Stand Out From the Crowd!

As reported in the January/February 2009 issue of Inc. magazine, at the end of October 2008, there were 33 people looking for work for every 10 openings in the U.S.

That's THREE people competing for EVERY job you're interested in! How can you stand out from the pack?

1. You must have a great resume. Most initial contacts with a prospective employer come via the resume. If your resume doesn't catch the hiring authority's attention immediately, you won't get a second look.

• Make sure you have targeted your resume towards the type of position you're seeking. In this competitive hiring environment, employers aren't going to try to figure out how you "fit" their needs ... they want to see it spelled out for them. At a minimum, this is a customized cover letter.
• Quantify your value to the company. If you're not including lots of $$, ##, and %% figures on your resume, you're missing out on a prime opportunity to show how you can make the company money, save them money, save them time, solve a specific problem -- or any one of the Employer Buying Motivators that are the REASON why companies hire employees.
  

2. Don't just apply for the position online. Persistence is the key when you're competing for a job. If the job is posted online, follow up with a copy of the resume by mail or fax. Or drop one off in person and see if the hiring manager is available to talk. Take the time to track down contact information for the job posting, and always address your cover letter to an individual, if possible.

3. Research the company. Find out more about what they do and what their specific needs are before you apply. Then you can include some of your observations in the cover letter -- and DEFINITELY do in-depth research before going on any interviews!

4. Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up! Call to follow up on any resumes you send (unless it says "no phone calls"). Don't just say, "Did you receive my resume?" Ask if there was any information that they were needing in order to consider you as a candidate. Give your 15-second "commercial" when you call.

"Hi, this is Amanda Lewis. I'm the nurse with more than 10 years of experience in hemodialysis and renal care that sent in my resume for the Staff Nurse-Dialysis position. I wanted to make sure you received my resume, but also see if there was any additional information I could provide to you to outline my qualifications for this position."

If you get a chance to talk to a real life human being, send a thank-you note (either via snail mail or e-mail; it's perfectly appropriate to send the thank you via e-mail and attach another copy of your resume/cover letter with it).

Here's the rest of the information from the Inc. article:
The number of job seekers relative to open positions in the U.S. surged in 2008. At the beginning of 2008, there were only 19 job seekers for every 10 open positions, according to an analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data by Heidi Shierholz, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.