Be the All-Star Candidate!

So you think that experience, credentials and education will make you the best candidate?  Even though those items help, there are many other subtle but more professional items you can do to make yourself stand out and get hired.

• Positive Attitude.  Always seem eager and excited. 

I know this is hard, especially when someone calls you for the 100^th time about a position that isn’t relevant or what you are looking for.

The positivity will be contagious and make it hard for the interviewers and hiring managers to forget. 

Remember everyone is a future lead whether it’s now or in 10 months.

Time and time again, an eager, enthusiastic candidate will get the job over a fully qualified candidate.

• Have a professional appearance!

This doesn’t just mean show up on interview day in a nice suit and being well-groomed.

This is your appearance before people meet you, especially items on your resume or other public locations.

Be sure that:

1. Your e-mail on your resume is something professional or specific to job searching.

 All of the major e-mail providers will give you a free account.  Set something up for just responses to your resume or other inquiries.

1. Clean up your social media!

Recruiters and Hiring Managers will seek you out on social media possibly before intial contact is made.

Your LinkedIn profile picture should be professional (no car or office selfies or pictures from your cousin’s wedding) and your profile should be detailed and accurate.

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are great places to express yourself and your opinion, be careful about what you say.  Potential employers could be looking.  Be sure to also “untag” or take down any photos/videos of drinking or other provocative behavior.  Best rule of thumb – if you would be embarrassed if your child or parent came across it then take it down!

1. Put your cell phone number on your resume and check it often.

The message left on the home phone will never get to you.

1. Be into details!

Know about the job and the company you are applying for.  Hiring managers are often turned off when a candidate asks a question during the interview process where the answer can be easily found in the job description that has been provided.

Don’t just go to the company’s web-site the night before the interview.  Do some research on-line to learn what their customers or industry is saying about them.

1. Watch your time!

Be timely in your responses to anyone in the interview process.

Never arrive more than 10 minutes early for the interview.

Be mindful of how much time you are speaking during an interview and remember that the hiring managers are busy too.

1. Have your resume saved in both a .doc and .pdf format.

Most companies will want your resume in a specific format in order for it to parse correctly into their system.  Be prepared with both types so that you don’t lose formatting in the process.

These quick and easy fixes will make it so easy for you to find your next role!