9 TIPS TO WIN OUT THE JOB COMPETITION

9 TIPS TO WIN OUT THE JOB COMPETITION

Competitive employment is work that is performed on either a full- or part-time basis in which individuals are compensated for their work.

The compensation paid must be at or above the set minimum wage, but not less than the wages paid to individuals who are not disabled and performing work that is the same or similar.

Consider some of the following tips for before, during, and after your interview to help win the job

1. Know their needs

Make sure you know what the employer is asking for with our job ad glossary and respond so that the person reading can see exactly how your skills and experience match. There will be specific words and phrases they use to describe their ideal candidate, so reference these in your application.

In essence, every employee hired is there to solve a specific problem that the company is facing. Go beyond your basic company research and really dig deep to figure out what the company needs—startup or otherwise—and how you can provide those solutions to them with your experience, education, and expertise.

Maybe the company needs some serious social media help. You can then offer your skills to help get them more visibility. Anticipate what they might want, and then offer it to them.

Make sure you know what the employer is asking for with our job ad glossary and respond so that the person reading can see exactly how your skills and experience match. There will be specific words and phrases they use to describe their ideal candidate, so reference these in your application.

2. Take your time

Rushed applications that are not personalized will be immediately obvious to employers and can give the impression that you don’t care about getting the role. It makes more sense to submit five tailored, specific, well thought-out applications that will stand out to employers than 10 generic applications that are far less likely to get you noticed.

Plus, taking your time will allow you to double check details like the company name and the name of the person you are contacting, as well as ensure you catch any spelling or grammar errors that may have otherwise slipped through. Remember to make sure your LinkedIn profile, if you have one, is consistent with the experience you are highlighting.

3. Apply For Jobs You’re A Good Match For

Look at the jobs that are a decent match for your skills, experience and only apply for those.

Don’t just apply to every job. That’s the ‘throw enough mud against the wall and hope some of it will stick strategy.

It doesn’t work, particularly when the company you’re applying to is using applicant tracking software, because the software will automatically reject your resume.

This doesn’t mean you can’t go after the job you really want. You can.

Just be aware that every time you apply for a job you need to get past the applicant filtering software the company uses. This means putting the right words into your resume and cover letter so the software recognizes you as someone who could be the right person for the role and shortlisting your resume for a person to speak to for the role.

So apply to the jobs your skills and experience are most suited to. The companies you apply to will be more interested and they’ll ask you to come in for an interview.

6. Keep it relevant

While you may want to include every little bit of experience you have, it’s important to grab the employer’s attention, which means putting most emphasis on skills and experience that are specifically relevant to the job.

Anything in your application that doesn’t respond to requirements listed in the ad should either be left out of the application or only be mentioned briefly towards the end. Once you’re done, check the length.

Recruiters read a lot of applications, so it’s important to be ruthless with text length. If you’re unsure how to cut down your application, ask someone you trust for help.

7. Write your resume well

Sell yourself : Write your application in a way that focuses on the positive impact of your day-to-day work. Verbs like ‘transformed’, ‘delivered’, ‘produced’ and ‘organised’ help to clearly demonstrate your action and its impact

Step 1: Analyze the job listing – Your very first task when writing or editing your resume for a role is to read through the job listing in detail.

Step 2: Focus on simplicity – Once you’re comfortable with the content of your resume, it’s time to revise with a focus on readability.

Step 3: Avoid mistakes – Mistakes and oversights in your resume are a surefire way to fast-track your application to the reject pile.

8. Include a cover letter

A cover letter is a document that you submit alongside your CV that introduces you to the employer and gives you a chance to talk directly to them, emphasising your enthusiasm for the organisation and the role. If there is an opportunity to submit one, you should (even if it’s not mandatory) as it will add to your chances of standing out. Crafting your cover letter

Step 1: Master the basics – You’ll be writing a lot of cover letters as you search for a job

Step 2: Build your own theme – Standing out from the crowd of other cover letters isn’t easy.

Step 3: Do’s and Don’ts – There are a lot of best practices to writing a cover letter.

9. Be flexible

Some companies have a very precise list of job duties in mind when they advertise for a new position. Other organizations might have an overall idea of what they’d like you to do (e.g., accounting), but you might find yourself doing a mélange of many things, like writing or handling the company’s Pinterest page.

So be sure to express that while you’re interested in (and qualified for) the job, you’re also amenable to doing other things as need be. Offering additional (and unsolicited) assistance can make you into a leading candidate for the position.