3 Best Tips to Help You Stand Out to Employers During Job Hunting

As a job seeker, you will encounter numerous positions that will require specific qualifications to be eligible for the job. For candidates who are freshly out of university or those seeking different career paths, these qualifications may be over and above your experience. Nevertheless, your work background should not be a hindrance for you to apply for a particular position.

Although companies initially seek out candidates who meet the required qualifications, many employers also consider applicants with an edge in their job applications. To help you with your job search, this article will provide several tips you can use to increase your chances of standing out to recruiters in your chosen industry.

#1 Create Employment Goals

The first step towards finding your ideal job position is to create a clear and robust employment goal. These goals will help you reach a more particular path towards securing your desired job. 

Here are several things you can do when making your employment goals:

• Think of the direction of your desired career path. As an applicant seeking a job, your direction and goals should be clear in order for you to know what kind of profession or career path you wish to pursue. Factors such as your employment goals, skill sets, compensation, and so on should be aligned towards your desired job. 
• Determine short and long-term goals. Knowing your short-term and long-term goals is necessary when choosing your career path. In a nutshell, long-term goals are goals such as a higher line of duty, mastering a certain skill, or advancing your career plan. On the contrary, short-term goals are small achievements such as certifications to boost your knowledge, building relationships with your co-workers, improving work-life balance, and many more in order for you to track your milestones and how far are you from reaching your long-term goals.
• Think of the bigger picture. Striving for your goals and looking at the bigger picture for your growth is vital as you build a better and competent career. Learning new skills and working on something that is beyond your comfort zone can guarantee fresh knowledge that can grant you a promotion in the future. 

Having employment goals is vital when it comes to job hunting. Such goals narrow down careers that best fit your skill set, allowing you to stand out and showcase your skills during your recruitment process. 

#2 Creating an Exceptional CV

Your curriculum vitae (CV) is an essential part of your job hunting journey, as this talks about several details about yourself and your skillset. Your CV allows employers to get an overview of your talents, skills, and attitude as an employee. Crafting a well-made CV can be your ticket to achieving your desired career goal. 

Revise your CV according to your job application 

Read and understand the job details thoroughly. Doing so enables you to highlight all of your skills that best match the job description. Be specific and clear about your skills to give the employer an idea as to how your abilities can benefit their company. 

Your CV should also be simple and easy to read in order for the recruiter to read and analyze your resume. Further, a CV that is short and concise containing relevant information such as skills that are significant has a higher chance of getting recruiters’ attention. 

Provide a cover letter

Always include a cover letter as part of your application to express your skills and personality. Providing a cover letter may give the recruiter a gist of what’s inside your resume. It is best to keep your cover letter concise and short since your CV and interview will contain most of the information the recruiter needs to know. 

Here are some ideas on what to include in your cover letter:

1. Introduction about yourself
2. Specified tasks and responsibilities from your university or previous job
3. Concise ending with convincing statements 

Most of the recruiters also consider a CV with a cover letter attached to it as this discusses brief information about you such as your accomplishments, previous responsibilities related to that position, and your interest in the company.

Showcase your skills and capabilities

A part of your CV should contain your skills and capabilities as these are the things the recruiter will check out the most. You can showcase your soft skills such as dependability, integrity, critical thinking, and so on. It’s also important to include your hard skills such as like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) marketing, mobile development, network security, and so forth to help determine your capabilities. 

Here are several skills that can help your CV stand out:

1. Communication skills
2. Active Listening
3. Computer Literacy
4. Leadership skills
5. Problem-solving skills
6. Time Management
7. Transferable skills
8. Interpersonal skills
9. Management skills

Further, candidates with good personalities, great enthusiasm, and excitement also stand out the most and have a better chance of getting shortlisted.

#3 Preparing For An Interview

The interview portion is vital for every job hunting process as this gives the recruiter and the candidate further insight about each other such as your strengths, weaknesses, communication skills, and etc. Moreover, this part of the recruitment process is essential for you and the employer to understand how you will benefit each other. The interview will talk about your expectations as to workload, compensation, goals, and so on. 

• Research about the company. It is imperative to conduct well-rounded research on the job and the company you are applying for as questions about the company may come up during the interview. Doing so allows you to get an insight into the company, enabling you to spot details and functions that you can contribute to their business. Recognizing the company’s background will help you understand the achievements and the behavior of the company towards their clients and projects.
• Discuss your previous accomplishments. Recruiters will likely look at the responsibilities and workload you had in your previous occupation rather than the skills discussed in the job post. You can talk about your previous responsibilities and accomplishments to give the employer an insight into your work capabilities. 
• Ask questions. Asking questions about the workplace and workload can give you an idea of what will happen once you join the company. You can ask the interviewer questions such as their means and ways of coping with challenges, their work culture, long-term plans for employees, compensations, benefits, etc. This way, you have an idea of what you need to prepare once you start working for them. 

Being prepared helps convince the recruiter about your capabilities and attitude towards being an employee. Showcasing talents that indicate you are willing to accept bigger challenges and responsibilities increases the probability of you getting hired.

Increase Your Chances of Securing Your Ideal Job

The corporate culture may come off intimidating for first-time job seekers or career shifters. However, this is just the start of your employment journey. Think about your work goals, such as your employment journey, skillset, and your desired job. 

If you find these challenging you can seek help from recruitment firms to assist you in preparing and formulating your prospects to achieve your ideal job position.