5 Ways to Become More “Hireable”

Opportunity is out there.

Are you ready to seize it…or feeling a little unsure about your chances?

Recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers receive countless applications for a typical position. Your job is to convince them that you’re the ideal person for the role at every stage of the hiring process.

How can you prove that you’re the perfect choice?

In this post, our national employment agency explains five ways to stack the deck in your favor and improve your candidacy for the job you really want.

5 Ways to Make Yourself More Hireable

1. Find a way to distinguish yourself.

What makes you unique? What can you offer an employer that no other individual can? If you’re just another “me too” candidate with a resume and elevator pitch full of cliches, recruiters will quickly take a pass. Spend some time defining a personal brand for yourself: a concise overview of the distinct benefits and/or value you bring to the table. Read “How to Build a Personal Brand” to learn more about developing your Unique Selling Proposition.

2. Do your homework.

If you really want to stand out as a candidate, prove to the employer that you’ve taken the time to learn about their company: its industry, customers, competitors, business goals, values, mission, and more. Here are a few examples of how to do that:

a. In your cover letter, mention aspects of the company’s values or vision that appeal to you – and explain why.

b. In the job interview, ask a question about a recent news item you’ve read about the company, or a fact you learned about their history.

3. Connect the dots.

Make it easy for a hiring decision-maker to view you as the ideal candidate by spelling out exactly how your experience, skills, and goals align with both the role and the company as a whole. Compile a list of the top three or four requirements for the role, and then think back through your career to find evidence that demonstrates you possess those skills. Edit your resume to include that information, or weave these points into your cover letter and elevator pitch.

4. Display a positive attitude.

Being out of work is tough, but there is no shame in being unemployed in our current economy. Don’t beat yourself up! Choose a positive attitude every day while you’re on the job hunt. Remember: Employers want to hire enthusiastic, optimistic, confident people. By consciously deciding to be upbeat and visualizing success, you adopt the right mindset – which is the first step in exuding the characteristics that make you hireable.

5. Show you have the soft skills today’s employers want most.

Job skills are undeniably important, but soft/transferable skills are more critical in our new economy than ever. To make yourself a more desirable job candidate, seize every opportunity to showcase your:

Flexibility: Your ability to roll with the punches and adapt to change.
Reliability: Your ability to show up, work hard, and accomplish what you set out to do, every day.
Empathy: Your ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand their feelings.

Read this post to learn the top 6 soft skills that will make you more hireable in the modern workplace.

Need help with your job search?

PrideStaff can help you put your best foot forward and get to work quickly. With more than 80 offices across the nation, we have a wide range of temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire administrative jobs, professional jobs, IT jobs, and light industrial jobs available.

Get started today! Contact the PrideStaff office in your area to find out more about great local job opportunities.7r5t