Getting hired in a chaotic job market

The current job market is standing-room-only. It’s messy. It’s fast. Job descriptions open and close faster than a San Francisco real estate listing. You can be the best of the best, but you have to get there early. Hiring managers are inundated with hundreds of applications, and every one of them is qualified.

So how do you stand out as an excellent manager in a crowd of excellent managers?

1. Leverage your network

Get a referral or direct introduction – a personal connection or recommendation gives your application more weight. Relationships matter, especially when hiring managers are on the hook to land a great hire when headcount is limited.

2. Understand their business

Come prepared to show that you did your homework, but also that you have a genuine interest. (This will win over your cross-functional interviewers.) Do your own research on their business ecosystem: the products/services they offer; the business models they're using, the customer segments they're targeting; names of their top competitors; current status in the market.?

But don’t stop there. Complement your research with questions that help you understand their perspective:

• What are the company's biggest strengths and opportunities?
• What are your biggest weaknesses and competitive threats?
• How has design driven business value in the past? (an ambivalent answer is a good opening for you to talk about your vision for how design could drive biz value under your leadership)
• Where do you see the company going in the next 3-5 years??
• (for startups) What's their vision for an exit? What growth needs to happen to get there? (Often the answer is: "We don't know yet," but asking shows that you're thinking about business success long term.)

3. Invest in yourself

When all the resumes look alike and all the stories sound the same, this is how you rise above. Use this time to get even better. Hone your leadership craft with a workshop or get 1:1 career guidance from an experienced coach.

It might feel counterintuitive to spend the time and money when the risk is high or the budget is tight, but learning and development is always a sound investment. And it can help you land a great gig. So don’t be shy about it – show off the ways you’ve invested in yourself. (Did you know that you can list your Design Dept. workshops on your LinkedIn profile? If you’ve attended one of our workshops and didn’t get your credential, email [email protected])?

4. Speak to impact

It’s no longer simply about butts in seats. Everyone is feeling the pressure, and the hiring manager needs to prove that their new hire is a good ROI. Help them out. Make sure your management portfolio showcases two or three case studies that illustrate business outcomes. It could be a team/org case study or a product/brand – anything that demonstrates that you speak the language of business and understand how to leverage design for impact.

Want to grow as a leader? Here are three ways Design Dept. can help:

1. Attend a workshop?to focus on a learning area, or?design a customized learning series?for your team
2. Work one-on-one with leadership coach?to tap into your creativity as a leader and transform the way you work with your team
3. Sign up for our newsletter?to get design leadership wisdom in your inbox each week