5 Simple Career Tips to Stand Out to Recruiters

I’m so excited to be sharing Amplify Career Coaching services with the world! To celebrate, here are my top five simplest career tips to make your application stand out to recruiters.

1. Follow the instructions.

I know what you’re thinking: “Wow, groundbreaking, Allie!” But you would be surprised about the number of candidates who do not follow basic instructions when applying for a job.

Most open roles, especially at popular companies, have several hundred candidates (eek!), and recruiters and hiring managers need ways to quickly narrow the field. The fastest way to do that is to remove anyone who didn’t follow the instructions.

If they ask for a cover letter, submit a cover letter. If they request a PDF file, submit a PDF file. If they ask for a detailed resume with every detail of every place you’ve ever worked, take the time to compile it.

Basically, do exactly what you’re told.

2. Be detail-oriented.

A second way to breeze through the initial filtering process is to make sure every metaphorical i is dotted and t is crossed. You do not want to be that candidate removed from the hiring process for addressing your cover letter to another company or for leaving the markup in a document you submit.

Employers want someone who checks their work before submitting it. Using tools like Grammarly for basic grammar and punctuation, and a good ol’ ctrl+f (to make sure any past employers are not in your documents), will bring you far.

3. Showcase your best self.

For better or worse, your LinkedIn profile will be reviewed. And you want to be showing the very best version of yourself. If you don’t have a photo you like, never fear! With high-quality smartphones and cheap editing software, you can get a photo you love in no time. Put on a nice outfit, have a friend take a photo of you at golden hour outdoors, and do some minor cropping and editing on Canva until you get something you like. My boyfriend and I both did this for each other.

My $0.02 on AI-generated professional head shot photos: just don’t. They never look natural or inviting.

4. Share your experiences, but highlight your results.

When hiring teams (human or AI) review zillions of applications at a glance, they’ll be looking out for differentiators. An example? Numbers and % signs.

For example, a resume bullet point that says, “Posted on social media to generate leads” shares a thing you did, but it’s vague and flat. On the other hand, a bullet point that says, “Led social media strategy of posting 2x daily, resulting in 20% increase in monthly leads,” adds more precise language to share what you actually did, leaving no question about the value and results you brought your last employer.

5. Be yourself.

More likely than not, you’re applying for a job that will occupy a lot of your time per week. We all deserve to feel content and like we fit in in our occupations, so be yourself. Make sure that the role is a good fit for you as well as for the company.

For some people, this might be a simple gut feeling. For others, it may involve deeper, guided reflection to discover your values and create guardrails around tradeoffs you are and aren’t willing to make. A career coach can help you determine what these values are for you.

What’s next?

Need more support? Book an Amplify Career Document Review today for a detailed look at your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile by a professional career coach.

And for even more career tips and personalized guidance, follow Amplify Wellness on Instagram or hire Amplify as your career coach.