Brought to you by Jenny White, MD of White Now www.whitenow.com.au
There are no ‘Houdini magic tricks’ or ‘David Copperfield smoke and mirrors’ when it comes to winning that ideal job in today’s current job climate, but there are some tips that you simply HAVE TO take note of if you want to beat your colleagues to the post. The current trend is to AVOID putting together a resume along the traditional guidelines. The trend is to try and STAND OUT from your colleagues and be different. Employers are now looking for your ‘Unique Selling Points’…. How are YOU different to someone else? If you present yourself and your documents the same as everyone else, then that simply doesn’t make you stand out. Consider yourself as a ‘unique product or service’ that you want to sell to your new employer. How are you going to do that?
Well here are just a few of our 40 SECRET Tips:
- Personalise your cover letter to the person who will be receiving it (it makes them feel special);
- Visit the business/venue BEFORE you write your cover letter THEN mention in your cover letter some of the great stuff that you witnessed on your visit;
- Make sure that your LinkedIn and Facebook pages are super professional with a bit of marketing flair thrown in. A smart prospective employer will be checking you out online;
- If you have done a bunch of great stuff in the community, mention it in your resume. Kindhearted people are always sought after;
- Gather some great words that people have said about you and use these comments as short testimonials in your resume. People take note when a third party recommends you;
- Don’t focus on the duties that you perform when writing your resume, it is all about what you have ACHIEVED in your roles, not that you simply ‘did’ the role;
- The achievements that you outline in your resume should be measurable. Talk about the percentages, numbers and dollars that you positively increased or decreased. Impress with numbers and figures;
- Leave your birth date and marital status OFF your resume. People DO discriminate even if they try not to.
- You probably won’t even get an interview if you have a typo in your resume, because your colleagues who are also applying won’t have a single typo …. They will get the interview over you.
- Before you go into an interview, know every person’s name, position and background on the interview panel. They all know YOUR name, but they will be super impressed and super engaged if you know THEIR names and use them.
- Take a pen / paper or better still, an iPad / tablet to take notes at an interview. Seriously, would you ever think of going to a meeting without these?
Success in life is all about managing risk, creating relationships and being unique. When you are going for a role, think of the salary package on offer and consider about what steps you would take to win this if it was a prize. Job hunting is a ‘game of skill’ and NOT a ‘game of chance’. Let’s say the package is $130,000 and you are down to the final 5. You have 1 in 5 chances to win $130,000. Surely you would go above and beyond what anyone else is doing if you knew the winner was based on how you are different to everyone else.
Quote from Jim Rohn: “I remember saying to my mentor, ‘If I had more money, I would have a better plan.’ He quickly responded, ‘I would suggest that if you had a better plan, you would have more money.’ You see, it’s not the amount that counts; it’s the plan that counts.”
To find your perfect role in the Club, Gaming and Hospitality Industry, or to get 29 more fabulous Secret Tips, check out www.whitenow.com.au – the place where all the jobs are at !