By Technology has caused a dramatic shift in all areas of our lives – nothing has been left untouched, and largely for the better. One of the most noticeable changes has come from the recruitment industry; sending out resumes and cover letters by post and picking up physical application forms from businesses are essentially a thing of the past.
Technology has made applying for jobs easier than ever, but this has a downside for applicants – it has made the jobs market significantly more competitive. You’ll really need to shine to stand out in the modern jobs market, and doing so is no easy feat. Fortunately, the very thing that has led to the uptick in competition can offer all the tools you need to stand out among your peers. The savvy use of tech can make it easier for you to shine among the competition and show your worth to all possible employers.
Store Your CV On Your Smartphone
We can do so much on the go now, thanks to our smartphones and mobile internet, so it just makes sense to be able to apply for jobs on the go. Being able to apply for jobs as and when they arise is crucial to get noticed first – you don’t want to be the 100th applicant for a position. You should keep a copy of your CV on your phone, ready to send off at a moment’s notice and ensure your application gets to the top of the pile.
Create A Video Cover Letter
Video applications are becoming more common and can be an outstanding way to set yourself apart from the rest of the candidates. Treat a video cover letter or application just as you would an interview – create the right conditions and know what you want to say without reading from a script. Make sure that you:
- Film in front of a neutral background
- Dress professionally
- Speak confidently and naturally
- Provide a written transcript of your video applications
Even if an employer doesn’t ask for a video application, it can still be an excellent way to show them who you are and how well you can communicate, and how seriously you’re taking the opportunity.
Use Notifications To Be Among The First Applicants
As mentioned above, you’ll be in a much better position if you’re one of the first applicants for a role. No matter how good your application is, if the person reviewing applicants is fatigued by dozens or even hundreds of applicants before they get to you, you will not stand as good a chance of being successful. You can use notifications and alerts on your favorite job boards to ensure you’re notified as soon as a new and potentially suitable position goes live. This will ensure you always have the chance to get your CV as close to the top as possible.
Read A Company’s Reviews
This is hugely beneficial, not just for impressing at an interview, but for ensuring the company you’re interviewing for is right for you. Remember, job interviews are a two-way street; you’re interviewing them just as much as they’re interviewing you. A successful job application will hinge on whether you’re a good fit for the company, so use your ability to research a company and its reviews wisely. It’s tough to find a business out there will completely positive reviews – and many people see 100% positive reviews as somewhat suspect – but it is important to choose one with a majority of positive experiences.
Keep Your CV Clean, Concise And Well Formatted
Tech can help you build a truly impressive CV, but you’ll need to use your creative side in partnership with the tech available for it to stand out. There are plenty of templates and CV builders that can help you organize your content and format the CV itself, but you’ll need to remember to add something of your personality to the finished CV. You should also take care to ensure your CV file is formatted correctly – send it in PDF as default, and ensure the file size isn’t unnecessarily large. You can use a handy PDF compressor tool if it is. Smallpdf has a great option that’s perfect for the modern job seeker.
Try Out An AI CV Builder
As mentioned above, there are plenty of tools that can help you write your CV better. When applying for jobs, it can be easy to lose perspective when you’re looking at your CV day in and day out. Running it through an AI CV builder can be an excellent way to help you improve the look, flow and conciseness of your CV. Don’t, however, rely entirely on AI to write your CV; you should always proofread it thoroughly to ensure it reads well and makes sense.
Use A Digital Stylist For The Perfect Interview Look
Getting the interview look just right is crucial to help you feel confident and assured during the interview. It can often be easier said than done to find the perfect outfit, and different businesses and industries will have different expectations. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever before to access the perfect interview look using a digital stylist. This could be either in an online one-to-one interview with a professional stylist or using one of the many AI-generated outfit selectors available online.
Make Your Social Media Employer-Friendly
Social media is almost ubiquitous in the modern world and can both help and hinder a job application. Most applicants will use social media platforms like LinkedIn to network and showcase their work history and achievements. It is equally important to make sure that the platforms you use for your personal life are still employer-friendly. For instance, you don’t want employers to search for you on social media and find that your public profile picture is one of you at university doing shots. You should curate your image on social media and lock it down so that only the most basic information and photos are available during a quick social media search.
Get Picky With The Jobs You Apply For
Just because you can easily apply for hundreds of jobs a day doesn’t mean you should. Technology allows you to be as picky as you like when it comes to applying for jobs, so you should narrow your focus to jobs that will be truly rewarding – and a good match. It’s never been easier to weed out the jobs you don’t like the look of, with all job boards having their own search and filter capabilities. Try to strike a good balance between quality and quantity when selecting the jobs to apply for; employers will know if you’re simply blanket applying with a generic CV and cover letter.
Summing Up
The smart applicant for any job these days should use technology to their advantage. Understanding the best ways to do this can be tricky, so it’s worth doing your homework and learning to use the tools out there. Unlike in decades gone by, you can now do a thorough online vetting of any business you’re considering working for, ensuring you make the best possible choice of where to apply. It’s important to remember that this goes both ways – employers are now uniquely able to vet your online presence to ensure you’ll be a good fit for their company. Make sure that anything you have out online does you credit and won’t harm your chances of success when applying for jobs.
