Introduction xi Chapter 1 Build Your Winner''s Mindset: Prepare with Confidence, Compete Without Fear 1 Embrace Your Fear of Failure and Rejection 8 Negate the Impact of Gatekeepers 12 Deliberate Gatekeeping 12 Well- Intentioned Gatekeeping 14 Listen to Guides, Not Gatekeepers 16 Lower Your Fear of Comparison 19 Develop Your Winner''s Mindset 22 It''s Not a Numbers Game 22 The Advantage of Authentic Desire 23 Writing a Compelling Personal Pitch 25 Your Winning Application Story 26 The match me Formula® 28 Key Takeaways 30 How to Use This Book 31 Chapter 2 Become Memorable: Stick in the Minds of the Selection Committee 33 Why Being Memorable Matters 35 Five Factors of Positive Memorability 37 Get a Referral from a Mutual Contact 39 Make a Self- Introduction to a Selector 43 Propose a Memorable Idea 48 Use Memorable Anecdotes from Your Life 51 Start Practicing 54 Key Takeaways 55 Your Turn 56 Chapter 3 Align Your Mission with Theirs: Win Trust by Championing Their Cause 57 Why Mission Alignment Matters 61 What the Organization''s Mission Is 63 What the Organization''s Mission Is Not 64 How to Demonstrate Mission Alignment 65 Research the Organization''s Mission 66 Define Your Personal Mission 73 Show Mission Alignment 76 Your Personal Mission Is a Journey, Not a Destination 79 Key Takeaways 80 Your Turn 81 Chapter 4 Make Your Goals Timely: Prove Your Impact Can''t Wait 83 Why Timeliness Matters 85 Demonstrate Timeliness by Incorporating Current Events 86 Demonstrate Timeliness Through Urgency 92 Key Takeaways 96 Your Turn 96 Chapter 5 Capitalize on the Organization''s Unique Benefits: Turn Their Brag Points into Your Bonus Points 97 Why Capitalizing on the Organization''s Unique Benefits Matters 101 How to Find the Organization''s Unique Benefits 103 Ways to Capitalize on the Organization''s Unique Benefits 106 Make the Organization the "Hero" of Your Application Story 110 Key Takeaways 117 Your Turn 118 Chapter 6 Be Highly Specific: Use Detail That Captivates Selectors 119 Why Specificity and Detail Matter 124 Replace Platitudes and Jargon 125 Adding Words for Greater Specificity 127 Removing Words for Greater Specificity 128 Create a Highly Specific Career Goal 129 The Match me Career Goal 130 When You Don''t Have a Specific Career Goal 135 Proposing Highly Specific Projects 136 Obtain Highly Specific References 140 Key Takeaways 142 Your Turn 143 Chapter 7 Make Your Pitch Mutually Beneficial: Show How You Win When They Win 145 Why Mutual Benefit Matters 150 How to Express Your Personal Needs 152 Define Your Need for Financial Benefits 153 Express Your Need for Educational Benefits 157 Show Your Need for Network Benefits 158 Paying the Benefits Forward 161 Key Takeaways 163 Your Turn 164 Chapter 8 Master Elegance: Balance Your Tone with Self- Confidence and Humility 165 What Elegance Is and Why It Matters 169 How a Winner''s Mindset Creates Elegance 171 Nix Calling Yourself the "Best" Candidate 173 Recognize That Accomplishments Are Evidence, Not Self- Praise 175 Have Empathy for Your Selectors 177 Key Takeaways 179 Your Turn 179 Chapter 9 Apply the MATCH ME Formula®: Put the Full Formula to Work in Your Pitch 181 How to Create Your Winning Application Story 184 Three Frameworks to Help You Apply the match me Formula® 187 A match me formula® cover letter 188 A match me formula® personal statement 192 Match me formula® interview prep 200 Guiding questions to apply the match me formula® 206 We believe in you 207 References 209 Work with Me 213 Acknowledgments 215 About the Author 219 Index 221.