In this Current Events Friday’s Post (CE-Friday’s), I’ll be adding my two cents on the current job market and what it means for you landing that dream job you’re thinking of applying to. Here’s a hint: they aren’t just going to gift it to you…
I wrote 2 weeks ago about how the current unemployment rate of 3.8% has kept me up at night.
But as with most things in life, there exists a dichotomy.
As a small business CEO, hiring can be an incredibly difficult thing to do when you’ve got candidates pouring in. But in the current market, that’s not necessarily the case. Starting out just 2 years ago, it was common to receive at least 20 applicants for an advertised position.
Three weeks ago we posted a new position and I received 2 resumes…
Things have changed drastically in a few short years. But… low unemployment rates and a reduced number of applicants doesn’t necessarily mean that your odds as a hopeful applicant increase as a byproduct.
Low Unemployment Aside – How Will you Stand Out?
Sure, we were hiring for a new position and a new Team member, but that didn’t mean that we had to select one of the two applicants we received. Neither blew us away so we were left with alternative options:
- Wait to hire
- Shift people around internally to satisfy the need
- Advertise via additional sources
- …
- Go on the hunt
Standing out in a smaller field of applicants is relatively easier but you still need to work to stand out. And the great thing about standing out as an applicant is that there are many ways to do so.
- Bring no drama
- Put team above self during interviews and working interviews
- Show that you work hard
- Write thank you notes
- Be punctual
- Be professional
- Stay hungry for improvement
There really is no limit to the number of traits a “great” applicant can have, which is such an advantage. But you may be surprised to see how few actually do these many little things well.
Ultimately, because our most recent applicants didn’t do these little things well, they weren’t the “great” applicants – and more importantly Team members – we were looking for.
We chose to go on the hunt to find our newest addition.
By seeking out folks who we’ve worked with in the past, or people we’ve seen work well in different environments, we were able to find an excellent quality candidate to fill this role.
It’s not difficult to do the little things well. And in spite of this tight job market, you still need to work hard to stand out. Especially if you’re looking for a “great” – not good – new opportunity.
They won’t settle and neither should you…
