they're competing for human talent. And the talents that employers crave the most tends to be rare. So when we see them, we pounce.

As you read this book, you'll learn a few simple tricks and unspoken rules that will make you a green flag candidate in any job you go for. This means that employers will be chasing you rather than you chasing them.