Standing Out as a Candidate
Earlier this year, research by iCIMS showed that on average every UK job opening was receiving 43 applications – over 40% more than a year before. If you’re applying for a role, it most likely is a logical progression from your previous experience and utilises your specific knowledge – which means both of those things will also be true of most of the candidates you’re up against. With fierce competition for roles, how can you make sure that you stand out from a field of applicants who have a similar career history and skill set?
1. Research & React
Learn all that you can about the company, the role and the current market – and then put that into practice. Customise your CV to highlight and focus on the skills and knowledge that will be most relevant for your new position and employer. Formulate questions to ask in the interview that go beyond the information you’ve been able to find publicly or gleam from the job description – demonstrating that you’ve already learned all you can about your potential employer. A quick search of the web and a glance at their homepage isn’t going to be enough here – putting time and effort into building knowledge and putting into practice will make it clear that you care about and are invested in this job opportunity.
2. Keep It Specific
And while you’re tweaking that CV to bring out the relevant details – see if you can tighten it up and make it as specific as possible. Everyone applying for your targeted role is going to include a mention that they’re a good collaborator who works well in a team – but if you add in a specific example of a project where you harnessed the skills and knowledge of colleagues that differ from yours, that immediately makes a stronger case for you as a candidate. Try to do this for each of your key qualities throughout your CV; think about specific scenarios you can cite, not just having each of the right keywords in your resume.
3. Build a Better Footprint – Share Knowledge
Your hiring manger is going to Google you – this is a given, and I think candidates in our sector are already aware of this and will make sure not to have anything embarrassing visible on public social media that might be off-putting to an employer. What can really help you stand out though is taking the next step and creating a positive search footprint – the easiest way to do this is to make regular LinkedIn posts sharing your knowledge and thoughts on industry topics. Assume that your LinkedIn is going to be looked at, and make sure that when it is they don’t just see a thorough job history but also recent posts from you demonstrating that you really understand and care about your work and your sector.
4. Communicate
Keeping communication open and frequent throughout the hiring process is vital, especially when you’re up against similar candidates. If you and someone else with a near identical CV both have a good first interview, but only you send a follow-up thank you e-mail, you’re going to stand out. Keep messages like this concise, but not generic – reference something specific that was discussed in the interview, maybe include a link to something you’ve written or share a relevant past piece of work that was talked about. Keep the tone warm but professional and use the opportunity to keep yourself at the forefront of the hiring managers mind as someone who is really enthusiastic about this opportunity.
5. Work With a Great Recruiter
One way to ensure a good flow of communication throughout the hiring journey is to work with a great recruiter. At Kind Consultancy we pride ourselves on developing strong collaborative relationships with our clients, keeping in regular contact with all parties up until your first day at your new job – and beyond. Clients trust us to deliver relevant, exceptional candidates, thanks to our niche expertise and our working approach which enables us to develop an in-depth understanding of every role we work on. Working with a specialist recruiter like Kind allows you to benefit from our expertise around hiring practices in our niches, giving you an advantage over other candidates.
Recent endorsements from candidates have included that their Kind Consultancy recruitment consultant “truly went out of their way to keep my updated, without prompting throughout the progress of my application” and that they were “always friendly, quick to respond and helpful in handling any queries I had”, and another candidate fed back that their consultant was “approachable and very informative”, showing “clear interest in the interview process” and remaining “very professional when liaising with me regarding my new role”.
If you’re ready for your next role in Financial Services, take a look at our current opportunities on our job board, and if nothing fits your skills, register your CV so we can get in touch once we find something that is right for you.
– James Hardy, Senior Recruitment Consultant
