Why do we work so hard to fit in while we are born to stand out?

How to stand out from the crowd is one of the most asked questions when people turn to me. You do loads of things to be noticed, but none of them makes a lasting impression. Why is this? These are the things you struggle with:

• Recruiters tell you you get noticed by just being you. But who is “you”? They tell you to put heart and soul into your application. But what do they mean by this?
• You followed all tips and tricks about standing out of the crowd, you are active on LinkedIn and you still don’t get noticed. How can this be?

While conducting a job search, these 2 basic principles are important to stand out from the crowd.

You are going to make the difference.

During the “Meet the recruiter” talk in the Facebook group How to find a job in the Netherlands, the recruiter mentioned that she wants to see some specifics about you and your way of working in your application. Especially in your objective overview and your cover letter.

Your application is the first impression and I want to get to know you by reading your resume. This means your application should reflect your personality. I want to get to know you while reading your resume and cover letter. And when I meet you in person, I want this image to be consistent. In the end, hiring you is about the personal click and the feeling you can get the job done for me.

What I notice when people hire me to work with them, is that they have no idea about the way they work and how this is perceived by others. Knowing yourself, your way of working and how you get results is your key to success. During the Design your Career week, you will get the tools to discover your greatest assets.

Consistency is key if you want to stand out

I am always talking about the 4 C’s of applying: Being Concrete (specific), Being correct, Being consistent and Being complete.

And standing out has a lot to do with consistency. Consistency is key.

For example: When your application tells me you are a sporty person and in real life, you are not doing any sports and can’t explain to me why – you don’t have an injury that prevents you to do sports – that will raise some eyebrows.

This goes for your way of working as well. Have examples that support your way of working and explain how you get results, help you to establish a consistent image of you.

Via LinkedIn Adam reached out to me. He was a great marketing guy who walked the talk in his area of expertise. He chose specific colours for his resume and his LinkedIn profile has the same look and feel. I asked him about it and he could explain the reasons why and I could tell he gave it some thought. He is actively creating a consistent image of himself. Like I said he walks the talk.

And this also means that your resume and cover letter don’t need many changes for every new application you want to send out. Putting the energy in to build a great one that reflects you will safe you loads of frustration and energy in the long run. It will generate more leads and attract more recruiters to your profile than ever before. If you wish to know how to do this, I’ll be happy to tell you more. Send me a message on marielle@mariellobels.com and let’s talk.