Shifting Gears: Part 9 – Standing out in a crowd

Standing out in a crowd

Whether you’re currently looking for a new job or not, now could be as better time as ever to get your CV in order. We’re in a time of great uncertainly and people are going to extraordinary lengths to stand out from the crowd when presenting themselves for a career move.

We’re here to provide some helpful tips to help you stand out from the crowd

With websites such as facebook, Linkedin, YouTube, along with blogging and podcasting platforms there are many stages to show and demonstrate your various skills and expertise. Most potential employers these days carry out an online search in an attempt to get to know the ‘real’ you, so take some time to consider how you’re being perceived online. Having a professional online presence will help companies and recruitment companies find you online and also place you in good stead for an interview. Remember any online presence is your resume and this includes your Tiktok, Instagram and Pinterest content so be aware what’s on them and who you allow view them.

With all this in mind here are 5 great things you can do to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

1. LinkedIn
Always the best place to start LinkedIn is the go-to site for recruiters to begin searching for candidates. Having an up-to-date and detailed LinkedIn profile can do wonders for making yourself discoverable.

Make sure your introduction is short and concise, put some real time into it. Think of it like your elevator pitch or hook. It’s important.
Other areas of LinkedIn people often overlook is to link to their other social media platforms such as twitter. It’s also a good time to gather more up to date recommendations. If you do nothing else on this list try and have a complete Linkedin profile. It is still the most important single source about you for employers outside of your CV.

2. Twitter
Twitter has become the go-to tool for communicating in the engineering and tech industries and if you use it on a regular basis it can speak volumes about you to employers. One thing to avoid though is having and account and not participating on it. Try and tweet regularly about personal interests and be professional achievements. Not all your tweets have to be groundbreaking either. It’s ok to be a little mundane. Liking and sharing things you’re interested in is another way to keep active on your twitter account. An example would be if you’re an R&D Engineer and you discover a post about a new innovative product you may want to share it with your network. Remember it’s quality over quantity.

3. Blogging
Think of a blog like a professional journal. It’s an excellent place to display your passions, interests or specialism. Make your posts snappy and interesting. Maybe it’s a problem you’ve solved or solution you discovered that you want to share. Blogs are also an excellent place to build connections for the future. Like Twitter though it’s better not to use blogging if you’re not prepared, or haven’t got the time to post fairly regularly.

4. Me-Vies (Video CVs)
A Trend started by job seekers dreaming up new ways to be noticed the Me-V is now becoming a lot more popular as it shows a candidates personality and communication style before an interview. The footage can be sent in via a memory stick, uploaded to the internet or accessed through specialist websites.

5. Speak to your Recruiter
A specialist recruitment partner allows you more visibility in the market place of your choice. A good recruitment partner is usually well connected and has specialised contact lists and often know of positions becoming available even before they have been posted. They will advise you the right approach to take during interviews and can coach you through the whole process from first interview to final offer. Remember Recruiters can give you the edge as they often have the inside track and know what their clients are looking for in an employee.

By now you may feel like this a lot of work! Don’t feel dismayed. You don’t have to do everything we’ve mentioned here. Like anything it’s more important to simply do what you do really well.