Whether it’s a job fair, a one-on-one interview, or a job opening taking applications there are some things you can do to STAND OUT, get ahead and get noticed by the right people. In each one of these scenarios the job recruiter or interviewer often speaks to 40 or more people a day in their quest for the right candidate.
As the stream of candidates flows by, the person who stands out is the person most likely to succeed (get the job, interview, etc.). Here’s 3 things you can do to improve your odds of being THE ONE.
1. Connect with the individual and not the company – Before an interview, most people will research the company. I suggest that if at all possible, you also research the decision-makers who are interviewing you. If hired, these are often the people you will see every day. They must feel you are a good fit for the team. If you can find something that makes a personal connection it will help you stand out.
It’s like attending a large campus event. You could sit next to someone for the whole event and never remember them the next day. However, if you and that person make a connection during the event it’s more liklely you’ll remember them. Same deal in a job interview.
2. Have a business card – Most people leave a resume behind to compete against the other 40 or so in the stack. Take advantage of the fact that it’s human nature for people to keep a business card even when they don’t know you. Most students or people applying for entry-level jobs usually don’t have one. Get one and stand out.
EXTRA TIP: Don’t just include your name, phone, etc. but what you could potentially bring to the organization – human resources skills, knowledge of psychology, mechanical skills or whatever it might be to show what makes you unique. Use the front for your contact info and the back side for personal branding.
3. Set up your next appointment – Typically we are waiting for the employer to call us to say they are interested. Pursue the job you want like you would a date. If they are truly of interest to you see if you can set up the next time you’ll see each other. Just being on the calendar makes you more familiar to them and helps build the relationship. By seeing and hearing your name more often they feel that they know you and are more apt to take a call from you, for example, than they would a stranger.
Each one of these things can help you create a slight edge that help you STAND OUT, GET NOTICED and GET AHEAD – and every little bit helps.
The Employment Lady
Marja Lee Freeman (aka ‘The Employment Lady’) speaks with authority on the job search process and its pitfalls. She is an expert on employment issues: job search strategies, discovering the right job for you, employment trends, workplace conflict, and dealing with day-to-day employment dilemmas they don’t teach at school.
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Marja Lee, This is great information… Having a business card with the information you’ve suggested is a great idea. I’m going to pass this information on to my daughter and her friends. Thanks!
Hey Ms. Petula.
So glad you could use this information. Keep in touch and let me know of the impact.
Happy Job Hunting!
The Employment Lady
Hi Ryan!
I think we should start a club wth you as president. (lol) No, seriously, each of these articles is designed to prepare you with information tha’ts not usually known. Each week that you check out my blogs you can continue to pick up and share some nuggets to help get you closer to your career.
Happy Job Hunting!
The Employment Lady
This is a great article for recent college graduates who are starting in their job search process. Thank you for sharing this info to our field. I just tweeted it and emailed it to a few seniors who who benefit from this.