Ten Things Candidates Can Do To Stand Out From The Crowd
If you're here, you're probably a digital marketer. I mean, if you're not, or you don't want to be one, you're probably a bit lost but you're welcome anyway.
And if you're here, you're perhaps looking for a new role.
That's rather a lot of you right now, so what can you do to stand out from the crowd? As a digital marketer, you're perfectly positioned to distinguish yourself - so here are ten brilliant ways for candidates to get noticed that we've seen recently.
Sort out that headshot
If you think that your photo from down the pub several years ago is going to make a difference, think again. People make snap judgements and your LinkedIn profile headshot can make or break you within the very first second of being viewed. Keep it clean, keep a plain background, keep it professional!
Work on your LinkedIn title & bio
How long has it been since you updated either? If you're searching for a new role, try using the words 'seeking new opportunities' in the job title and the bio so that you can be found. And get your skills in there, too. People are searching for people with your skills, so it does help if you mention them.
Record a video introduction
Introduce yourself to hiring managers with a 1-minute video intro. You've got 60 seconds to sell yourself, so find a nice background, sort your hair out, write a script and get some fancy video editing software - even Canva will do.
Go old style - send a cover letter
Tsk! Who sends cover letters any more? No one, that's who. At least not in our industry. So why not go old style and put pen to paper, shout about why you'd be brilliant for this role and why this employer can't afford not to hire you.
Get personal
You're a digital marketer. Which means you've probably got access to some research tools and databases. Why not find out how the company is doing in search results, how much they're potentially spending on paid search or what levels of engagement they're seeing on social media. Tell them straight away how you'd improve things.
Prepare a branded pitch deck
When I was at the digital agency, I'd prepare every pitch deck in the client's branding. Why not do that for the company you're applying to? Send them a personalised pitch deck with your experience, some research into their digital footprint and what you'd do if you were hired.
Be a storyteller
We all have a story to tell, so think of your own career history as a story. Everything leads to here. What knockbacks did you have? How did you overcome them? What have you learned along the way? My own story is that of a self-taught marketer who ran a magazine, went into HR marketing and then went agency-side, ending up MD of a digital agency before founding a recruitment consultancy. What's yours?
If you're looking for your first role, roll your sleeves up
Many employers LOVE a side-hustle. Or a blog, or a YouTube channel or evidence that you've used your formative years to develop skills that would be handy in the workplace. If you're looking to get into the profession, it really gives you an edge if you've demonstrated your abilities online.
Use Your Skills
Why not run a local Google Ads campaign or write an InMail campaign to local companies on LinkedIn? Or perhaps design your CV on Canva, have it professionally printed and drop it round to companies you'd love to work for? There are so many inventive ways for digital marketers to get noticed, using the skills they already have.