Did you know that recruiters spend an average of just 7 seconds scanning your resume?
Yes you read that right 7 seconds.
With competition fiercer than ever, standing out in a sea of qualified candidates might feel like an uphill battle. But the good news is, landing your dream job isn’t just about luck. It’s about the strategy that you use to find your next job.
From crafting an ideal resume to nailing important interviews, every correct step you take can boost your chances of getting hired.
Whether you’re a recent graduate or looking to pivot your career to something else and new, understanding what employers value and are looking for can make all the difference.
How can you position yourself as the candidate that can’t be ignited?
Here are some tips that will set you apart and get you closer to that “You’re hired!” moment.
Understand the Employer
To stand out in a crowded and competitive job market, you need to think like an employer and company doing the hiring.
What are they looking for?
How do you show that you’re the perfect fit?
Research The Company
I always recommend job seekers a visit a company website and go through the “About Us” page. If it is an established company you should look at the History page too.
Interviewers, whether those be recruiters or hiring mangers, want to know that you know you are interested in the position. Showing that you put in an effort to learn about the company is a good sign.
What are the core values of the company? What are achievements?
Use this research to craft good, well thought out, and personalized responses during an interview. You can also tailor your resume to reflect how your experience aligns with the role and what they do.
Checking out the company’s presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, or other social media platforms is a good idea.
This will give you a peek into company culture and how they communicate.
Knowing what matters to the company lets you frame yourself as a future team member, and not just another job applicant.
Futurecast and give them an idea of you already working there.
Analyze The Job Description
The job description is wishlist telling you exactly what the employer wants. That doesn’t necessarily mean they will get everything on the “wishlist” but it give you a great overview.
You should read it carefully. Pay special attention to keywords in the skills and qualifications sections.
If the role asks for “strong communication skills” or “experience with project management tools” make sure your resume clearly states this.
Often I see that job seekers will say, “My resume says that!” but in reality it does not. You have to be make it extremely obvious and spoonfeed the information.
Hiring managers and recruiters want concrete proof you can deliver. They won’t dig deep into what certain terms mean.
But don’t just copy-paste phrases. Like I said the job description is a wishlist, meaning most of the time the hiring manager and company know they won’t get everything.
Often there are “nice-to-have” qualifications and experience in the job listing, but you are not going to know which is which.
Remember your goal is to bridge the gap between what they’re asking for and what you bring to the table. When you can do that convincingly to not just meeting employer expectations, but exceed them?
Strong Resume
Your resume is the first impression and elevator pitch in paper form to any potential employer. So you want to make it pop.
With my expertise in recruiting and marketing, these tips will help you create a resume that grab attention and communicates your value to employers.
Different Resumes for Different Jobs
A common recommendation I see is to “Tailor the resume for each job.”
Even in the age of AI this is a time consuming and frustrating way to apply to jobs.
If there is a job you really really want. I mean a dream job, then yes I would say you should make a resume for that job.
Otherwise, I’m going against the grain and saying, “No!” this is a bad idea and waste of your time.
What I would do as a job seeker is to make different resumes for different types of job that fit you background skills and experience?
In my own experience for instance I have a lot of experience doing Digital Marketing and Event Marketing at tradeshows. Most companies look for one or the other, often not both. So I have different resumes that highlight both Digital and Events, but the 2 resumes focus on one or the other.
Think about structure of your resume. Use clear headers and bullet points to make information easy to skim. Remember recruiters are often speed-reading resumes in 7 seconds or less. Your goal is to guide their eyes to the good stuff quickly and make it standout.
Use Numbers
You don’t just want to list what you did, but how how you’ve made a difference and improved. That means use numbers.
If you are like me and hate math, this might seem hard at first. It’s more simple than you think.
I recommend listing skills, accomplishment, and projects you have done in your career. Then put a number in how you improved revenue or made something more efficient.
Did you exceed a sales target or lead a project that came in ahead of schedule? Include it.
For example, instead of saying, “Handled customer accounts” changed it up to “Managed 20+ client accounts, generating 25% more revenue in Q3 of 2022 compared to the previous year.”
If you aren’t sure about the exact percentage you have improved in any of these areas, take an estimated guess. The guess should be realistic and not a lie, but ballpark something reasonable.
Those types of specific numbers will get the attention o recruiters, hiring managers and executives. They love metrics.
I still recommend mentioning soft skills.
Collaboration, adaptability, and communication can often be important even though you can’t really put a number on those. They still might resonate with the company’s mission or industry.
So numbers are important but make sure to include those soft skills too.
Training, Education, and Certifications
If you are on the job hunt, this is the ideal time to upgrade your skills and qualifications.
Hitting the books and upskilling through additional classes can help you improve professionally and personally.
You don’t need to commit to going back to school full-time. Going after certifications or licensees might be ideal if you are trying to switch careers or improve knowledge.
There is a plethora of online platforms that offer classes that you can do from the convenience of your home.
Websites like Udemy, Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, EdX, SkillShare, and of course YouTube are excellent resources for learning anything on any topic.
I also always recommend people look into local community colleges. These can be fantastic for learning in a more structured in person environment. It also allows you to network and make new friends.
New certifications can act as gateway for your career. It’s proof that you know your stuff and that you’ve gone the extra mile to stay sharp in your industry.
The right certifications can open doors that were previously not open to you.
As an example I got my Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) certification when I was between jobs and figure out my career. I pursued this even though it wasn’t directly connected to my usual digital marketing work.
While this didn’t help me in my career, it was a personal goal and I feel great about telling people I am a CPT. Fitness has always been important to me and I like sharing that with others.
I have on my resume that I am a CPT. When I’ve gone out on interviews this has made me stand out, even it if is not related to the job I’m being interviewed for. Employers notice when you go above and beyond, and they like to hire people that do self-improvement.
Many argue with me that certifications don’t mean much, experience does.
Having the CPT cert is actually required before you work at most gyms. It’s a liability for them and many won’t hire you to train people with a CPT cert from ACE, NASM, ISSA, etc.
Also if you want personal liability insurance as a personal trainer, some insurance companies won’t cover a trainer unless the have a CPT certification.
Often for many industries such as Healthcare, Finance, Real Estate, etc. you actually need a license to operate in that industry.
Even in the IT industry a lot of companies will only hire you if you have CompTIA certs. In the marketing world having Google Ads certifications can boost your credibility. Marketing and IT jobs don’t require either to be successful, but having those certs can open up doors.
Certifications also come with another benefit that isn’t often talked about, networking.
Once you get certified the certificate organization often has a built-in community. These like-minded professionals and peers are often good to connect with. It can lead to jobs or opportunities you wouldn’t come across otherwise.
You Must Prepare for Interviews!
Interviews are your chance to make a strong impression and show potential employers you are good fit.
A great resume is only going to take you so far. If you want that job you must prepare and outshine other candidates in your job interviews. Here’s how.
Practice Common Interview Questions
You probably know the usual interview questions such as, “Tell me about yourself!” or “What’s your greatest weakness?”
Too many job seekers I coach wing it when getting these questions. Ummm… no that is not what to do. You got to prepare for these types of questions.
For the weakness question I’ll give you my own response, “Sometimes my communication is described as being too direct. I tend to put things bluntly which can rub some people the wrong way. I work on this by doing Improv comedy theatre.”
Anytime you get this question make sure to end on a positive of what you doing to address it. Make sure you’ve turned a weakness or challenge into a learning experience.
This is pure gold during an interview.
Recruiters and hiring managers don’t just want a story, not just yes-or-no answers.
The STAR method is a good way to structure your responses to questions. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result.
Let’s say you’re asked about a time you resolved conflict at work. You could talk about a time a project derailed due to miscommunication, how you stepped up to make sure the two teams talked to each other. This resulted in success when everyone got to getting the project done.
Rehearse these types of real-life examples so they feel natural, and not completely scripted.
How can you practice interview skills?
Mock interviews with a with a friend, neighbor, or even old coworker are great ways to do it. While you can practice yourself doing interviews with others will allow you to highlight weak points and adjust.
So the next time you are doing a real interview, you will be ready and prepared.
Dress Nice Interviews
While “dress for success” might sound like a cliché, it’s still true that first impressions matter.
For most professional roles, a polished business-casual look works great.
Anytime you go on an interview I’d recommend you wear a nice button-down shirt with decent looking pants and dress shoes. For all types of companies though this might not be right.
Some industries such as law and finance often have full suits required in those offices.
When in doubt, keep it more formal than casual and make sure to keep accessories minimal. The key is to look professional without distracting from what you’re saying.
Make sure your grooming and hygiene is on point too.
I mean this sound obvious but you would be surprised how many people have shown up to interviews I’ve done unkempt. .
Get There Early and Watch Your Body Language
Arrive at at least 10-15 minutes early to the interview. This not only shows punctuality but gives you time to settle in and calm your nerves before the interview.
Greet everyone warmly, from the receptionist to the interviewer. It might surprise you how often employers ask their teams what they think of a job applicant.
DuoLingo, the wildly popular language learning app, would actually send a driver to pick-up candidates from the airport. This isn’t to be nice, the hiring team wants to know how the candidate treated the driver. That feedback even makes it to the CEO and Founder.
Ask Questions!
During the close of the interview you know the last question that is going to be asked, “Do you have any questions?”
Guess what buttercup, you better have some questions or the interviewer is going to think you are not interested in the position. It also shows you are not engaged in the process.
Here are some great questions to ask at the end of an interview;
- What does the rest of the team look like?
- What are the next steps in the hiring process?
- When are you looking to make a decision on the position?
- How do you define success in the position? Outside of pure numbers?
- How does the bringing me on affect the rest of the team?
- What upcoming projects can I help with?
Make sure to cast the questions as professional and as if you know you are already part of the team.
Exude confidence with thoughtful questions and you will leave a lasting impression they won’t forget to get the job.
Increasing Your Chances
In this job market you need to be intentional, prepared, and adaptable.
I know it’s a tough environment right now but by taking some of the advice above you can find the a job.
Stay persistent, embrace feedback, and remain proactive and positive in your job search.