Be a Super Hero Candidate in Your Job Search

By: Christina M. Deck

So we all grew up with Batman, Superman, Thor, Spiderman, Captain America and WonderWoman, yes we watched in awe as they transformed from every day people into heroes in a minute. They rescued people from burning buildings and saved the world from the bad guys. We envied them and some of us wanted to grow up to be them. We would tell our moms and dads that we would be Superman someday and we would save the world.

In the workplace, we have the ability to be a superhero or as I would like to say a "superstar." We aren't performing death defying stunts or saving the world, but we are making a difference. Hiring managers like SuperStars candidates who rise to the challenge when things don't go their way. They want individuals who show tenacity.

They admire those individuals who have the drive to be a SuperStar in the workplace. In essence, that makes you a superhero in the workplace. You aren't the typical cookie cutter type of employee. When the computer crashes, the phones lines go dead for no reason and the fax machine is screeching out jamming messages to you, SuperStars don't lose their cool. When everything is falling apart, they figure out a way to solve problems and do the job no matter what and do it better. They become Leslie Knope. I apologize to my readers who don't understand my Parks and Rec reference.

How do you become a SuperStar Candidate in the Job Hunt Jungle? As you may know, we are coming out of the current recession, but the job market is still not an easy place to break into or navigate. How do you stand out from the pack of hungry job seeking candidates?

If you know of an individual who can mentor you during your job search, seek them out. They have knowledge and guidance to give you. Allow them to impart their wisdom upon you especially if they have been in the corporate world for decades. They will offer you great counsel like Yoda as you navigate the job market. They have been in your shoes too. They may be empathetic to your story or your circumstances. Allow them to share their experiences with you and offer their advice about addressing challenges.

Yes, I have read countless articles about how everyone sends their resumes to a hiring manager via email or via company web site. I have a couple tips so your resume doesn't end up in the blackhole of their inbox. Those hiring managers' inboxes are overflowing with candidates' resumes and cover letters. Here is my old school tip for you. Mail it. Fedex the package. Overnight it to the hiring manager. They will receive it the next day. They will open it, look at it and you will surpass their inbox with other applicants' resumes waiting to be read by the hiring manager. You will not be an email waiting to be deleted or overlooked. You don't want your resume to be an afterthought. You may well be on your way to an interview with them.

Many hiring managers are very selective about the hiring process. They are not going to waste their time in the current economy on the wrong hire. They do their research on candidates. In my last post, I stressed the importance of google'ing yourself. Recruiters now utilize google and Linkedln to find talent. Your google search is more important in 2014. Do not shove that under the rug. Also, post your information on zoominfo.com. Many recruiters utilize this site to find candidates and research candidates as well. LinkedIn offers job hunters a way to create summary and use it to their benefit. Many hiring managers highly recommend creating a LinkedIn account for yourself.

Customize your resume to the specific needs of the position. Target it to your audience. Yes, this takes more time, but sitting in your basement every day for 12 hours staring at the wall and wondering why you don't have job isn't productive either. Use specific terms and phrases related to their job posting. A hiring manager is more apt to look at a resume if it contains words and/or descriptions that fit the job description. Also, format your resume to a readable format for the hiring manager so if they do open it on their computer it is easily accessible and they don't have to spend 15 minutes trying to open it. Speak to their needs. The average time spend on a resume is 30 seconds so draw your audience in to your piece of writing.

Network. It's not what you know, but who you know. My mother use to tell me this when I was 22 and I had just graduated from college. I was searching for a job and applying to graduate school. At that time, I didn't understand the true power of networking. Tell everyone you know or meet that you are seeking a job. Seek out personal business connections. If you are applying for a certain position, meet people on the inside who can give your resume to a hiring manager. Find out who vendors and/or clients are of the company. Build a relationship with those people. I know this may sound silly, but make personal business cards to give to people. You can utilize Zazzle or another source for business cards. You can simply put a design on the front of the card and a name, phone number, email, web site on the back of the card. You can hand these out at business networking events. I recommend joining a young business professional group as well to network and meet other young professionals for those 22-40 in your area. Also, volunteer with your free time. It is another great way to network and meet people. It is also a resume builder. You can only devote so much of your day to finding a job.

Attend conferences/events where you can learn more about your field and/or changes and current developments. It never hurts to educate yourself. Also, if you have a local community college, it may be beneficial to enroll in a course to update your skill set too.

Feature and highlight the testimonials from LinkedIn on your resume. Ask your references to write a positive testimonial about you or ask a former client/colleague to write a testimonial about your skill set or your professional background. It will build your credibility and character.

Ask the right questions in the interview. Many candidates do not know the questions to ask or simply say they have no questions. Research online questions to ask or be prepared with a list of questions to ask the hiring manager. For example, ask what the job duties will every day? What is the company work style like? Do they allow autonomous work? Do they value teamwork? How long have they been in business? Do they allow volunteer work during company time? What are the benefits? Are the hours 8-5 or are they flexible? Do they allow overtime?

Lastly and most importantly, have patience.

C Emery Scott