A job search is competitive; here’s how to stand out!

Regardless of your target career field or industry, chances are you will be competing against other candidates during a job search. And if you are competing for a highly desired position, that competition can be even more intense. It’s important to focus on what you can do to stand out rather than getting stressed, or even worse, paralyzed by fear to the point where you are afraid to move forward with your application! Some of these tips may be obvious, but it’s amazing how many job seekers don’t follow them. As a former recruiter, I can tell you with confidence that you need to all the right things and stand out in a positive way.

Follow the application directions.

This may seem ridiculously obvious, but you need to follow the directions when applying. So many candidates sabotage their chances of getting a job by not following directions! If they ask for a cover letter, submit a cover letter. If they provide qualifying questions, answer those questions (honestly). Submit your application by the deadline and make sure your documents are in the right format. Not following the directions only hurts your chances of the job. You’ll either be eliminated from consideration for not following directions, or potential employers will note your lack of attention to detail.

Submit customized, high quality, error free documents.

Your resume and cover letter should both be customized for the position to which you are applying. They should contain keywords and phrases that are directly connected to the job and should illustrate how your qualifications and skills relate to the desired position. Highlight relevant experience, quantify your achievements, and show how you have made an impact in the past. A one-size-fits-all resume and cover letter won’t work! Many companies and organizations use applicant tracking systems to initially scan resumes. If your materials don’t match with what hiring managers are looking for, you won’t move to the next step in the hiring process. Review your documents carefully to ensure that they are error-free when it comes to spelling, grammar, and formatting. If your application documents are sloppy, that’s an indication of your professional work and employers can use it as a reason to dismiss you from consideration.

Connect with someone at the company.

How can you do that? It’s all about networking! Having a personal connection with a company can help your application stand out, because you have someone there that can put in a good word for you. In many cases, that can move you from the initial review stage to an interview. Networking at its core is connecting with someone and sharing information. You do that naturally in daily life as you meet people and have conversations. Unfortunately, when many people apply that to their professional lives, networking becomes intimidating or scary. It doesn’t have to be! Scan your existing network of family and friends to see if anyone already works in your target industry. You can also connect with professionals on LinkedIn and join groups/organizations. Share your career goals with your existing network, because you never know who may have a great connection. Be proactive and follow-up with people to build and then cultivate those relationships!

Personalize your application.

Do your research and be resourceful to see who is actually hiring for the position; it can be a person or team. Then, make sure you address your cover letter accordingly. Never address a cover letter to, “To Whom It May Concern.” Use the hiring contact’s name if you can. Also, if you have a legitimate contact at the company who can support your candidacy, mention that person’s name in the first paragraph of your cover letter (note if they referred you to the position, you worked with them in the past, etc.). Connect in as personal of a way as possible to help you stand out.  

Highlight bonus content to support your candidacy.

To give your candidacy a boost, consider the resources beyond your cover letter. Start with your social media presence. How are you representing yourself? Make sure your social media accounts are as polished as possible, starting with your LinkedIn account. Your LinkedIn profile goes beyond your resume; it can bring your candidacy to life. You can integrate projects, presentations, and videos to illustrate your past work and current capabilities. A relevant skill set, detailed accomplishments, and positive recommendations will help you stand out. If you have a website, online portfolio, or GitHub, feature that in your application. Make sure your other social media accounts are as professional as possible, because in many cases potential employers will do a social media search to see what comes up for you. What they find can definitely affect your candidacy! In addition to social media content, you can also provide work samples, a portfolio, or blog posts. You can also submit a project or assignment that’s directly related to the job. When I applied to a past job, I created a research and recommendations paper on a topic that came up in my first interview. That self-directed project allowed me to show initiative, how I understood the employer’s needs, and my writing capabilities.

Follow-up in a professional manner.

A hiring manager may receive hundreds or even thousands of applications for a position. It takes time to properly review those applications, so be patient initially when you apply. Submit your application by the deadline. If you haven’t heard anything after a week or so after the deadline has passed, send a professional and friendly check-in email. It’s best to direct this email to the specific hiring manager or professional. If you don’t have that information, send it to the email address provided for applications or the HR Department. You can use this email to check on the status of your application, reiterate your interest, and offer to send additional materials (if requested) to support your candidacy. In my experience, I’ve found the hiring process can run longer than expected (very rarely shorter), so be patient and professional. If you still haven’t heard anything in the next week or two, you can send another note to check-in and inquire about the timeline and that status of your application. And if you don’t get a response after that? Move on from that opportunity. You don’t want to pester an employer, because then you may stand out in a negative way. Unfortunately, in some cases employers don’t inform non-selected applicants that a position has been filled.

Although many of these tips seem obvious, many job seekers don’t follow them. Given the competitive nature of the application process and the millions of applications that are submitted electronically each year, you won’t get a job by blasting out your resume and cover letter. To stand out in a positive way, consider what you can you can do today to enhance your candidacy!