You\u2019re a great candidate for that role \u2013 but you\u2019re not the only one. Take inspiration from these stories of candidates who\u2019ve gone the extra mile to win over an employer\u2026<\/p>\n
In many industries and professions, competition for jobs continues to intensify. Sure, you may tick all the right boxes in terms of qualifications, you may have a compelling track record to talk about, and you may have a winning personality too. But chances are, so will several other candidates.<\/p>\n
What, then, can you do to stand out from the crowd? How can you show that you are prepared to go the extra mile \u2013 that you both want and deserve the job more than your rivals? Here are some ideas, based on true stories, about how to do just that\u2026<\/p>\n
Add a personal touch<\/strong><\/p>\n Reaching out to your potential employer following an interview, especially if it\u2019s in a thoughtful way, will help you to be the candidate that leaves a lasting impression. A simple way to do this is to compose a handwritten thank you note following the interview.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an old-fashioned courtesy which, done well, is likely to gain approval; better still, it gives you another chance to get your name in front of your potential employer. Referencing parts of the conversation also shows you were fully engaged throughout the process.<\/p>\n Takeaway: What key points can you make in your personal message which will show how you really engaged with your interviewer?<\/em><\/p>\n Do your research<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI always advise the candidate to have a good answer to the question, \u2018What do you know about us?\u2019,\u201d says Louise Campbell, managing director of Robert Walters Ireland. \u201cIt\u2019s boring if the candidate just recites the About Us page. Read the annual report instead, that way you get a feel for the type of language the company uses and you\u2019re already tapping into their DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n Louise adds that the annual report helps candidates to understand what really matters to the organisation. \u201cWhat sort of phraseology comes up? Is it \u2018We\u2019re all about caring for customers\u2019 or \u2018We\u2019re here to drive change\u2019 or \u2018Our priority is unlocking value for our stakeholders\u2019? Get a good idea of the keywords that characterise the company\u2019s approach, and then you can play those back at interview.\u201d<\/p>\n One candidate for a travel company, asked to give a presentation on how to market a specific resort, took the idea of research literally \u2013 she decided to fly to the resort for the weekend! She bought back a jar of sand as evidence, and put together a promotional microsite full of images that she\u2019d taken herself on her trip.<\/p>\n Takeaway: How can you show you\u2019ve gone the extra mile in the way you research for the role?<\/em><\/p>\n Start doing the job already<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIn the most impressive interview I\u2019ve ever led, within the first 20 minutes I was thinking, \u2018I need to hire this person \u2013 they need to work for me\u2019,\u201d Louise Campbell says. What so impressed her was a candidate who hadn\u2019t just done her research \u2013 she was able to demonstrate exactly how she\u2019d add value to the business.<\/p>\n \u201cThis candidate was unbelievably well prepared and brought a plan with her of what she would do over the first six months of starting the role,\u201d Louise recalls. \u201cShe laid out a series of really thoughtful, insightful ideas, including what she\u2019d need from the company to support her. It was a very creative approach \u2013 several of her ideas were things we hadn\u2019t even thought of. She spoke to me as if she already had the job \u2013 and she completely nailed it.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re hiring you always know there\u2019ll be a bedding-in period, involving induction and training,\u201d says Louise. \u201cSo it\u2019s really refreshing to talk to someone who\u2019s already done some significant thinking to get their head around the role. As well as being bright and resourceful, she showed me she really wanted the job with all the time and effort that she\u2019d put into her preparation.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty much every single recommendation she made has ended up getting actioned, including some I didn\u2019t think would be possible. But of course it wouldn\u2019t have mattered if she hadn\u2019t got everything right, because she showed me that she would have the skills and resourcefulness to come up with new ideas as needed anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n Takeaway: What can you do to show that you\u2019re already thinking and acting as if you\u2019re ready to start the role tomorrow?<\/em><\/p>\n Make use of your other skills and experience<\/strong><\/p>\n Candidates can often stand out by harnessing other skills in the way they prepare for an interview.<\/p>\n One candidate with a background in logistics wowed his interviewers for a professional services role by highlighting some ways they could streamline their service delivery processes, for example. This unique perspective made him stand out from other interviewees.<\/p>\n Another candidate, who came from an e-commerce background but was interviewing for an unrelated role, spotted a gap in the market for a clothing brand which went on to become a significant revenue stream.<\/p>\n Takeaway: What skills from other parts of your life can you put to use in your job search and interview?<\/em><\/p>\n Show your creativity<\/strong><\/p>\n The creative and promotional industries are full of examples of applicants who have made use of their talents to help their application stand out from the crowd.<\/p>\n Salespeople have been known to present their expertise in the form of a commercial pitch. And creatives have packaged their credentials in a variety of weird and wacky ways \u2013 in the form of specially designed cereal packets, Swiss Army knives, Lego kits, action figurines and more.<\/p>\n One candidate famously hired the advertising hoarding opposite the HQ of the company they wanted to work at to get noticed. Another marketing hopeful decided to launch her own \u2018hire a boss\u2019 website. She listed her position, organisation and manager requirements, got media coverage for her efforts \u2013 and ended up with a dream job.<\/p>\n \u201cShowing creativity in the process demonstrates energy and initiative,\u201d comments Louise Campbell. \u201cIt\u2019s another way of showing that you are willing to go above and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe aim is to create an impression that resonates with your interviewers and gives them something to think about long after the interview finishes,\u201d adds Louise Tallboy-Wood, who specialises in recruiting part qualified finance professionals in London.<\/p>\n \u201cOne candidate interviewing for a finance analyst role at a major fashion brand took the time to conduct in-depth research into the company\u2019s competitors, product range and position in the industry. He used his research to create a visual SWOT analysis and left printed copies for his interviewers to take away. The extra effort did not go unmissed \u2013 in addition to securing the role, his interview set a new standard for future candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n Takeaway: Going to such creative lengths is not appropriate or desirable in every industry or sector, of course. But there are always ways to use imaginative presentation to stand out from the crowd, for instance in the look and feel of your slidedeck or by putting together a digitally-savvy personal CV site.<\/em><\/p>\n Show some grit and resilience<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIn many senior roles, technical expertise and relevant industry experience are a given,\u201d says Joanne Chua, Robert Walters\u2019 regional client development director for Southeast Asia and Greater China. \u201cBut beyond that, what hirers are often looking for today is evidence of softer skills, such as grit and resilience.\u201d<\/p>\n The ability to bounce back from difficulties and learn from adversity is an especially vital skill in today\u2019s workplace, says Joanne. \u201cIt shows you can cope and adapt in a fast-moving world with rapid technological changes,\u201d she says. \u201cBusinesses today face constant disruption, frequent restructuring and ongoing transformation \u2013 employers are looking for anecdotal evidence of your ability to survive and thrive in such a climate.\u201d<\/p>\n Takeaway: What stories can you tell to illustrate your ability to deal with change and adapt?<\/em><\/p>\n Demonstrate a growth mindset<\/strong><\/p>\n A related soft skill that Joanne says can help you stand out from the crowd is \u2018learning agility\u2019 \u2013 a willingness and enthusiasm to move with the times, take on new skills and expand into new areas as business requirements and priorities evolve.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we learn at school often doesn\u2019t equip us with the tools for the jobs of tomorrow, so you need to be able to demonstrate evidence of your willingness and ability to learn new skills, and adapt or take on new challenges and working patterns,\u201d says Louise Campbell.<\/p>\n \u201cCompanies invest a lot of money to hire top talent, and so of course they are hiring not just for now but for the future too. So tell stories using real-life examples to demonstrate learning agility and your readiness to stretch yourself. For example, \u2018I\u2019m an excellent IT engineer, but to really progress I knew I needed to develop my stakeholder engagement and communication management skills. So here\u2019s how I went about developing my knowledge and skills in this area\u2026\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Takeaway: What stories can you tell to demonstrate that you are a candidate who is not afraid to learn new things \u2013 and you will be an asset to your employer not just today, but in five or ten years\u2019 time?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This article originally appeared on robertwalters.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You\u2019re a great candidate for that role \u2013 but you\u2019re not the only one. Take inspiration from these stories of candidates who\u2019ve gone the extra mile to win over an employer\u2026 In many industries and professions, competition for jobs continues to intensify. 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