How Can You Give Yourself An Edge In A Difficult Job Market?

How Can You Give Yourself An Edge In A Difficult Job Market?

The current rate of unemployment in the UK is 8.4% and in Ireland it sits at 14.2%. As a result there is greater competition for fewer jobs. How can you give yourself an edge in these difficult times? For the past 4 years, large volumes of candidates have persistently pursued a small number of jobs. The job market continues to remain tough. In the current climate it’s even more important that applicants stand out more than ever. It’s not enough to be have a good CV or do a good interview, you have to be great! To be successful in today’s job market, applicants must show themselves to be extraordinary.

Extraordinary what do we mean by that? You must outline the behaviours and characteristics that can best separate the everyday to exemplary.

Innovation
Business is proving to be an increasingly competitive environment in 2012. Therefore the ability to offer clear strategies for the future must be combined with unending commitment to innovation in approach, concept and delivery. Exceptional candidates will enter an organisation, identify opportunities and introduce new ideas. How can a job applicant show off his/her innovative thinking? Proof of ability to deliver is essential. Applicants must give examples of real-life application and how it has benefited your current or previous employer. They must show how their career has gained momentum based on their ability to find new solutions. The candidate must tell a believable story furnished with facts.

Strategic Thinking
Clear strategic thought is a pre requisite in business today. Business is constantly changing. Excellent candidates must show they can identify future growth areas. The next big thing, being ahead of the curve. Once identified they need to consider how the firm may take advantage of market conditions and redefine strategies in light of these trends. Strategic thought requires being aware of broad market movements and knowing the ambitions and concerns of the company and suggest clear achievable solutions that satisfy both.

Enthusiasm
You may have heard it “Attitudes are contagious, is yours worth catching” The best place for a candidate to be enthusiastic is at interview. Although interviews can sometimes feel robotic, a visibly enthusiastic approach can make all of the difference. It proves an applicant is after this specific job, not any old job. It’s important to actually be enthusiastic about the role and in communicating a willingness to work hard, put in the hours and not only perform the duties required on the spec, but add to it and perform a whole lot more.
An excellent candidate will research the company and the job profile thoroughly and genuinely have this enthusiasm about the business and role.

Back to Basics
Honesty and integrity in everything you do. Candidates should walk before they can run. Many forget the basics while trying to prove themselves perfect. A nervous throwaway remark said at interview can determine an outcome of an otherwise exemplary performance. Candidates should have a clear, concise business-like CV, which accurately reflects the academic and work achievements and ensure above all they are relevant for the role. Potential employers are obsessed with recruitment risk and although they want excellence they also want reassurance. Brilliance can be attractive, but the ideal candidate will understand that even brilliance needs to be anchored to the mundane.