Design by Mark Anthony Dyson
It appears we’re at the dawning of another recession, and the layoffs of 2022 right before the holidays can scare job seekers into pausing their efforts to find new opportunities in 2023. On the contrary, this job market will require creative and bold ways to stand out to employers and recruiters. Companies will always hire or reach out to great talent. You have to be visible to be included ahead of passive job seekers.
Part of the challenge for job seekers is many depend solely on job boards, bracing themselves for interrogation during the interview process and hoping to get picked. What’s unfortunate is waiting to be chosen, often by the company, as if it were the NFL draft. Many will even go with companies that are the wrong fit for them.
When it comes to your competitors, they settle for being the hired hand instead of being the shepherd of their career. They do enough to say they did something. It’s an intrinsic battle most of us fight once during our careers. I did it when I needed the check. It’s not the worst decision ever, but unfortunately, for some, it’s the only way to navigate career moves year after year.
Yes, you can have a say in where you work. You can determine if a job has the ideal culture for you. But it’s work you must do, and connecting with the right people is an essential part of the work.
WOW them before your first interview. Remember, there are no quick fixes or immediate results here. Build an online presence over time, make meaningful connections consistently, and be twice as helpful as what you receive. The result: You have built a direct and indirect referral engine (more powerful than Google).
Here are a few suggestions:
1. WOW employers by weathering the storms
Resilience is a powerful attribute to show. You showed it during the pandemic’s recession. You can do it again. If you’re telling your story online and offline, part of your story explains how you navigated the challenges and overcame fears. Show how you create workarounds without complaining about obstacles. It’s tough to do, but it’s doable. Show them you are flexible, adaptable, and capable.
2. WOW employers with your diverse network
Showing you can work with different types of thinking and people from various backgrounds demonstrates you’re relatable and are a skillful communicator. You will also notice your networking opportunities will open global possibilities for jobs. You maintain composure when it’s challenging to understand a dialect or language different than yours—or show no indifference if a culture or race is new to you.
3. WOW employers with a consultant mindset
Good personal trainers assess your physical movement before prescribing exercises. They will only offer training to weaken a weak body part if the exercise strengthens the muscle. The trainer may defer to your doctor for further tests or a physical therapist who can rehabilitate the weak muscle. In the same way, the consultant mindset finds the problem, facilitates team solutions whenever possible, and targets, plans, and implements short and long-term fixes.
4. WOW employers, with your agility
Job seekers who are getting it done are adding skills valuable to many different industries. They also invest in the training instead of expecting a company to pay for it. They perpetually scale their careers and prioritize networking to connect with employers, recruiters, and referrers.
5. WOW employers with a bold delivery of solutions
While video applications have yet to be widely used to apply for jobs, it increases the chances recruiters and employers will get to know and grow to trust you. When using these mediums as storytelling tools, you can ensure ways to be memorable. Creating a podcast or being a guest on a podcast, radio, video, or television show changes how you are remembered and valued.
6. WOW employers with your use of video
Video can help you reach employers in many ways, and you can optimize its use on LinkedIn Live and Instagram Stories. Recruiters and employers actively use both, and there is a growing use of Instagram to show their culture and employees as brand ambassadors.
7. WOW employers by extending your resume to the web
Your resume needs more than accomplishments and results to stand out in a competitive job market. Blogs, vlogs, and podcasts are slowly growing as a way for job seekers to demonstrate expertise. An article on JobMob.co.il shows 17 examples of people who found creative and bold ideas to present their credentials to target employers. When it didn’t work for the original target employer, it helped them stand out to other companies like the intended employer.
It takes time to find out what employers want at the beginning of your job search. Since so many job candidates don’t have anything, online employers want to see, for you, it’s where you want to lead them. So many people need to put in the consistency and the thought to build an impressive online presence.
Consider this advice an opportunity to make it easy and insightful for employers to find you and, at times, discover you before you know they are looking.
About Mark Anthony Dyson
I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.
