How to Stand Out if You Can’t Impress In-Person
By Michaela Acuyado
One of the difficulties of a jobseeker in a virtual job market is how he or she can impress the hiring employers. It is really true that without an in-person contact or appearance, most especially in a job interview, will create a disadvantage on the part of the jobseeker to showcase or sell her/himself.
Amidst the pandemic that we are in, every job seeker must find a way to make a place for him/her in the virtual job market.
This is why we outlined some tips for you to be able to stand out and impress the hiring employers without an in-person contact.
Tips on how to stand out in a virtual job market
- Be ready to work ASAP.
If you want to have an advantage over the other applicants or jobseekers in the virtual job market, then make yourself readily available to work.
Most hiring employers in the remote world hire employees for a job that needs to be filled in immediately.
Most of these hiring employers are really busy and wanted a quick result so their business operations will continue operating without any delay.
This is the reason why they need someone who can start the job immediately or as soon as possible to have a smooth flow of business operations, to fix what is needed to be fixed immediately or attend to what is needed to be attended to immediately.
Being able to make yourself available to work immediately will give you an edge over other applicants. You can indicate this readiness to work in your resume.
- Update your resume and cover letter.
If you want to impress the hiring employers in the virtual job market, make sure to have an impressive cover letter and resume.
They say that first impression last, so see to it that the hiring employers’ first impression on you will last. How do you do it? Your resume and cover letter will do the job for you.
All you have to do is to make your cover letter and resume always updated.
Make sure that you update your resume to the most recent jobs, skills and achievements that you have.
Also, an updated resume means it is in line with the current job position that you are applying for. What the job requires for the knowledge and skills must also be in your resume.
Well, you don’t have to fake it. Just make sure your resume contains one or two or most of the required qualifications of the job.
Another thing to remember in updating your resume is to make it look professional. A professional resume means that it is neat and clean, free from error whether typographically or false information, and it is grammatically correct and is structured and formatted well.
- Participate in an Online Job fair.
Participating in an online job fair or virtual hiring event increases your chances of getting noticed by most hiring employers.
It is like going to every hiring establishment physically and applying jobs but it’s just that you are doing this virtually.
It’s hard to just stay in the corner and just wait for someone to reply to your application. So make the most of your time waiting by searching for online job fairs or virtual hiring events and be sure to attend and participate in.
Being able to display yourself there and showcase your knowledge and skills during that fair will give you the edge of having more contacts or being known already to hiring managers and they will already have your resumes and portfolio to look at for reference in case you might be considered for other job openings.
- Find connections and ask their help.
Yes, you read it right!. Connections still and will always be of great help whether you are in a non-virtual or virtual job market.
So always make time to create connections and connect to people most especially those who are influential and have high positions in the company that he/she is working.
Surely, you will be needing their help. It may not be now but surely they can help you.
Those connections may be the ones to help you land a job in the virtual job market because maybe they can recommend you to their employers or they also have some connections that can recommend you to a job.
- Do well in the job interview.
How do you perform well in a virtual job interview?
The secret – be confident! Talk like you own the stage and the moment. Talk as if the hiring employers are really physically present in-person.
Showcase what you have to showcase – all your knowledge, skills, talents and all the desirable traits that you have, most especially those traits that the job requires.
Converse to them naturally. Smile and be relaxed. Answer questions calmly and ask questions with eagerness to know and learn.
Show them the enthusiasm that you really want the job and that you are really determined to get the job.
Lastly, be honest and genuine. Show them that you’re such a nice and friendly person. Let them be able to see how wonderful you are and how beautiful your heart is. Show them the values you uphold.
Don’t’ forget to never be rude and always be professional.
