With all of the “noise” online, standing out can be a challenge, especially if you’re fighting for a job. However, just because there’s a lot of competition for jobs on job boards doesn’t mean you can’t get hired. It just means that you’re not putting yourself in the right places.
Companies like AECOM, multinational engineering firm, are looking for talented people like you to join their team. Thankfully, getting noticed by recruiters at AECOM isn’t that hard if you have the right strategy.
So, what’s the super secret strategy? Make yourself easy to find.
Sounds silly, doesn’t it? Well, there are millions of talented people out there who don’t make it easy for recruiters to find them, which is a shame.
According to Julie Cox, Sourcing Manager of Talent Acquisition at AECOM, you can’t just build yourself a LinkedIn profile and call it a day. You need to do a little more than that in order to get noticed. Here are some of her tips for getting noticed by recruiters at AECOM.
“I get it,” said Cox, “you're not actively looking for a new position. But if your dream job fell in your lap tomorrow, would you be ready?”
Make sure you update your resume every few months. What have you accomplished since you updated your resume last time?
“It's easier to do this in real-time instead of thinking back on all the things you've accomplished over the past five years,” Cox said. “Don't forget that you have a lot to offer. Why not position yourself in a way that makes it easy for those with hiring influence to reach out and work with you?”
Be seen in the right places.
Determine the best online resources for your industry and create a presence there. Where are people going for information related to your field? How can you be seen there? Whether it’s industry events or informational websites, find a way to create a presence in places recruiters are scouting talent.
Showcase the stuff recruiters are searching for.
Ensure that all relevant keywords are included in your bio. According to Cox, recruiters use search engines and LinkedIn to locate top talent by keywords, location, and skill set. If you’re not being strategic about how you brand yourself online, you’re not going to be found by recruiters. So, think about what keywords and skill sets you should be putting emphasis on, and brand yourself accordingly.
Setup a personal website or blog with a link to your resume.
Make it easy for recruiters to find your resume and contact you! Google yourself. What comes up? When you click on the results, is there a clear way to contact you or view your credentials? If not, find a way to add your resume and/or contact information.
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
