How to Differentiate Yourself From Your Competition For a Job

Being a graduate is difficult, especially when you have so much competition in the market. How much competition, you ask?

Well, put it this way. Imagine all the students who studied the same qualification as you at your University, TAFE or other educational institute. Now multiply that number by the number of Universities, Tafes, etc, in your city or state. That tells you that there are a lot of young graduates out there competing for the same positions! So, with all this competition, what can you do to make yourself different when so many candidates have the same qualifications as you? Here are three top tips that can differentiate you from your competition.

1. Resume

Your resume must be professional, well formatted and have all the required information, such as your educational background, career objective, skills and any work experience (e.g. part-time/casual jobs). To make your resume a little different, you can always add your credits, distinctions and high distinctions under your educational qualifications. This is a great way to highlight your strong points. You can also add some projects or assessments you really liked under your extra-curricular activities section and write some brief points. For example, if you completed an assignment where you had to conduct forecasting or budgeting for a case study, you can explain what skills you demonstrated and why you enjoyed working on this assignment. It will tell the recruiter or hiring manager a little more about you.

2. LinkedIn

Effectively using LinkedIn is really important to make yourself stand out. If you have the hiring manager or recruiter’s name, it is always a good idea to check their profiles on LinkedIn. As LinkedIn can show who has viewed your profile, the hiring manager/recruiter will see this as a positive and an extra step you have taken to learn more about the company, the position and about them. You must ensure your LinkedIn profile is neat, professional and up to date with a professional-looking photo. Use this technique when you are applying for roles and when you are called in for interviews.

3. Networking

Okay, now I know networking can be very nerve-racking and requires you to have a bit of confidence. However, if done properly, networking can dramatically increase your professional contacts and put you in front of industry leaders. Many international students and local students do not properly network. For example, instead of being one out of 500 accounting candidates applying for the same position, you may only be one out of 30 people (depending on the event). Using networking will dramatically make you different from your competition and increase your chances of gaining employment.