How to stand out in a busy crowd!

We all need to be realistic and accept that we’re going through a spell where it’s very much a candidate driven market right now. There are some very strong candidates in the market who are all applying for the same role. Out of that large number of candidates there will be some who are available immediately and some who are in permanent work and therefore on notice periods. Then you’ve got the competition of someone who has experience in one of the recruiting company’s competitors and hey presto – they may just have escalated their CV to the top of the pile. Alternatively, you may be up against a candidate with a more relevant degree or qualification that you don’t have. The key to all of this – is what are you meant to do to make you and your CV stand out in the crowd of other strong and equally suitable candidates?

 The first stages of getting in front of the right audience:

 -         Writing the best CV

 It’s not difficult to write a great CV but it’s also really easy to pull together something that is out of date, irrelevant, too chatty or too lengthy. Make sure you spend time writing your best CV – this is your chance to shine before the client gets to meet you. Make it factual, succinct, informative and relevant. If in doubt – ask for help!

 -         Recruitment consultants

Make sure that you don’t overdo your relationships with Recruiters. Think about who can help you. Who do they work with? Who are their top clients and can they help you? You need to have people in your corner who will be able to represent you when you’re looking for work within your sector. Meet as many of the recruiters as possible so you can build a proper rapport with them. These recruiters are the people who will be your gateway to the clients they work for!

 -         Job boards

 Obviously we all know that job boards are a good way to look for work - be mindful that you don’t apply to any job that ‘nearly’ fits your perfect role! There is nothing more frustrating as a client or a recruiter trawling through hundreds of CV's and only finding ten that actually have the right level of experience as per the job description whilst the rest of them are from applicants who haven't read the ad properly. Remember this is all about your reputation!

 How to stand out in the crowd:

 -         Following the brand of your dreams

 Don’t expect to be able to turn up to an interview and simply say “I just really want to work with you!” – that will not be good enough. You need to follow the business, know their competition, know the people who work there, follow them on LinkedIn, check out their news page (follow them on Google News alerts) so that you are up to date on any brand and business announcements. It’s also important to read trade and consumer press relevant to your sector – you may well get asked why you want to work in the drinks industry, for example. Simply saying “because I really like going to the pub and love the design of your brand” just won’t cut the mustard! You should know about market share, know about new product launches, new flavours etc.

 -                     Vocational Courses

There are many courses you can attend that are either free or paid for that could boost your skills and qualifications. Obviously there’s the CIM which is highly relevant for anyone working in marketing but alongside that there’s many other courses that are less expensive but specialise in digital marketing, communications, PR and such like. Some good example of institutes include: The Shaw Academy, Future Learn, The Digital Marketing Institute, Learn Digital, Alison and much more! Google search for the best courses out there that you can enrol in this year.

 -         Voluntary work

 If you want to move into the charity sector for example, or perhaps within music or media – then it helps to get experience in that area. You could offer to volunteer for a local charity (hospital radio, offering PR or proof reading services for a small charity or maybe to be a supporter at a fundraising event) or you could get involved in music events or radio production (perhaps hospital radio / offering voluntary service at local festivals, community events, gigs etc) This will give you something additional to discuss in your interview process to show willingness and eagerness to be in the profession that you’re interviewing for.

 -         Part time work / supporting small businesses

 For those with spare time on your hands you could perhaps take on a small part time job and work for a business similar to one of your top ten companies you’d like to work for? As per the voluntary work posts – this could be supporting small local companies for example (perhaps a small charity, a local community business etc) Alternatively you could offer pro-bono work for small businesses who need a marketing, PR or Communications person to help them. Obviously you need to declare any paid work to the inland revenue, but showing willingness to support smaller companies is a great way to enhance your skills, be recognised as a real “go-getter” in the workplace but also shows dedication to your preferred place and / or industry of work.

 In summary, now is not the time to be simply complacent that you will secure the role of your dreams by learning a little about the company, researching the details of the interviewers on LinkedIn and knowing your CV and their job description back to front! You need to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk!

 For further information or hints and tips don’t hesitate to contact one of the Better Placed team or me direct on [email protected]