May 15, 2009

What differentiates you from others for an Employer to hire you?


Though it's too late for me to write this stuff, I think it's better late than never. With the recession clouds still hovering largely with very less positive signs of them moving out soon, with so many jobs being lost day after day, with so many graduates passing out of the colleges in less than week, months’ time the unemployment rates are increasing. An estimated 5 lac (half a million) jobs were lost in the period between September - December '08 in India (http://supari.org/lost-jobs/). Close to 20 million Chinese have lost their jobs (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/20-million-Chinese-migrants-lose-jobs/418573/). More than 2 million have lost their jobs in USA in last 4 months (http://www.marxist.com/g20-capitalism-has-failed.htm). Combining all the lost jobs with the freshers in market the level of competition is increasing. The number of applications for a job which stood at x/job today might have reached 2x/job or 5x/job or may be more. However the point that I want to make here is "What is your differentiating factor?" "What x-factor do you have that makes you stand out from the crowd?"

Following are some ways that I feel would help the job seekers;

Well!!!!! To start with you should start networking, good networking. Millions of us use various social networking sites (don't want to name any specific ones, it's quite evident which ones I am talking about). It's not bad to use them. But why not use them to your advantage. Possessing good academics and marks is not the only requirement of the hour. You need to have something extra along with it. Only then will you be different. Linkedin, Facebook, Blogs are excellent ways to get into networking. We associate facebook with social networking. However we can use it in much better way. There are various educational, professional, corporate groups present on Facebook. Instead of posting party snaps one can post his/her snaps of office/college/social work. Don't you think such a picture of yours is better than the one where you celebrating in a party? Linkedin according to me is the strongest way to create an impact on recruiters. One's profile is completely visible on Linkedin. So why not use it to your advantage? It is a virtual resume of yours. Create good profiles and get some beautiful recommendations from your office colleagues, your classmates, your professors, your corporate partners which reflect your sincerity, your attitude, your passion (My Linkedin profile : http://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeetkshah). These things actually will make you stand out from the crowd and tempt the recruiter to shortlist your CV. Even here there are various groups to be part of and participate in the discussions that happen. Facebook has a 30% market share among all networking sites considered collectively followed by Linkedin at 10% (the figures that I know) and that does not surprise me a bit. Create a Blog and keep updating it regularly. A blog is a reflection of your thoughts, your mind and your attitude. Make an attempt to update it regularly with your thoughts on current affairs in society, industry, country and the world. It shows how active you are of the current on goings in and around you. And what more you can also display it on your Linkedin profile. There is this application called as the "BlogLink" provided by Linkedin which pulls in your blog titles (from your blog) and displays it on your Linkedin profile page. A single click on these titles and your blog is opened in a new page. All above sites I spoke about give you your dedicated user-link which you can mention on your CVs.

With the way things are going in market and the way the world is getting more and more tech savvy I feel and I would like to say it again "I feel" it's not only your skills but also your web presence that will matter a lot in coming days. The more your web presence the more is your participation/presence in the industry. The more will you be able to know what’s going on in your field. Physically you can be present only in fixed/limited/smaller geography.

One should also ensure that his/her CV is really well structured. All above things would be of waste if the candidate does not possess a well structured CV. Career Objective, Achievements, Participation should be presented in such a way that it catches the eye of the recruiter. The candidate should always be confident and should be able to answer every question that arises from the CV contents.

I can't assure that the above written stuff will guarantee a job but it will definitely help to make the task easy for you.

Do mention your thoughts over the content. Thanks!!!!!!!!

http://www.linkedin.com/in/sumeetkshah

7 comments:

Navin Khaware said...

Gud one Sumeet!!!!!!!!

There has to be X factor in an individual to be different!!!!1
It could be anything. One feedback from mine to upcoming graduates
"BE THE MASTER OF ONE AND JACK OF ALL TRADES"

Unknown said...

Hey dats great. Even we had tried using social networking sites for hiring employees. Althou d output was not all that great, but definitely web presence will matter in the future as many employers these days go for social networking sites

Unknown said...

Thanks Navin & Rasika. Both the inputs are important as Navin is working with Times Jobs and Rasika is an HR. Both are closely associated with the recruitments. Though would like to make it clear that Navin is a hardcore business development professional.

Unknown said...

Good Thought...
I have been associated with linkedin for around 3yrs now and have over 500+ connections... I have used the power of networking and Linkedin for my recruitments too...
It is more effective for Headhunting and also for the requirements which are very difficult & unique.

www.linkedin.com/in/ayushmehra

Prafull Jaiswal said...

Nice thought sumeet..
Thats for sure, networking is the best tool to get the opportunities and i am happy that some of us are manage to do it. As working on HR profile I would like to put some light on the second point of CV quality and structure. As this write up is for Job seeker and a job seeker should know about the resume, its structure and the its flow.

Basically there are four types of resumes: chronological, functional, combination, and curricula vitae (CVs). you can Choose a format that best fits your experiences and industry or one that you are comfortable with. Ultimately, the choice of resume format is up to candidate himself.

1. Chronological resumes present information in a time line approach. Typically, the most recent work or educational experience is listed first, followed by the next most recent. It illustrates how you have made progress towards your career objective through your employment history.

2. Functional resumes group work experience and skills by skill area or job function. Use functional resumes to point out your skills over your specific employment history. It highlights more relevant skills instead of position titles.

3. Combination resumes merge the chronological and functional styles. They present the knowledge, skills and abilities gained from work in a reverse-chronological order.

4. Curriculam vitae (CVs) are very different from resumes and are only used in certain positions and industries. Curricula vitae provide a detailed statement of your qualifications. CV's are more biographical in nature and are often used in higher education, science, and medicine.

Generally HR people and recruiter likes Functional or combination of chronological & functional because it gives the practical information about the candidate. So be sure what kind of resume you are having and whether it is going to attract the HR or recruiter.

Best luck....

Unknown said...

@ prafull...

Nice info prafull. I was never aware of all this stuff!!!!!

Unknown said...

@ Ayush...

Yup. LInkedin in is super source for recruiters. dat too free of cost