5 ways to stand out when youre applying for competitive jobs

5 ways to stand out when youre applying for competitive jobsWe all know the market is competitive. Any job you apply for is probably receiving a minimum of 100 applicationswith some getting up to the thousands. But someone has to get every job, right? People do make it through to the next levels of the hiring process, even in crowded, qualified fields of applicants. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) You have to assume the majority of job seekers youre competing with are on the balltheir resumes are spotless and their experience and skill base matches or exceeds the job requirements. So how can you stand out as the best person for the job amidst all the house? Use some of these mora targeted strategies to help elevate your application package.1. Make your purpose clear and direct.The most impressive (or at least the most attractive) candidates tend to be the ones that project a kind of professional purpose. These candidates have taken the t ime and effort to figure out what it is they want to do, and why, and how to reach their goals. Recruiters find it very easy to match these candidates into their companies, because its clear if theyll be a fit. Make aya you can articulate the talents that make you a good match and place them prominently in your cover letter, resume, and other application materials. Know yourself and make that sing.2. Dont hold backsell yourself.Its elend enough to just know what drives you. You have to share that vision, enthusiastically, even if youre shy and not prone to bragging. Put together a short pitch that summarizes why you, and only you, are the best person for the job. Once you have this down, you can use it at many points during your job search. Turn it into an elevator pitch for networking. Emphasize it in your interview. Build it into your social media presence. Make your sales pitch a part of how you present to the world while job seeking, both in person and on paper.3. Sanitize your social media.You could have the greatest application in the world, but if your social media profiles are inappropriate or controversial or just childish, a recruiter is going to toss your file in the trash. Make sure to Google yourself and scour your net presence until its every bit as polished and professional as you hope to present yourself to the world.4. Make your professional info a click away.There are some fancy trends out there, and you better believe the competition will be keeping up with them. If youre up for it, try building a personal website to give a sense of your personal branding. Include the link in your resume, and include your resume on your website. A website can also (stylishly) convey all the context you didnt have room to include on your resume. Use this extra space to your advantage5. Network to build a group of reliable referrals.Sadly, sometimes it really does come down to who you know. Make sure youre constantly out there networking and making inquiries. Finding inroads to companies you want to work for to make contacts and seek mentors. You never now when someone you meet at a cocktail party or a lecture is going to be the one to pass your resume to a decision maker.

3 Signs You Need to Act on That Nagging Feeling To Job Search

3 Signs You Need to Act on That Nagging Feeling To Job Search How do you know its time to abflug job searching again? Maybe you have a good job right now and enjoy what you do. However, you cant help the nagging feeling that its time to start a job search. Its like window shopping. Youll head over to LinkedIn, type in keywords for yur dream job and see what pops up. It cant hurt to look and maybe apply for a position that sounds like a potential fit, right?Tzu siche may be external factors, like high turnover at work, that influence our decision to conduct an early job hunt. Other times, its a gut feeling. You cant always explain how you know its time for a change. Sometimes, certainty is simply based around the phrase when you know, you know.From a lack of professional growth to consistent dreams about leaving your job, these three signs show its time to act on your nagging feeling to conduct a job search. 1. You dream about quitting your job.Many of us have probably dreamed, at on e point or another, about our workplace. You could be doing something completely out of character in this dream, like completing a ridiculous task or yelling at an irritating coworker. Or, you might dream about quitting your job.Sarah Bird, CEO of Moz, previously worked at a law firm. One night, she dreamed that she had quit her job. The dream was unusual to Bird, who had not been thinking on a conscious level about leaving the firm. If anything, she felt obligated to stay because of her clients.What made the dream strange, however, was that she couldnt stop laughing during it.I started laughing in the dream, Bird says. I had this experience of intense joy. I laughed so hard in my sleep that I started laughing in real life and actually woke up. I woke myself up with laughter, which Ive only ever done one other time in my life.Instead of dismissing it, Bird spent the next morning carefully thinking about the amount of joy and relief she experienced in the dream.I thought Maybe theres something I need to pay attention to there, Bird says.The more she thought about it, the more Bird considered that her job allowed her to serve her clients. However, she gradually realized the role wasnt serving her in the ways she wanted for her life. Bird thought about the dream for the rest of the day, slept on it and gave the law firm her notice the next day.Did you have an experience similar to Birds, where you dreamed about quitting your job? Consider the circumstances of the dream and how it made you feel thereafter. Depending on what happened, you may dismiss the dream as your subconscious being silly or take it seriously, especially if you have recurring dreams of leaving your job that fill you with joy.2. Your boss is acting distant.Have you always had a great relationship with your boss, but feel as though they are not communicating with you as much as they used to lately? Julie Good, partner at talent acquisition firm WinterWyman, says this may be a sign to start seekin g out a new role elsewhere.A less open and communicative relationship with your boss may signal a few things, Good says. Your boss may be looking for a new job or they may have other things on their mind like too much headcount in your department.Good advises to find out why your boss isnt talking if you notice a communication slowdown.The answer could help you decide if its time to leave your job.3. Youve grown as much as possible in your role and feel stagnant.How do you know you have stagnated at work? Ivelices Linares Thomas, CEO of HR Beyond, says to watch out for these warning signs.There are no further opportunities to develop any new skills,Youre unable to grow in your current role,And theres no opportunity to transition into another role in the company.Did you tick off yes to each sign? If so, its time to move on with your job search because youre not just stagnant youve developed a bit of boredom in the position and are able to do your job pretty much on autopilot.If you can do your job without thinking what youre doing or how youre doing it, it becomes more of a subconscious, repetitive act than an affirmative effort, Thomas says. When youve reached this point, you owe it to your professional growth and the organization to start searching for that next opportunity.