I can derive two very different strategies from this. Either "generalize and avoid showing any reason to reject you" or alternatively "specialize and provide a

I can derive two very different strategies from this. Either "generalize and avoid showing any reason to reject you" or alternatively "specialize and provide a reason too good to reject you". Surely, it depends on the situation of the specific employer. So the trick for a candidate would be to figure out if there exists a single argument (e.g. a certain skill) which makes it impossible to not hire you. Coming back to the original question: You can be honest to the candidate; figure out what your organization is desperate for and tell them. Of course, this gives up some negotiation strength.