With job creation numbers remaining modest and unemployment rates holding steady, landing your dream job may at times seem like a Sisyphean task. Sure, hand-delivering a box of chocolates to the hiring manager is one way to make your application stand out, but that’s not necessarily the best way to go about getting your resume to the top of the stack.
As a Managing Partner overseeing executive recruitment, candidates frequently ask me how to stand out in a job interview and build their personal brand. My response is simple: go the extra mile. This means tossing out a generic resume, upping your networking game, and thinking creatively.
Tailor your resume to match the position and company culture.
From tech startups to advertising giants, traditional resumes no longer make the cut. Tailor your resume to not only match the position for which you are applying, but also to align with the company’s culture. For example, consider using an infographic to visually illustrate your skills and accomplishments. And while a creative presentation is important, when it comes to your qualifications and accomplishments, stick to the facts. In the age of Google, it only takes a few seconds to spot “creative embellishments” and have your resume sent straight to the reject pile.
Build your digital brand and use it to network.
Your LinkedIn profile is your digital calling card; what does it say about you? Think beyond the basic profile and consider what you say in public forums, too. Establish yourself as an industry thought leader by curating industry news and adding insightful comments. Be strategic with your LinkedIn connections and don’t be afraid to ask colleagues and clients for a recommendation on LinkedIn. If you are currently employed but interested in a new position, reach out individually to the contacts you trust can keep your intentions private, let them know you are exploring the possibility of a new challenge, and ask for advice. I have found that people are genuinely interested in helping others when asked.
Stand out in your job interview.
Your interview is not a time to rehash your resume’s bullet points; it is a time to sell your personal brand by harnessing the power of storytelling. Come to your interview prepared with two or three anecdotes that demonstrate your soft skills, including teamwork, leadership, and creative thinking. Do your research: understand the company’s culture and be prepared with thoughtful questions to ask about the company’s future direction. Demonstrate how your leadership and ideas will be invaluable to building the company’s future. Speak with confidence, passion, and determination; there’s no substitute for human interaction, and an interview is your moment to shine.
Posted by Michael Johnson
Like many college grads, I finished school without a job lined up right away. I’d originally planned on going into international relations, but an internship at the United Nations showed me how wrong that path was for me. (Big egos and bureaucracy? No, thanks.) As my living expenses piled up post-graduation, though, I knew I had to act quickly—applying to jobs I wasn’t even sure I wanted had so far been fruitless. So, I put on my business-casual suit, printed off my resume and walked into the doors of a temporary staffing agency.
Although it wasn’t my first choice at the time, temping ended up being the best decision I could’ve made for myself. After months of wandering, I gained motivation, experience and a steady paycheck. And ultimately, that was instrumental in leading me to where I am today. If you find yourself trapped in a seemingly endless job search, consider the following.
1. It’s Easier To Find A Temp Job Than You Think
Securing a temp job’s often relatively quick and low-effort, especially if you go through an agency like I did. To get started, all you really have to do is prepare a resume and cover letter—ideally tailored to the type of position you’re looking for—then reach out to set up an appointment with a nearby agency. Once you meet with your designated recruiting agent, you can share some specifics about your workstyle, skill set and what kind of position and organization you’re looking for.
After gathering that info, your recruiter will search for open opportunities that seem like a good fit and pitch your resume to those companies—usually at no cost to you. You’ll probably still have to spend some time drafting cover letters and interviewing before you get an offer (like any other job), but any way you slice it, you’re looking at serious savings in both time and effort.
As a bonus, there are usually many companies looking for part-time workers, leaving you with plenty of time to dedicate to job applications. Just clarify to your agency recruiter how many hours a week you’re willing to work from the get-go, and they’ll likely be able to find something that fits with your schedule.
2. Temping Pays The Bills (Without Making You Miserable)
When faced with the financial strain of unemployment, people usually go one of two routes: panic and accept a job that they know they won’t like, or stick it out in the hopes that something better will turn up before the next rent check is due. But you don’t have to choose between being broke and being miserable—temping is a perfect alternative for this scenario.
When you go through an agency to find a position, you have a significant amount of say in where you’ll be placed. So if you get matched up with an organization you think you’ll despise, you can pass without feeling guilty. The great thing about recruiters at these agencies is that they move fast—it’s in their best interest to fill open jobs ASAP, so they can often find you multiple opportunities within a span of two to three weeks. (Although your mileage may vary depending on the circumstances.) That way, you can find a good balance between the income you need and the experience you want.
3. Temping Gives You The Kick In The Butt You Need
To recycle a line from your high school physics textbook, an object at rest tends to stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion. Translation: Even if you have plenty of time to apply to jobs when you’re unemployed, it can be hard to muster up the motivation to do so when your pace of life has slowed down so much.
On the other hand, if you get in the habit of sticking to a routine and spending your time meaningfully, you’ll naturally be in a more proactive state of mind—and you’ll probably feel a whole lot more self-worth.
It might seem counterintuitive, but this is a scenario in which less time spent searching results in greater productivity. Think about it: If you’re lounging in your pajamas at home all day, scouring job sites with trashy TV on in the background, there’s a decent chance you’ll spend more time goofing off than actually working on applications.
That, in turn, can lead to feelings of guilt, self-doubt and hopelessness. If you come back feeling accomplished after a solid day at the office, though, there’s a much better chance that you can maintain the confidence and drive needed during a job search.
4. Temping Exposes You To Variety
The impermanent nature of temping means that you’ll be able to try out more jobs in a shorter time period than you would otherwise, making this the perfect choice for folks who don’t know what they want to next or are looking to broaden their core competencies. If you fall into either of those camps, make a short list of the types of positions and companies you want to try out, then tackle them in order of highest- to lowest-priority.
As you get more and more experience under your belt, you’ll naturally figure out what you like and don’t like in a job. Not to mention, working in a number of different spaces, positions and even types of companies will help you pick up some new skills along the way—which can be invaluable in setting you apart from the crowd when you eventually start searching for something more long-term.
5. Temping Is The Ultimate Form Of Networking
Industry-related meetups or company happy hours are one thing, but there’s no better way to get to know somebody than by working with them. If you end up at a few different companies as a temp, you’ll probably work closely with a variety of people who will get to know you on a deeper level. When somebody like that can personally attest to your work style, strengths and biggest wins, they make a much more valuable reference than a random LinkedIn connection.
And who knows? Those folks may even be able to hook you up with a full-time opportunity, whether it’s at their current organization, a friend or family member’s company or a different workplace further down the line. As long as you do a good job and use the time to network like a pro, you’ll be able to open up a whole new world of opportunities for yourself.
Becoming a temp might not be what you dreamed of doing as a kid, but it’s still a perfectly respectable option—and in many cases, a surprisingly strategic one. Plenty of people (myself included) have used these positions as a springboard to launch into successful, long-term careers.
And while it’s common to feel like settling for anything less than your dream job is a failure, the truth is that deviating from the standard path (even if it’s scary at the time) can sometimes lead to an even better outcome. Take it from me: The skills and experience I gained at my temp job helped me kick off my first full-time position, a lifelong career in HR and eventually, a seat at the executive table.
The best things in life may be free, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire. That’s especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills. What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn? We’ve highlighted our favorite takeaways.
1. Time management Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it’s important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains. “The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan,” she writes. “Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I’m really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date.”
2. Empathy “You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don’t care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath,” writes Kamia Taylor. Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business. “Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit— motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck,” she writes.
3. Mastering your sleep There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it’s often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights. Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.
4. Positive self-talk “Ultimately it does matter what others think of you,” writes Shobhit Singhal, “but what you think of yourself certainly does, and it takes time to build that level of confidence and ability to believe in yourself when nobody else does.” On the other side of positive self-talk is negative self-talk, which Betsy Myers, founding director of The Center for Women and Business at Bentley University, believes can slowly chip away at your confidence.
5. Consistency Whether you’re trying a new exercise routine, studying for the LSATs, or working on an important project, Khaleel Syed writes that consistency is vital to maintaining any kind of success.
People often stop working hard when they reach the top, he explains, but to maintain that top position, they must work harder and be more consistent in their work.
6. Asking for help “I once was told in a job interview, ‘You can’t have this job if you can’t ask for help when you need it,'” Louise Christy writes. “Naturally, I said I could.
Later, I found out that the previous person with that job had screwed up big-time because he was in over his head but couldn’t admit it and didn’t ask for help.” She explains that knowing when you need help and then asking for it is surprisingly difficult to learn and do because no one wants to be perceived as weak or incompetent. But a recent study from the Harvard Business School suggests doing so makes you look more, not less, capable. According to the study, when you ask people for advice, you validate their intelligence or expertise, which makes you more likely to win them over.
7. Knowing when to shut up — and actually doing it “You can’t go around whining about every other thing that seems not-so-right to you in this world,” writes Roshna Nazir. “Sometimes you just need to shut up.” There are many instances when keeping to yourself is the best course. “When we are angry, upset, agitated, or vexed,” writes Anwesha Jana, “we blurt out anything and everything that comes to our mind.” And later, you tend to regret it. Keeping your mouth shut when you’re agitated is one of the most valuable skills to learn, and of course, one of the most difficult.
8. Listening Along with shutting up comes listening, says Richard Careaga. “Most of us in the workplace are so overwhelmed with things to do — instant messaging, phones ringing. I mean, our brain can only tolerate so much information before it snaps,” Nicole Lipkin, author of “What Keeps Leaders Up At Night,” previously told Business Insider. One tip for active listening is repeating back what you heard to the other person. “It makes things so much easier when everyone is on the same page,” she said.
9. Minding your business “It takes ages to learn and master this,” writes Aarushi Ruddra. Sticking your nose into other people’s work isn’t helpful and wastes time and resources, she says. “You have no right to put forth your two or four cents, even if you are the last righteous person standing.”
10. Mastering your thoughts to do what you want to do and accomplish what you want to accomplish, you need to consciously direct your thinking, writes Mark Givert. “The challenge is that we are the product of our experience and all of our thinking is the result of this,” he says. “However, the past does not equal the future.
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