Dear Candidate, Stand Out from the Crowd Part 3

One of the biggest questions I receive is "how do you format your resume to stand out from the crowd?" I honestly think that this is the wrong question to ask when you are wanting to stand out from the crowd and get that call.

If you would like to read part 1, check it out here-> Part 1- Stand out from the crowd.

If you would like to read part 2, check it out here-> Part 2- Stand out from the crowd.

There are three main things you have to do.

1. Research the company
2. Find someone in the company to give you a referral
3. Reach out to the recruiter

3. Reach out to the recruiter

As a recruiter, I can tell you that not many people do that. When I am reviewing thousands of resumes a week, it can be so hard to really anchor in to anything. Most resumes look the same after a while. Some ATS even analyze the resume and give you a quick overview of the resume. It is important that it is sent in PDF Format. ATS respond the best to that format.

Once you have applied, don't just stop there. Go to LinkedIn. Then in the search bar type in the name of the company and human resources.

Like this -> Shady Grove Fertility Human Resources

After you do that search, all of the people in that company with the words human resources will come up. That is how you find your recruiter.

After you find that list, look for job titles such as Human Resource Business Partner, HR Generalist, Recruiter, or Human Resources Manager. They are the ones that will be in charge of the requisition.

Then click on each one. Normally, there is 1 HR employee for every 150 employees. It will not take you too long to review the profiles who currently work at the company you are searching for. Then go to their activity feed to see if they have been posting for the jobs in your area. You can find this under activity, and select "see all."

After you get to the next page look for the areas they are posting about and that will tell you if they are recruiting in your area. Remember, recruiters work very hard to find the candidates in their area. If you help them, they will be so grateful for a quick note saying, "Hi Cici, I noticed that you work for Shady Grove Fertility. After reviewing, the company site and the LinkedIn profile I feel that I would be a great fit for the ASC Nurse in the Manhattan, Office. BTW, I thought it was very interesting you love technology. I am a technology geek too."

If I ever received a message even remotely like that, I would jump for joy. It tells us so much about a candidate's motivation to join our organization. Let me tell you that it feels very wrong when we call a candidate that doesn't even remember applying for our job. I am saying this will be time consuming, but very effective.

If you noticed the location for the place that I am posting to, you will notice that I work in New York even though I live in Charlotte, NC.

Be smart, pay attention, and connect. I hope this strategy will help you!

Don't forget to connect with me!

Until Next Time.

C-yah!