Thousands of applicants are out there trying to show the hiring manager that they’re the best person for the job.
So, how do you stand out within that context?
Even if you have all the ideal experience, skills, and qualifications, what matters is whether or not you can communicate this effectively to your employers.
In this article, we’ll cover how to position yourself as the best candidate for the job and 6 steps you can take to showcase your value.
5 Example Qualities of an Ideal Candidate
Aside from the skills required for the job position, there are other resume skills that are beneficial to have in the workplace. These contribute to making your application stand out and showing that you’re a strong fit for the company.
Leadership Skills
Recruiters value someone that can take the initiative to lead the team and bring out the best in them. If you’re capable of improving the overall team performance, it’s one way to exceed the standard expectations of the job title responsibilities.
Resilience
This relates to your mental fortitude and having the strength to persevere in difficult situations.
From time to time, there will be unexpected problems that show up. But, being capable of working under pressure without letting it get to you can bring a positive influence on the team’s morale and productivity.
Work Ethic
Having a strong work ethic leads to better job performance and satisfaction. More importantly, it means you’re more likely to keep on top of your work and complete your tasks to a good standard.
Growth Mindset
A growth mindset means believing that you can develop your skills and abilities through hard work.
In other words, having an optimistic outlook and a strong willingness to grow as a person. This helps with cultivating a thriving work environment and it adds to the long-term value that you could bring to the table.
Curiosity
If you’re naturally curious about something, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll take action.
For example, self-studying and doing extensive research. This also has a positive correlation with problem-solving and workplace engagement as you’re likely to take a proactive approach to find answers.
How to Position Yourself as the Best Candidate for the Job
There are 6 steps you can take to position yourself as the best candidate and stand out from the crowd. As a general rule of thumb, a good approach is to stick to your strengths and align them with what the hiring manager is looking for in their ideal employee.
1. Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description
A resume is like a factual report where you talk about your professional background. This includes things such as:
- Academic achievements
- Skills
- Work experience
- Credentials
However, tailoring your resume means making your application specific to the company’s job description that you’re applying for.
As a job seeker, it’s your responsibility to identify the skill set the employers are expecting.
Then, translate those values into your resume. Here’s one example of how a candidate tailored their application.
In this engineer resume template, the applicant has chosen to use two additional resume sections that are relevant.
The subtle difference in approach can help with making an impression on your employers. For instance, having one section header as “engineering licenses” and including relevant coursework is more unique than sticking to the traditional format.
2. Personalize Your Cover Letter
Tailoring your resume is one thing. But, you could also apply the same concepts from the previous step to personalize your cover letter.
Use this opportunity to showcase how you match the company’s cultural values. This means aligning with their mission and core beliefs.
On top of that, you can show a bit more subjectivity and show how you’re genuinely passionate about your line of work. Even having a few paragraphs that go in-depth about why you’re the best person to hire can say a lot.
3. Talk About Other Competencies
Competencies refer to the qualities of an ideal candidate.
As mentioned earlier, there are other skills you could put on your resume. For instance, having good communication skills are beneficial for working in a team environment.
So, including this or any other relevant abilities can show employers that you could do your job well. This is a great way of showing that you’re a good match for the role in addition to standing out by having qualities that not many other candidates have.
4. Exceed the Expectations of Your Hiring Manager
Tick all the boxes of what your hiring manager is expecting.
In other words, meet all the expectations that the job description entails as well as the company’s cultural values. Otherwise, you won’t make it past the applicant tracking system (ATS), which filters job seekers based on specific criteria.
Alternatively, if you’ve been given the opportunity to work in a trial project or trial shift, go above and beyond by doing more than the standard expectations.
5. Demonstrate Industry Expertise
Highlight your industry expertise by listing your credentials. For example:
- Publications
- Testimonials
- References
- Your network
- Achievements
Reading through career highlights is likely to leave an impression as it indicates a degree of skills and perceived value. You could also demonstrate industry knowledge in an interview by talking about the results you were responsible for.
Another tip is to use technical jargon appropriately to showcase your expertise.
6. Talk About Your Values
Employers are keen to build a team of people that are self-driven and passionate.
While your resume should be focused on the company’s needs, you should still imply your own values and interests. This gives them insight into your long-term value and whether or not you’re an employee that they could retain.
After all, it’s more expensive to go out and recruit someone new again than it is to retain an existing employee.
Sell Yourself by Focusing On the Value You Can Bring to the Company
It’s important that you don’t just play the part – you also have to look the part.
When it comes to job hunting, you’re essentially selling the value that you could bring to the company you’re applying for. That means it’s your duty to translate those values into your resume, cover letter, and during the interview.
One common mistake to avoid is making your application all about yourself. Since you’re focusing on meeting the company’s needs, it should mostly be about them.
Translate Your Professional Value Into a Hireable ATS Resume
The key takeaway from this article is that you need to communicate your value effectively.
In order to do that, it’s vital to tailor your application and showcase your strengths in accordance with what the company is looking for.
But, an easy way to position yourself as the best candidate is to use Rezi’s AI resume builder.
It’s designed to target a specific job description and for you to write in a way that resonates with your employers.
Out of the 176,000+ job seekers that created a resume with Rezi, 62.18% have secured an interview.
If you’d like to be next, try giving Rezi a go. You can get started at no cost!
Explore Rezi 🔥 Comes with 5,000 AI Credits, and is free forever, no credit card required.
Have Confidence in Your Ability
Confidence always sells.
If you’re unsure about something or experiencing a challenging situation, have confidence in your ability to overcome it. As long as you’re persistent enough to find the answer and the hiring managers can sense that, you’ll have a stronger chance of securing your next job opportunity.
To finish off, I’ll leave this quote here by Richard Branson:
“If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”
