How to make yourself stand out to a hiring manager

Filed in:
Tips And Advice

Recent economical uncertainty has led to many job losses. As a result, there has been a huge increase in the number of candidates applying for each job on the market - it's therefore no surprise that it is now more important than ever for your application to stand out amongst the hundreds of others on the hiring manager's desk.

---

There are always jobs for talented individuals who know what they want and have a passion to achieve it - especially within the ecommerce and digital landscape.

---

How to make your CV stand out

You've written what you think is an amazing curriculum vitae and cover letter and you've got the boots to back it all up - so why aren't you getting any interview call-backs? 

---

If you want to get that interview invite your application needs to instantly hook the reader.

---

"I am the one you're looking for"

Hiring managers and recruiters look at hundreds of job applications and CV's every day. To stand a chance of getting an interview, yours needs to knock them between the eyes and shout "I am the one you're looking for". 

But how?

---

Make it succinct and scannable

Time is of the essence for many managers and a CV which is easy to scan is essential if it is to grab their attention. Make use of simple fonts, headers and chronology to bring your work experience to life - and pay attention to the detail. 

Make sure there are no (unexplained) career gaps and, most importantly, keep it simple.

---

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you can make your CV stand-out by doing something crazily different - it will often have the opposite effect. Clarity trumps cliché every time!

---

Know what makes you great

If you don't know why the hiring manager should hire you, why should they? 

Think through which roles you've loved most in your career and why; has the joy come from particular tasks, roles, company culture or even brand or product type? 

Look (and apply) for roles that satisfy these desires - your passion for the job will come across to the hiring manager... and you will stand out.   

---

Relevant Roles and Responsibilities

Firstly, focus on your accomplishments and ensure they align with the role you want, NOT the role you have.

Make sure you tailor your roles and responsibilities to each particular job you apply for - any information you include should be fully relevant to the job spec and clearly indicate the value you'll bring; and don't forget to look at the job spec for keywords you can use (but make sure it sounds natural).

You can change or tweak job titles to suit the job you're applying for but NEVER make anything up - you'll get found out very quickly!

---

One or two pages of relevant details will be far more successful than your life story!

---

Showcase experience & skills relevant to the job your applying for

Ensure you highlight the roles, experience and skills that are relevant to the post you're applying - this way, the hiring manager is clear about what you can offer them from the get-go.

You can mention roles which haven't been relevant to avoid gaps, but you don't need to focus on them.  

---

Use your results to back up your credentials

Recruiters and hiring managers LOVE to see results - so tell them how YOUR contribution made a difference. This detail is often missed but it goes a long way to make your job application stand out.

For example, if you over achieved any specific targets make sure you state by what amount or percentage (and also demonstrate clearly how you did it).

---

Education & Qualifications

Ensure you highlight relevant educational or professional qualifications, particularly when they’ve been listed as essential or desirable on the job spec - if you've completed a course in SEO or Google Adwords for example, make sure you add the details to your CV.  

If you can show you have the right skills to hit the ground running, you'll stand out vs other candidates.

---

In the current climate standing out as top talent is essential so make sure you really dig deep and shine a light on why you're the right person for the job.  

---

Here's more advice;

CV tips for digital marketing managers

How to job hunt during a pandemic

Writing your bet CV

---

If you'd like to speak to one of our consultants click here