CNN  — 

It’s a good time to be a job seeker.

The job market held strong in February with employers adding 273,000 jobs. But that doesn’t mean landing a new job is a piece of cake. The process can still be taxing: tailoring your resume to the job opening , preparing for multiple rounds of interviews and then (hopefully) there’s the negotiation process.

Here are the best ways to get hired:

Don’t meet all the job requirements? Don’t get scared off

First things first: You need to apply for the job. Don’t get scared off because you don’t meet all the requirements on the job listing.

Think of those as more of a wish list, said Barry Drexler, an interview coach and former human resources manager. Just because you don’t have the number of years of experience expected or a certain skill, there are ways to show you are still qualified.

If you get called into an interview, that means you are a good candidate for the role.

If you are sitting in an interview and one of your shortfalls comes up – don’t panic. Here’s how to handle it.

Be prepared for this question

There’s one question that is bound to come up during an interview: Why are you looking to leave your current job?

It’s a pretty standard question, but your answer can be very telling.

Hiring managers are sniffing around for any potential red flags, which is why you should be prepared with a strong answer.

The key is to give an honest, forward-looking response while also avoiding too many details. Here’s what to say.

Your questions are also important

Remember that a job interview is a two-way street, which means you should be asking questions as well.

After all, you don’t want to start a new job only to learn a few days in that you’ve made a big mistake.

You can ask certain questions to get a glimpse of what it’s really like to work there, what your career trajectory might look like and how to be successful.

Always the runner-up, never the hire

When you’ve aced your interviews and your references have been contacted, that’s a good sign that a job offer might be coming your way. But then you get the dreaded call informing you they decided to go with the other candidate.

Getting so close without actually landing the job can be devastating. But don’t give up.

Sometimes the company went with an internal candidate or decided to go in a different direction with the role.

Yes, the idea of starting the job hunt over again can be overwhelming, but these tips can help you stay motivated and positive.