How to stand out amongst the rest

How to stand out amongst the rest

I’ve currently got a friend of mine who’s looking to transition out of their current role and into a new one, i.e. wants to quit and get a new role. With myself being a recruiter, he’s frequently asking me for tactics and ideas on how to go about finding a new role, how to make himself “stand out”. A lot of this information isn’t new or overly difficult, but sometimes people aren’t sure how to go about it. So, I figured I would share the same five simple points that I gave to him to help increase his chances of standing out and landing the job that he’s after. 

Update your CV

I know, I know, it’s so very basic, but if you’ve been in the same role for a number of years then I bet that CV is as outdated as the format you’ve written it in. Revamp it. It’s a way to highlight your skills, achievements, qualifications, and what you have been doing. From a recruiter standpoint, we look at hundreds of these things a day, you’d be surprised a number of people who use the same standard template for their CV. Even to the point that I think that I’ve already read their CV because it looks the same. Trust me, there’s nothing better than a nicely written CV that stands out. It then also can illustrate your grasp of technology and creative nature.

Update your LinkedIn profile

if you don’t have one, get one. It's rather simple to do and I’m sure between Google, YouTube and asking friends how to set it up, it can be done. Recruiters and managers use LinkedIn as a summary of sorts of who you are and what you have done. We search the database frequently looking for the right person. So, if you don’t have an online presence, we can’t find you.

Utilise LinkedIn to highlight your personality on a more informal level than your CV. Get a picture (no, not that one with you patting a tiger, unless the job you’re going for is working with animals). When we search LinkedIn, we use keywords for the roles we are looking for, so make sure you have them in your profile, relevant to the job you’re after. Furthermore, the more complete your profile (picture, qualifications, job experience etc.) the stronger your ‘profile strength’ will be, meaning you rise to the top of the search results. Lastly, feel free to link with people in your industry, colleagues, friends etc. If you’re concerned about your privacy about all this activity e.g. your current manager seeing those 6 recruiters you just linked with, then these can simply be adjusted with the privacy setting on your profile.

Be active on Seek

It’s little know information that Seek is a two-way mirror. Yes, it operates from the angle that it is most commonly known for, job searching. But it also used from a hiring perspective in that we can search their database to find suitable candidates for roles we may not be even advertising yet.

When you use seek e.g. update your CV and details, look through job searches, and even apply, you are highlighted and deemed ‘active’, informing the hiring manager that this candidate is actively looking for work. We can access your CV, have a look, which in turn can lead to us calling you out of the blue about a role you didn’t even apply for but could be well suited for. So please remember to have your contact details on your CV. Yes. It does happen.

Use Recruiters

I could just write that we’re all amazing miracle workers and will get you a job, but that isn’t always the case. Take your time, research the company (or individual recruiter) you would like to represent you. Do they work with a specific company that you want to work for? Have they been recommended to you by a friend or colleague? Are they really after your best interest? Check out their website and make an informed decision.

Why use a recruiter?

Most companies, especially large ones have an HR team, no surprises there, however its quite common that this HR team handles the hiring for the entire company, from Interns, Administration, Technicians & Engineers, I.T., Project Manager, Business Development Managers so on and so forth. It is very difficult to grasp a strong understanding of specific skills when handling such a wide range of skills. Quite often either managers or HR will come to us because we can find the technically skilled, highly skilled, or hard to find people that they can’t. It is therefore not uncommon to then be lost or not make it past that first point of contact. Recruiters specialise in certain areas within their industry. They can also have connections to the right line managers that you need to get in front of. I’ve spoken to many candidates that want to work for a certain company that I work closely with. So, it’s always best to chat to your recruiter about a certain company before applying directly as they may have direct contact with the hiring manager. If they don’t then you should feel free to apply. But be smart, give them about a week to represent you before you can take matters into your own hands and go application crazy or find another recruiter.

Most importantly, be honest with your recruiter. Most of the time you’re probably interviewing for several jobs at once. That’s more than okay, we won’t stop you. But being honest with us and telling us about other offers, timelines or interviews, can make a world of difference through this process and will inevitably benefit you in the long run.

Network

this is a great and easy one that you would be surprised of the results. You can do this through LinkedIn or if you still have them listed in your phone or email. Reach out to people you know in your industry. Old colleagues, university friends, relatives, and even that person you met at that conference you went to. Give them a call, or email and see what they are doing. Are they in a position to help you out? Put in a good word? Recommend you to someone? Point you in the right direction of managers or roles? Provide some inside industry knowledge that can help you? Or even recommend a recruiter that may have helped them out. Not to mention it can always be nice to catch up with old friends or cement new ones.

The process can take time. You won’t strike gold instantly. But the process itself can be a clear indicator of certain things. For example, if the company is taking forever in deciding on the role and keeps changing their mind, then maybe it’s time to look for alternate options. If a recruiter or hiring manager isn’t returning your calls then walk away. Don’t be afraid to walk away from jobs or recruiters that don’t have your best interest at heart! There’s always more detail to be added and there can always be an exception to the rule. Finding the right job takes time. Patience is the best virtue to have during this process. Best of luck in your search and I hope this helps give you an edge.