Show and Tell

Recently, my company advertised an open position on one of the major job boards. This position was not one that required an exuberant amount of education or experience. A basic background in sales would have done the trick. Because of the broad requirements, we received a ridiculous amount of résumés; 400 to be exact.

How does one go about sorting through 400 résumés you ask? Well thankfully we have the ability to turn to our on-site staffing department. Many employers, however, don’t have the same resources and therefore must take time out of their day to do just that: find the perfect candidate out of a pool of hundreds.

You need to make the effort to have your résumé and cover letter stand out as much as possible. I know I am not the first one to let you in on this little secret. But it is a good point to reiterate: be creative, be unique and sell yourself.

Case in point: a good friend of mine is graphic designer. Many designers bring a short portfolio to their interviews. Portfolios are great interview tools but to make sure she was even scheduled an interview she created a virtual résumé website. She designed the entire page and attached a link to it in her résumé and cover letter. She showed them her work without even speaking to them and the best part? She not only got an interview, she got the job.

Of course if you don’t write code, creating a virtual résumé is a little bit more difficult. And for some positions, such as administrative or clerical, it is harder to demonstrate your skills. Here’s an idea that can work for any job you are applying for: create a chart that reflects and compares the abilities the employer is looking for with your own expertise. If you have performance reviews from your previous positions don’t be afraid to send clips of those as well.

Anything you can do to set yourself apart from the vast majority of job seekers is a plus. A good rule of thumb for job hunting? Don’t just tell ‘em, show ‘em!