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“Success doesn’t come to you, you go to it.”
Hello my friends! The job-hunting world is crowded and very competitive BUT for those willing to stand out, plenty of opportunities will be available SO I’m here today to share some innovative ways to stand out, creatively market yourself and your resume, AND get your dream job.
Two videos that will go hand in hand with this one:
How To Find a Job You Love -and-
How to Write a Creative Resume
Both will be sources of inspiration that will add to what we’re going over today and they’re both linked below. Bookmark and give ‘em a view, so you can get the whole package and get really inspired today. Please also keep watching, because I have some giveaway news I’ll make in this video.
For those who don’t know me, I’ve been in management, I’ve been a business owner, a recruiter and marketing has been a specialty for the last 14 years. So please grab the journal we’ve been using, to take notes, and let’s start.
In 2010 a man by the name Alec Brownstein landed his job by showing a message created for and targeted specifically to 5 of the top creative directors in the industry vertical he was interested in. Essentially he created Google ads for these five directors, ads that would be served to them, the moment they Googled themselves.
He got interviews with 4 of the 5 directors , landed a job and he only spent $6. 6 bucks that allowed him to market himself beyond what the average job hunter does, become a novelty and stand out.
The video Alec made is linked in the video description if you want to check it out.
Phillippe Dubost – built an online resume that resembled an Amazon product page and used social media to market it. And guess what! It went viral, getting the attention he was looking for, and spotlighted on many media outlets online, like CNN, Yahoo News and the Huffington Post.
What these two people have in common is that both went beyond the norm, beyond the usual and what’s typically expected.
The fact is, that the moment you upload your resume online, or submit it someplace, the only thing that you are, is yet another person looking for a job and my goal for anybody watching this video is for something to spark in you while you’re watching, to get that idea that will set you apart and get the job you want not only because of your experience, but also because of the creative ways in which you marketed yourself.
Now, many companies get hundreds of resumes for 1 job, while their software sorts through and weeds out resumes based on keywords. When you take that and factor in today’s markets, suddenly, the chances of your resume actually getting in front of somebody let alone considered, drop down significantly.
So the first tip to get you to stand out is the proper use of Buzzwords.
In the video I made about how to build a creative resume, I mentioned the applicant tracking system and how many companies use it to screen resumes. If you don’t know what that is, in the interest of time, that video is linked below so you can check it out.
Back then I recommended researching the job ads, to figure out what kind of language the company you’re interested in is using, so you can really incorporate THAT language and THOSE keywords into your resume and tailor it specifically to that company. That shows your interest, it shows that you’ve done your homework and they all like that!
Today I want to add to that conversation by talking about some words and phrases to avoid. And they are: go-getter; thinking outside the box; team-player; detail-oriented; effective; dynamic and self-motivated. Ugh! These terms are so played out, so generic and overused, the flavor is entirely gone and you’re not showing any originality. Just about every resume that I’ve seen uses these terms. YOU? Should be original!
So what ARE some good terms you ask? Achieved; managed; created; resolved; increased or decreased; under budget. These terms describe tangible accomplishments as opposed to tooting your own horn. You’re emphasizing benefits, not features – and people love people that get things done, that are concise, brief and compelling, not average show offs.
Tip #2. Exploit the power of Social Media.
I already assume that you have an updated LinkedIn profile with a professional yet friendly and approachable picture. I assume that you’ve attached your resume, highlighted your strengths using industry relevant keywords and gotten recommendations… I assume that you’ve tracked down the hiring manager’s e-mail address and thought about using email to send your cv, and I also assume that you have reached out to all your friends and family members asking if they know anybody at the company or in the industry vertical you’re interested in. That’s basic stuff. Let’s add the creative factors:
Start by making the most out of LinkedIn. Update your status daily with relevant information, tips and ideas that make you look like a thought-leader in your industry. Join groups that are relevant to you, where you can share interesting content, contribute, learn from others, and start discussions.
You could also start your own group. Could be for like-minded people or people in similar situations as yours… Doing that will establish you as a passionate expert.
The same could be replicated with Google+ in the form of communities and “Hangouts” where you can share those tips in video format as well.
Try to answer questions in your industry vertical, so you solidify your position as an expert. Use not only LinkedIn and Google+, but Quora, yahoo answers, twitter and facebook.
Like and follow the companies you’re interested in on these platforms and engage when appropriate.
But remember, I said this in the resume video – your social media presence has to be spotless, especially if you’re job hunting. Those people will Google you. So delete all the bad photos, posts and even “dubious looking” friends. If you don’t want to do that, then you can change the name of your personal profile to something only your friends will know, make sure it’s 100% private, at least while you’re in the job searching phase, and then create a separate Facebook page for yourself that will be used as your professional presence. Don’t make it stiff, but don’t share beer chugging pics either. Hope that makes sense.
Search yourself often, to see what the hiring agents may see, and set up a Google alert for your name to help monitor your personal brand during the search.
Before submitting your resume, use social media to look up the hiring managers on LinkedIn and Twitter. I didn’t say Facebook, because if they’re smart like you are, they too have their profiles private. So check their online presence to learn more about them. Social media platforms are like treasure chambers of information and learning more about the person doing the hiring can help you tailor your email and cover letter in ways that can speak to them, so that will help you stand out.
Use Pinterest. Yeah! Pinterest! With the percentage of Pinterest users growing each year, the odds of you being able to connect with your future employer, are increasing steadily.
Create a Pinterest board that showcases your resume. And rather than pinning your full resume as one single pin, because that’s not really creative, divide your resume into pieces that can be stand-alone pins.
You could pin examples of your work, pictures of the schools you went to, companies you worked for, hobbies you have, places where you have volunteered, industry-relevant books you’ve read, etc. – you get the gist. Use the text box you have for each pin to give every image a meaningful description, incorporating the keywords we talked about. Tastefully. As they relate to the career or job search. Some of those keywords can be used as #hashtags, just please keep it simple. 3 or more #hashtags per one description looks desperate and amateurish.
Tip # 3. Blog.
This tip has dual benefits – writing not only solidifies your position as a thought leader and increases your digital reach, but it also helps give you some SEO juice.
Here you can either create your own industry-related blog, or contribute as a guest writer for somebody else’s, or for a publication.
Starting a blog is free and you can blog about industry related things that interest you, share tips, the latest industry news and topics in your field. And you’ll only need to spend about an hour or two a week doing this.
If you decide to write for someone else, make sure that you go after blogs with decent traffic, otherwise you could be spending your time differently. When you guest write, be sure to include your LinkedIn and Twitter profile links to make it easy for the readers and potential employers, to connect with you.
The BIG PRO of blogging is that you establish notoriety and when potential employers search your name online, they’ll see that you’re not just an average Joe looking for a job, you are an authority in your field.
Tip #4. Create your online brand.
I believe that all professionals should have their own website or contact page online. And we live in a day and age where there are so many online tools and resources that make it really easy even if you don’t have the slightest knowledge about building websites. Services like Flavors.me or About.me, help users to create quick but modern home pages that are very affordable.
Set up a professional domain name, preferably your name. Make sure you include your resume and/or portfolio. Showcase the relevant work experience as well as your personality. Include your social profiles and set up a professional email.
Your blog could also be housed here as one of the web pages.
Not to mention that on your paper resume, you can include a QR code that links to your site as well. Double points.
Tip #5. Go where the jobs are.
If you’re relatively new or brand spanking new to the industry vertical you want to be in, it will be wise of you to know which cities are booming. In other words, figure out in which cities, is your industry vertical booming, and go where the job opportunities are.
I know this sounds big and scary, but nobody makes it big by hiding under the covers, so when all else fails, going to an area of the country where your industry is booming for a year or two to build some experience and make some contacts, makes perfect sense. And then you can go back and live wherever you want to live.
—— I’m just getting started with these tips, get all the rest in email form on my website. Simply sign up for the email newsletter I send out once a week, and I’ll shoot over these tips your way, plus all the extra content you may have missed so far from all the previous videos.
Please comment below with some of YOUR tips to stand out of the crowd… there are so many good ideas out there, I’d love for everybody watching this to get inspired, and we can all create a bit pot of awesomeness!
Now BIG NEWS – there’s a giveaway coming, and it’s coming next week on February 5th. It’s my first giveaway and it’ll be the first of many. So if you’re interested in getting weekly tips like these and freebies, please subscribe right now.
This week’s shoutout goes out to Ruby Ruffles. Hi Ruby, I know you’re watching this and I thank you for being here!
My friends, I’ll see you next Thursday for a new Personal Growth video and the giveaway!!! I appreciate and love you for watching, thank you!
