If your dream job has eluded you so far, you’re not alone. Let’s face it, most of us don’t always know what we really want to do. But if you’ve been able to figure out what your true career-love is, you’re one of the lucky ones, and you’re about to get a whole lot luckier. Now that you’re ahead of the game, here’s the easy part - these 3 things will get the attention of any employer:

Have a Better Resume

“Put some ‘Umph’ into it!”

The best way to rebuild your resume is to start with your mental attitude toward what it is. First of all, we all know we’re supposed to tailor each resume to the job we’re applying for. Assuming you’re taking that great advice, consider this: A resume is a marketing tool. But what most people overlook when applying for that perfect job is that this “tool” needs to reflect who you really are. These days, employers are hiring more on “fit” and personality than ever before. That makes it even more important to not camouflage, massage, and tailor your marketing tool till it says what you think they want to hear. Instead, put a piece of yourself onto paper; make your resume stand out as a genuine, refreshing statement about what you’ve done, what’s important to you, and how your character can help this company accomplish specific things. Metaphorically speaking, have your resume look people straight in the eye, shake their hand, and tell ‘em what you’re about.

With the Labour Shortage upon us, most employers are half desperate as it is. And all resumes look the same. Stand out with your effort to be fresh, honest, and prepared for what they need.

A word of caution: The standard frameworks for resumes (chronological, functional, etc.) are still the best - employers understand how to use them. Its your self-expression and the content that need an overhaul. Just remember that this is still a professional document that must be efficient and useful. So stay away from Pink or Blue paper squiggly writing, or cute graphics. It’s the real you they’re interested in.

Be Better Prepared

Build Your Own Insight about this “perfect” employer.

What’s the difference between “facts” and “insight”? Facts are things everyone has access to… stats, annual reports, dress codes, and general things that you should know about a prospective employer. Be sure you have done your research to learn the names of important people in the company, projects they might have an interest in, competitors they have. But its “Insight” that makes people sit up and listen. Insight about those facts and how they relate to and impact the company of your dreams is what will get you the job offer. In all my years in recruitment, I’ve rarely interviewed people who have spent the time to think about how and why things fit together, and were thoughtful enough to be able to communicate that to me. The ones who have… work here.

Secondly, it’s important to prepare some solid, insightful questions to ask the employer - whether in an interview, on the phone, or in writing. Leave your easy and common questions at home. Your questions will say something about how much thought you put into the opportunity before hand. Above all, the questions you ask must broaden the listener’s view of how insightful you are about the opportunity, the company, the industry, their business, their people, their goals, their competitors.

Advice: Nothing makes a better statement about your willingness to go the extra mile and your enthusiasm for a job than to have insight about the needs, interests and experience of a company and its existing people. Who do they hire and why? Who are their competitors, and what do they do well?

Thank You, Thank You.

Thank Them.

Times have changed. Ask your parents. In the old days, people were appreciative and polite. Thank goodness those days are gone. Why? No one says thank you anymore, so you’ll stand out when you do. A hand written Thank You note that comes in the mail will get read first every time. It transcends the business into the personal, and people (who are also known as “employers”) love it. And isn’t that the kind of attention everyone needs when they’re competing for their dream job?

The simplest way to summarize my advice is this: Stand out. Big time. And you can’t expect to “fake” standing out. The way to really make recruiters and hiring managers notice you is to appeal to their own sense of what makes you different. And those things are always the same: Preparation, demonstrated willingness to go the extra mile, a more thoughtful resume, acquire knowledge about the company in advance, and go out of your way to say thank you at the end. It all boils down to an old fashioned work ethic, and the obvious ability to work with people.

—————-

Steve Baldwin is CEO of Officejobs.com. With dual head offices in Canada, Officejobs.com serves reputable employers nationally. Expert recruiters provide insight and advice to employers and job seekers alike, combining advanced online recruitment technologies with old fashioned wisdom.