How to stand out in a crowded job market

You’re on the hunt for a new job and have found what seems to be the perfect role for you. You’ve got everything required by the job ad ­– or almost everything ­– but it’s competitive out there. How do you make sure you get noticed?

Getting a hiring manager’s attention is essential to success when you’re applying for a job – and when there’s a lot of competition, working out how to make yourself stand out can be a challenge.

Whether it’s on paper, online or in the interview room, there are ways to differentiate yourself and show employers just what you can bring to the role.

Here are 7 tips to help you stand out from the crowd.

Tip 1: Find your unique selling point 

When you’re applying for a job, a unique selling point (USP) highlights what you could bring to the role and what makes you the best person for the job. Jason Walker, Founder and Director of GrowFees, recommends highlighting one or two USPs to differentiate yourself and give yourself an edge over the competition. 

For example, were you one of the highest achievers in your position?” Walker says. “Have you made significant improvements or led a project successfully?” Think about your skills and experience, to identify your unique selling points, relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Tip 2: Highlight leadership

Recruiters and employers are often impressed by leadership skills. Even if you’ve never held a management position, you likely still have leadership experience, such as running a team project or providing coaching, training or mentorship. Make sure to note this in your application.

Tip 3: Provide relevant examples 

Having examples to back up your skills and experience enhances their impact. Explaining that you used your leadership skills to manage a team of five people for a six-month project makes more of an impression than simply saying you have strong leadership skills. 

Quantifying with numbers can also be a good way to reinforce your skills and experience, Walker says. For example, include the details if you increased sales by 5% or saved $10,000 from a budget by doing things differently. Practice talking about specific examples that would add value to the role so you can bring them up in an interview.

Tip 4: Summarise your experience 

Include a personal summary at the top of your resumé. It’s a short statement, ideally three or four sentences, that sums up who you are, why you’re ideal for the role and what you’re aiming for in your career right now. 

Include specific experience relevant to the role you’re applying for, Walker says. “Use words from the job description or posting so that applicant tracking systems (ATS) can recognise them and make a match.” 

This article has some more tips on how to sell yourself in 25 words or less.

Tip 5: Update your SEEK profile

Recruiters and employers often look at job seekers’ online profiles. The more you put into your SEEK profile the more chance you have of being noticed by the right employers.

Tip 6: Answer questions directly

In an interview, try to pinpoint situations that relate to the question and explain what the outcome was rather than making your answers general. 

For example, rather than talking about your organisational skills in general, discuss how you used these skills to implement a new system that saved your team time. 

“Answer questions directly and thoroughly as well as giving anecdotes about your career history, past actions and results,” Walker says. “And relate these experiences to the job description.”

Using the STAR method to answer questions helps you demonstrate how you have used your skills in past workplaces.  

Tip 7: Ask insightful questions

An interview is also an important opportunity for you to ask questions of your own. What you ask can help you stand out by showing that you’re genuinely interested in the role and that you’ve done some background research on the organisation. 

Try asking, ‘What skills and attributes do successful people at your company usually have?’ or, Walker suggests, at the end of the interview ask: ‘How do you think I match up with this position?’ 

These articles have more ideas on questions to ask your interviewer.

It’s rarely easy landing a new job, particularly in competitive fields and when there’s a high proportion of job seekers in the market. To stand out, make sure your resumé can be read by ATS software and differentiate yourself with relevant USPs, quantified skills, and memorable, well-prepared responses in your job interview.