It's an Employment Jungle: How Can I Stand Out?
Posted by Andrea Poldoian on Mon, Apr 05, 2010 @ 08:36 PM
There's no point mincing words. This is a tough market in which to find a job.
To succeed, job seekers need to distinguish themselves from the competition. Here are 7 effective ways to gain a competitive edge:
- Write a killer cover letter - It's the first thing hiring managers will see about you, your real first impression. Make it count. Make it compelling. If you need help, ask your professional recruiter; they do this every day.
- Let them sample - Willingly volunteer to work at a job for a brief period of time to demonstrate your skills and capabilities to those doing the hiring.
- Kick it up a notch - Use your time between assignments to hone technical skills, get yourself to "expert" level at whatever it is you do.
- Polish and perfect - Make sure your resume shines. Professional recruiters are aces at showcasing candidate skills and experience.
- Speak clearly - Be able to articulate how you bring value to prospective employers.
- Network, network, network - The wider the net, the bigger the catch.
- Know your stuff - Nothing impresses people more than seeing you cared enough to find out something about them beforehand. Having context about a company gives you common ground for discussion and enhances the employment opportunity.
Economists predict the job market will get better eventually. If you have time for eventually, that's fine. If not, doing everything you can to make yourself more visible, more appealing, more worthy than other candidates is one of the smartest moves you can make.