What you can do to stand out from the crowd
Feeling like you are buried beneath an endless list of applications? How can you stand out as an applicant and rise to the top to show you are ready for the job—that you both want and deserve it more than other candidates?
It is your job to create a well-rounded picture of who you are, the breadth of your experience, your professionalism and collaborative style. But will that be enough to get you to the top?
Here are some tips for distinguishing yourself further in the hiring/selection process.
Preparing yourself to stand out
Demonstrate initiative
As a job applicant, be well-prepared and informed. It demonstrates initiative and engagement.
- Research the company and learn as much as you can about the role and its function in the big picture.
- Then go the extra mile to show how or what you can bring to the table. (More tips on this in the next section.)
It is equally important to show initiative when you want to be considered for a promotion within your company.
- Make a habit of going above and beyond minimum job requirements to build a track record of initiative.
- Take the lead and become a driving force for your team.
- Look for opportunities to expand your projects or work with different teams and departments.
Build your professional competencies
Employers often emphasize the importance of professional competencies like trustworthiness, respect for diversity, ethics and integrity. These often surface as areas of concern during the reference checking process.
“In a tough job market, you can find an edge by showing your proficiency in the key problem areas that job references commonly identify,” said Ray Bixler, Skill Survey CEO. 1
The challenge is that building professional competencies takes time and effort. So, if you want to stand out from the crowd and ensure your job references are solid, you need to start developing these critical competencies now.
How?
- Invest your personal time to increase your skill set by taking courses or a certificate program.
- Leverage on-the-job training opportunities.
- Volunteer for projects that will strengthen your professional competencies.
- Develop your stamina and resilience for work by improving your work-life balance and learning to manage stress.
- Build coaching and mentorship relationships to accelerate your development.
To kickstart your growth, we recommend using the Entegrys Career Focus tool to gauge your current level of development. It is quick, easy and affordable.
The Entegrys Career Focus offers multiple job profiles to choose from. Simply pick those with the competencies that best fit your career goals.
This investment in your personal development will set you apart from others who focus primarily on technical job skills. Plus, your ability to develop “soft” leadership skills will be invaluable as you move up the career ladder!
A final note, benchmark and track your strengths and development needs in these competencies by gathering periodic feedback from your future references. More about this in part 2 of this article.
What’s next
Here we talked about preparing yourself to stand out by demonstrating initiative and investing in self-development. In part 2, we will focus on tips for preparing a resume that stands out.
1 How Entry-Level-Job Seekers Can Stand Out from the Crowd. (2014). Teller Vision, 1443, 4.
