Are you sitting there thinking it doesn’t matter how much I put into my job search, my resume, even into updating my skills, I have the knowledge and the ambition, but I still can’t land that job. What is it then are you lacking or missing? As the competition gets fierce and the job market shrinks some job seekers are taking even further action to improve their chances and to stand out from the crowd – they are achieving this by changing their appearance in the hopes of making a stronger impression on potential employers.
Many job seekers have taken it upon themselves and changed something about their appearance to help them appeal more to employers. Some of the changes others have made include having their hair colour or hair style changed, changed their way of dressing to appear either younger or older than they are. Women have lost weight, worn less – or more – makeup than usual and some have even gone as far as whitening their teeth. Removing facial piercings; wearing glasses or covering tattoos, with some going as far as changing their whole online – social media persona to look more professional.
Of course there are other ways to expand your career options including – applying for a job you are too qualified for – any work is better than none. Taking on a job for less pay can help make ends meet for a while – with some job seekers even moving to another township or state to find a job. So with many being out of the work force for many months – or even years – how can you stay competitive? How can you mould your background to sound more appealing and relevant to potential employers?
Here are a few simple tips to help you gain that slight advantage.
Volunteer – a great way to not only build up your CV, but to make new friends and contacts is to be a volunteer – from animal shelters to soup kitchen to charity stores, you can gain valuable skills and experience with many employers considering volunteering as equivalent experience. Gaining your skills through paid work, or volunteering – you still possess the skills needed no matter how you achieved them.
Repackage the skills you have – write a few different versions of your resume that will appeal to a wider range of employers and jobs – but keep in mind that some skills can be universal and are useful to a variety of different jobs and fields.
Re-write you CV and fill it with key-words – some employers use electronic scanners to rank the applications they have received. When you write your CV try and include as many key-words from the employer’s ad as you can as long as they fit your experience. This way your application will be ranked towards the top of the pile and not the bottom.
Use social media to your advantage – Promote yourself and your skills on the different social networking sites, but be sure to remove any photos or content that might hurt your chances of getting that interview.
Have you changed anything about yourself to get a job or an interview? Did these changes help? Do you have any advice – dos or don’ts for our readers?
