Post on 06-Aug-2015
By Andy Parker
Co-Founder at Zealify @ParkerACS
@Zealify
www.zealify.com
Strategies, Methods, Tips & Tricks for Standing Out From
the Crowd
Zealify’s Mission To help people discover great jobs they enjoy in exciting companies to work for. - High growth startups & SMEs. - 15-250 employees. - Mostly tech & digital - But roles of all types
Job Applications are a Fight for Attention
Job Applications are a Fight for Attention
So do something to
STAND OUT
Inside the Hiring Manager’s Head
Inside the Hiring Manager’s Head
o ~86 Applications per job role
o Tight for time
o Looking to hire the best person for the
team who can perform well in the job.
≠ the most experienced / high-performing
What are the employers looking for?
ü Attitude over aptitude
ü Value
ü Culture Fit
ü People who punch above their weight
EVERY Interaction Counts
Searching for a job IS a job The basics:
ü Be willing to help yourself ü Be polite – ALWAYS ü Don’t be arrogant ü Don’t fool yourself, there are
opportunities.
BUT you have to HUSTLE
Always be ‘on’ Be so remarkable they can’t ignore you: - Networking - Phone manner - Email etiquette - Social media - Actual applications
How good is your Personal Brand?
“Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room”
- Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon
“Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room”
- Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon
What does google say about you?
You want the hiring manager to say:
“This person looks really interesting. We HAVE to meet with them”
You want the hiring manager to say:
“This person looks really interesting. We HAVE to meet with them”
Personal Branding: Quick Wins
§ Firstnamelastname@gmail.com
§ Personal business cards
§ About.me
§ Professional Email signature
Your digital footprint
§ Personal website
§ Blogging – “blogging is the new resume”
§ Don’t discount Facebook
EVIDENCE of your work
§ GitHub
§ Dribbble
§ Personal website
§ Portfolio – (side) projects
§ Freelancing
§ References
LinkedIn Profiles
§ Vanity URL
§ Complete profile
§ Attach work examples
§ Join Groups
§ Recommendations
§ Connections
Are you willing to Hustle?
“Yes I am interested in all your vacancies. Sign me up I’m ready to work hard.”
“Feel free to put me forward for any roles you think are suitable for my skillset”
Generic Applications are your enemy!
“I am interested to apply for the available opportunity in your organisation?”
“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything”
Generic Applications are your enemy!
✘ ‘Send to all’ templates
✘ Copy and pasted applications
✘ Scatter gun approach
DO NOT DO THIS
Generic applications will receive the generic response; ‘no’.
If a candidate hasn’t taken the time and effort to submit a well thought through application, why
should the employer take the time to think through their decision?
Do you have Skill-Set / Market Fit?
ü Examples of work & achievements?
ü Quantify them = context & value
ü Up to date skills? (Online courses)
ü Understanding & knowledge of the
industry
Get Certified – Online Courses
Get Involved - Communities
Communicate ‘WHY’
Ø WHY is this particular company of interest
to you?
Ø WHY is this particular role of interest to
you?
Ø WHY are YOU the right person to join this
company and perform well in this role?
You need to be a problem solver
Position yourself as the solution to the
company’s problems. They need to hire you
for a reason.
Most Common Mistakes
✘ Speling & Grammer :-P
✘ Attention to detail
✘ Not reading the job description
✘ Too generic
ü Need to show desire, passion, zeal!
Tools & Tricks
LinkedIn Company Search
Use it for finding:
• Company details
• Job openings
• Size of the company
• Info about people who work there
Meetup.com
Use it for finding:
• Relevant events to meet employers
• What events specific people (employers) attend or
organise
Type:
Site:meetup.com ‘companyname’
Or
Site:meetup.com “person’s name’
Marketing.grader.com
Use it for finding:
• Relevant articles / news about an employer
• Other interesting insights about the
company’s online presence
Warning: can spook people out.
Connectifier Chrome Extension
Use it for finding:
• A person’s social profiles
• Their email address
SideKick Chrome Extension
Use it for:
• Profiles in your inbox
• Tracking who opens and clicks your emails
• Schedule emails for later
Trello board – organise your job search (and life)
Use it for:
• Organising your entire job search
• Storing your research
• Setting reminders
Leverage Your Network
Get Introductions!
Weak-ties > Strong-ties
Ask for advice – take people to coffee
Online networks & communities
Go to events and meetups
Me CHALLENGING you
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
- Steve Jobs
Andy Parker ap@zealify.com
@ParkerACS
@Zealify
www.zealify.com
Thank you! Any Questions?
More from us here:
info.zealify.com/blog