How Not to Be a Cookie-Cutter Job Seeker

As a member of a new community of career coaches and resume writers called the Career Collective, this post is one of many responses to the question, “Are you a cookie cutter job seeker?” I encourage you to visit other members’ responses, which will be linked at the end of this post by the afternoon of October 9. Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.

There’s only one you, and if you’re a job seeker, now’s a good time to emphasize that.

You know the bleak statistics about how many job seekers there are for every opening right now (it’s six, in case you’ve been avoiding reading the news).

This is the time to find every edge you can to land the job you’re after. When there’s a shortage of jobs and a surplus of qualified applicants, differentiating yourself from the pack becomes your highest priority.

How do you differentiate yourself?

Become known to the hiring managers you’re targeting.

Everyone prefers to hire a known quantity. Join (or start) a networking leads group representing different industries and share resources. Get introduced, contribute however you can and get known.

Have talents and skills that are in demand and sell them well.

It’s not enough to have really great skills – you also have to know that what you can do is in demand right now.

If you’re in IT, are your technical skills up-to-the-minute? If you’re multi-lingual, a skill that is unusual, are you targeting jobs that value that skill? Are you a particularly effective manager?If so, do you know how to articulate that on your resume and in an interview?

Have a stand-out resume that highlights your amazing achievements.

Many resumes are poorly written and do not do a good job of selling candidates. Know your unique talents and experience and make sure they are clear on your resume. Hire a professional resume writer for the most effective results.

Apply for jobs that are a close match to your career history.

Career change, a process that I help people to do every day, is not easy or fast. You increase your chances of getting hired soon if you target jobs that are similar to what you’ve been doing, because hiring managers don’t have to take risks right now on inexperienced people.

If what you’ve done in the past no longer exists, choose a job target that is a stone’s throw away, and clearly articulate your transferable skills on your resume.

Persevere.

You absolutely do not want to be a pest, but don’t be afraid to keep checking in with contacts and follow up with companies you have applied to or interviewed with. Remind people you’re out there.

In order to persevere, you need to take really, really good care of yourself. Exercise, see friends, and make time for your family or hobbies. You need to nourish yourself to stay strong in a tough job economy.

Although hiring is at a low point, it hasn’t disappeared altogether. Somebody’s going to get that job you saw posted the other day. To ensure it’s you, think creatively about what you can do to stand out.

Source: Heather Mundell

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