Why is it ok to be second best? Should you not always strive for being the best? We are taught to aim for excellence. Surely, we must not be second best or, even worse, average.
Without a doubt, you should always give your very best in whatever you do. But let me explain why it is sometimes good enough to be second best.
You still might get the job
You are only the second best candidate for the position. But you might still get the job. How can this be?
Due to certain circumstances, the frontrunner does not end up with the position. It could be that he or she decided to not take the position offered to him or her. Maybe he or she found a different job in the meantime. Or the candidate might have learned in the interview that the job is not what he or she expected.
This is the time for you as the runner-up candidate. Offering the position to the second best candidate is not uncommon. This is how I got two of my previous jobs. In both cases, the preferred candidate was not available any more.
You might get a similar position
Companies sometimes recruit for several similar positions at the same time. When filling them, they resort to the candidates they just met. So, if you are second best for one position, they might consider you for another opening.
Also when applying for a particular job, you might not be aware that more than one position is available to begin with.
You perform better if you allow yourself to be second best
Trying to be always the absolute best can be very taxing in this very competitive world. Being at ease with the idea of being second best, might relax you and take a lot of the pressure away.
Especially if you are one of these people who are extremely hard on themselves, this is a good thing. This relaxed attitude might help you to bring you true, nonchalant self to the interview.