Key Takeaways
- Apply for the right roles: Don't be discouraged by the number of applicants. Focus on applying for roles in this job market that are a good fit for your skills and experience.
- Optimise your resume and portfolio: Make sure your resume and portfolio are up-to-date and highlight your relevant skills and experience.
- Leverage your network: Connect with people in your field and let them know you are looking for a job.
- Build relationships: Attend industry events and meetups to build relationships with potential employers.
- Highlight your skills and experience: When applying for a job, be sure to highlight your skills and experience that are most relevant to the position.
Networking has become so important in this tough economy, and in some ways, it has come full circle. Back in the day—I’m talking about the 90’s and showing my age—when it came to job searching and how to stand out in a crowded job market, “who you knew” played a factor in leapfrogging into your dream job and fostering positive and progressive career pathways.
As we and technology grew, complex ecosystems evolved alongside mandatory qualifications and study requirements—which always existed but they became the minimum requirement in most industries. “What you know” and your experience became so much more relevant than “who you know”.
As we navigate an economy impacted by company and corporate restructures and redundancies, we see creative teams operating lean and an abundance of skilled talent are on the search for their next role. This translates to more applications per role and more competition, so getting “cut through” in this job market is very important.
We are finding that both of these pillars are now essential in our current market; WHAT YOU KNOW and WHO YOU KNOW.
“Leveraging your experience as well as tapping into your network and building relationships, will assist in you getting the cut-through needed for the right job opportunities.”
How to stand out in a competitive job market
Below are my top three tips for optimising “what you know” and “who you know”
1. Ensure you have an up-to-date and optimised resume and portfolio.
There has never been a more important time to have an optimised, updated and relevant Resume and online folio. 90% of portfolios are websites, so it is important to ensure your portfolio is seamless to navigate. This is crucial, as this will allow Hiring Managers to view specific work relevant to what they are looking for.
Think smart and think “user experience” in your portfolio:
- Think like a hiring manager looking for specific skills or experience. How fast can I navigate your portfolio to find what I'm looking for to solve my problems and the skills required in the role?
- How is your resume layout? How are you using the space, typography, and headings? Ensure you are building out your own personal brand, in both your resume and portfolio.
2. Lean into your network and start networking
- Connect online and in person and consider attending meetups within your community to build relationships.
- Connect online with companies you want to work for and with hiring managers and leads
- Ensure you are commenting and engaging on posts within your network to build your online presence.
- There has never been a more pivotal time to look out for one another, recommend colleagues, attend community meetups and get to know who is in your community. This will also enable you to stay up to date with emerging trends.
3. Don't hesitate to apply for the right roles aligned with your experience
In this current job market, there are more than likely hundreds of applications for each role. It can be quite daunting. I’m here to reassure you that 95% of these applications are not the right fit.
“When you see a role that you feel is perfect for you and you have a match on the skills and experience required, it's important to lean in and not be disillusioned by how many others have applied.”
- To stand out in a crowded job market, apply and go over and above to highlight why your skills and experience match the criteria and requirements through the above channels.
- Address the job post selection criteria and highlight how your experience is what is needed for the position. Write to hiring managers and although cover letters are used less these days, if you are going to take the time to write a cover letter or an email—this is what needs to be seen here–you should address the job criteria.
- Validate these points listed on the job post and highlight your experience. As recruiters, we know when the skills and experience, location, and culture are a complete match, so being authentic in your pursuit has never been more required than now.
Optimise your Linkedin profile
Make sure that you have your open-to-work banner on your Linkedin profile, or if you do not want this for privacy reasons, you must ensure that your contact details are on your Linkedin profile so that you can be contacted. This includes having your website portfolio link in your bio on LinkedIn and your email address both on LinkedIn and in your portfolio.
Lastly, be contactable, be responsive, check your emails and respond swiftly.
About the author
Hello, I'm Lisa! I'm a talent agent here at Aquent, specialising in freelance, contract and permanent creative recruitment. This includes but is not limited to areas such as UX/UI and Product design, Digital & Visual Design, Graphic Design and Finished Art, at all levels. I'm looking to connect with designers across digital, print, user interface and within the HCD space, to expand my connections and get to know the wonderful talent in this community. I bring experience from co-owning a business in the advertising industry, paired with my drive and passion for helping people as a Lifeline counsellor, to this realm to help creative talent find work they love and clients find the best match for their specific needs. I love working closely with my clients and talent to build successful outcomes. I would describe myself as approachable, creative and driven. What drives me is leading by example to imprint a legacy of kindness and empowerment.
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