How To Stand Out From A Pool Of Applications

 

Feeling overwhelmed about the job market? It may be time to change your strategy, and make yourself stand out from the competition. Spend your time focusing on the most important aspects of your job search, while also streamlining your approach.

Education and Experience

According to a recent article, the number of jobs requiring education and experience has doubled since 1980. Today, almost every industry has developing technology and information that is crucial to learn for success. The more a candidate continues to gain new skills and acquire new knowledge, the more likely they are to catch the attention of hiring managers and stand out from the pool of applications. While analytical and critical thinking skills are of the most importance, soft skills are almost just as crucial to success. The extensive ability to lead and work with a team, problem solve, and communicate effectively both written and verbally will help candidates to stand out in the job market as well.

 

Brand Yourself

Although the resume is a necessary tool while in the job market, there are numerous strategies a candidate can execute to stand out from the crowd. As stated in a Forbes article, you should read and analyze job descriptions within your industry, taking note of what your strengths and weaknesses are. By doing this, job-seekers are able to recognize their individual strong points and highlight them while also improving on their weaknesses.

Extensive attention should also be paid to your LinkedIn profile as the number of recruiters relying on initial digital media searches is greatly increasing. Highlighting keywords and specific skills, often taken from job descriptions, within a LinkedIn profile is a clear and easy way to stand out from the rest of the application pool. Being that a resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile are how most recruiters execute their initial screen, it is imperative every piece of content is well-written and allows a professional tone to clearly be seen. Lastly, while checking for grammatical and spelling errors is an easy, painless step, leaving those errors to be seen by recruiters and hiring managers could easily disqualify a candidate from any position.

 

Be Prepared

So you’ve now landed a few interviews-it is still not time to sit back and relax. Now is the time for due diligence and detailed preparation. Of course, it is necessary to go over a few interview questions for practice, but that should only be part of your research process. Candidates should be well-versed in the company they are interviewing for; reading articles, scrolling through the company website, speaking with any connections working there, and staying up to date on their social media are a few ways to create a good understanding of the company. You should also know exactly the skills and strengths you have for benefiting the company. For an essential list of tips to acknowledge prior to an interview, check out this article by The Muse.

Perfecting resumes, cover letters, and social media while in the job market may seem like hard work, but if taken one step at a time it is, in fact, very manageable. Of course, attempting to accomplish all of these steps within one day is unrealistic. Set small goals to work towards landing that interview. Once you’ve been invited to a few interviews prepare and do your due diligence! Considering these steps is an excellent way to stand out from a pool of applications.

 

Marquee Staffing recruiters specialize in placing talent in some of the most desirable areas in Southern California, including Irvine, San Diego, Orange County, Oceanside, Silicon Valley, and Carlsbad. We also provide the benefit of our knowledge and experience to help you improve employee retention, productivity and much more.

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