MAKING A GOOD IMPRESSION
THERE ARE SIMPLE THINGS JOBSEEKERS CAN DO TO MAKE THEMSELVES STAND OUT
APPLYING for a job does not have to be a generic process. Jobseekers who put in a little effort or inject some creativity can give themselves an edge. Interview and careers expert Kirsty Ferguson says not enough people think outside the box, but it is not because they are lazy.
“They just don’t think they can,” she says. “In industries that are more conservative, it can be harder to be creative but there are always ways to do it.”
Ferguson, founder of InterviewChix, says the key is to ditch the scattergun approach and target specific employers. “If you decide which company you actually want to work for and you tailor your approach, you have increased your chances immediately,” she says.
Here are some simple things jobseekers can do to stand out.
LEVERAGE LINKEDIN
Ferguson recommends including your Linkedin URL on your resume – but don’t stop there.
“Send a connection request to the hirers and managers in the business you are applying to,” she says.
“When you connect, write a note and ask a question.”
She recommends reading one of their articles or posts so you can tell them you found it interesting and ask a question about it. Just keep your message short.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the time they will come back to you with an answer,” she says.
“If they don’t accept (your connection request), just start commenting on their articles or posts so your name starts popping up.”
SHOW YOUR RESEARCH
Demonstrate your understanding of the company through your cover letter or resume. You may be able to get creative.
“I had a candidate (applying for a role in a horse-related industry) who
did a photo shoot on a horse with the product the company sells,” Ferguson says.
“She then went into retail stores and asked where the product was placed and put together an information pack to present.
“She became the youngest state rep the company had ever hired.”
Ferguson also gives the example of a woman applying for a personal assistant position who wrote out a menu, costed it and paired wines, then sent it in with her application.
“It’s not always possible to do that kind of thing, but it’s about thinking laterally,” she says.
SPRUCE UP YOUR RESUME
Applicants can help their resume stand out by including extra information that demonstrates specific strengths.
“Think about putting two short case study overviews in there that show how you work and achieve outcomes,” Ferguson says.
“You could put it as an example under the job heading. Pick your best project then give three points on how you did it and what the great outcomes were.”
She also recommends managers and leaders include a short paragraph defining their leadership style.
GET ARTY
Many people in creative industries – such as advertising or graphic design – apply for jobs with a portfolio, but Ferguson suggests everyone can do this.
She recommends using Canva to showcase the highlights of your career, including logos, hyperlinks, lots of colour and beautiful graphics.
“If you are uploading your application online, you probably need to pull it into a resume, at the end,” she says.
PICK YOUR BEST PROJECT THEN GIVE THREE POINTS ON HOW YOU DID IT AND WHAT THE GREAT OUTCOMES WERE
USE TESTIMONIALS
In industries where everyone knows everyone, Ferguson suggests jobseekers collect recommendations from people they have worked with.
“Get them to record (on video) something great about you,” she says.
“They are not doing it on behalf of the company or as an official reference, but they might say ‘I loved working with them because they do this and are this kind of person’.
“We have Tiktok resumes these days, so why can’t we use video?”