HOW TO STAND OUT IN A CROWD
By Tony Nelson
Below is a very telling graph provided by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). In one decade the surplus of job vacancies compared to unemployed workers has vanished, and the amount of unemployed workers has skyrocketed. Last calculated Minnesota had 31,400 job vacancies (17,400 for the Twin Cities metro area) and as of August Minnesota had 236,372 unemployed (124,552 for the Twin Cities metro area)[1]
. Needless-to-say, if you’re currently looking for employment, you’ve got some competition. Now more than ever it’s important that you set yourself apart from the field.
Source: Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey (DEED)
To stand out in this crowd of job applicants, you must be able to demonstrate that you can do the specific job and address their key business issues. Here are six steps to prepare you to stand out in the hiring process.
1) Research the Job
Research what the hiring manager is specifically looking for prior to making contact. Find out as much information about the company, business unit, hiring manager and the specific job as you can. Know why the job is open, what projects are most important with this position and what specific skills/attributes the hiring manager is interested in. Armed with this information you’ll be better prepared to demonstrate your ability to do the job.
2) Know Someone
Network.Network.Network. Talk with employees, former employees, people who know the hiring manager, competitors, vendors, or industry professionals. Ask them for their insight into the company, business unit and position. Ask if it’s OK if you can use their name if you do decide to talk with the hiring manager. The information obtained should give you additional insight into the job.
3) Do a Cover Letter
With the introduction of electronic resume submittal systems, email and job boards fewer people are making the effort to write a cover letter. The applicants that do submit a cover letter generally use a generic letter for numerous jobs. This is a significant opportunity to stand out by writing a unique cover letter that demonstrates you can do the job and save the hiring manager time from having to extrapolate this information from your resume. The information from the first two steps is critical for this to be effective. Keep the cover letter short and to the point (1 or 2 paragraphs) – this is an obvious example of your ability to communicate.
4) Target Your Resume
This is your opportunity to boldly display your interest and demonstrate your ability to do the job. Again, this won’t be effective without your research. Most applicants think of their resume as a list of companies, titles and responsibilities. Your resume needs to show quantitative accomplishments that demonstrate you’ve done (or could do) the specific job you applying for successfully and profitably.
5) Make a Phone Call
Contact the hiring manager directly prior to the meeting. Few applicants will do this – this can be a powerful step to set you apart. Use the phone call to introduce yourself and confirm your meeting time. Then note you would like to make the meeting productive and be prepared to show how you would do the work that matters most. Ask what projects or challenges the hiring manager would expect you to tackle in this position. Take notes – don’t ask the same questions in the interview. Use this information to be able to specifically present why you can do the job.
6) Be the Employee
When meeting with the hiring manager, think of it as a business meeting versus a job interview. Demonstrate how you will deal with their key issues citing specific ways you have done so in the past. Most struggle with this – leaving the manager to determine if the applicant could do the job or what previous experience might apply.
Your ability to articulate how you could successfully do the job and solve their business issues will set you apart from the competition. In the end, the more effectively you do this – the more you will stand out and the easier you’ll make the hiring manager’s decision to hire you.
About Tony B. Nelson
Tony is a recruiter and founder of TBN Consulting, LLC; a search firm for marketing professionals. Prior to starting TBN Consulting, LLC Tony spent 12 years working for full service marketing firms that provided marketing objective, strategies and tactics for a variety of clients.
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