As we enter 2015 there’ll be many of you looking to start a new career. With the job market more competitive than before it can be a struggle to know how to set yourself apart from the competition and get your foot in the door.
As many of the traditional avenues of finding a job are a little exhausted, you can set yourself apart from the get go by choosing more modern methods in finding vacancies.
Searching for job hashtags on Twitter and Facebook, and even looking on company websites that you perhaps feel you could work for, are all ways of approaching future employers personally rather than through an agency.
Create a flawless CV
Your CV is the make or break element of you getting an interview.
Creating a seamless CV that reads well and sums up all the most important information in a nutshell is not the easiest task as we always want to over sell ourselves. There’s plenty of advice out there to help you, including this article, which can advise you on what a future employer is really looking for.
Keeping it to a minimum of one or two pages is essential. Don’t waffle on about anything and ensure to highlight your biggest achievements. Always have someone on hand to help you check spelling and grammar, as there’s nothing worse than losing out on an interview because of avoidable mistakes.
Post rather than email
It’s so easy to drop an email in the digital world rather than go to the effort of posting your CV. But think of this from the recruiter’s position who is probably being bombarded on a daily basis with CVs and covering letters. You’ll end up as just another number on their inbox.
If you can find out who’s the decision maker, personally send them your CV in a brightly coloured envelope and maybe a nice gesture of sweets. Your package will certainly stand out from the usual white letters and they’ll be impressed that you’ve made the extra effort.
Get social
For companies you’ve applied to, ensure to start following their Twitter or Facebook pages and start interacting with them. Not only will this get you noticed but it will also start social conversations with your future colleagues.
Finding common interests early on will help you to gain a job as you they’ll see you as part of the team. As this video shows, with the help of social media you can get an interview with anyone.
Start a blog
If you don’t have a wealth of experience to put down on your CV starting a blog can be a great platform to showing the world all the skills you have. Posting pieces that will be relevant to the roles you have applied for will only show your dedication and commitment to your career. Promote them across your social channels and don’t forget to include your Twitter handle on your CV.
Do you know how to beat the competition and stand out? Let us know your stories in the comments below!
Photo: Maximilian Imran Faleel / Flickr
Mary graduated from Peterborough University last year with a degree in Journalism.
She is currently expanding her writing portfolio in the hopes of gaining a position with national newspaper.
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