Getting noticed through the competitive hiring process is not easy.
It’s tough, nerve wracking, and can be super frustrating. Internal hiring? External application? It actually doesn’t matter. The need to be visible & relevant to decision makers is the same.
So, how does one stand out & be relevant in this hiring jungle?
How Do I Stand Out?
The simple solution is this: Put yourself in the company’s shoes. Easy, right?
But how??
Start by thinking about what the company wants. What goals are the company chasing? What do they want to accomplish this year, next year, in the next five years?
There are universal goals that every successful company wants and needs to achieve. That’s what we’re talking about here.
One universal goal that every for-profit company wants is to be competitive.
I’ll show you how to leverage your brand to stand out in just a couple scrolls. But first, some important context.
Why does being competitive matter?
First and foremost, when a company is successful in its efforts to be competitive, it grows. Increasing market share helps them acquire new customers, which increases revenue & profits, and impacts the ultimate goal of increasing shareholder value.
Mastering competitiveness can also boost a company’s brand and our perception of how good they are and how much we need their products or services in our lives.
But, this goal of being competitive comes with challenges. One of the biggest is how does company A differentiate itself from company B, company C, D, and E?
One way this happens is through their talent – the people servicing customers, selling, and all the other jobs it takes to run a major global organization.
In short, one big differentiator from one company to the next is you.
Simply put, the company is looking to you to help them gain a competitive edge.
Now, here’s where your brand steps in. (Need a refresher? In my blog, What is a Professional Brand you’ll learn what professional branding is & why you need to take control of yours.)
There are 5 important skills that top performing employees use to help sharpen their company’s competitive edge. Building your competence in these five skills will help you rise to the top through the power of your professional brand.
Skill #1: Collaboration
Most large international organizations are complex systems trying to get many parts to work together to produce a common result. We’re talking about aligning people, processes, customers, systems, departments, leaders, etc… Getting all of these individual pieces to march together in the same direction is challenging.
PRO TIP: To stand out, shape your brand to show how you inspire collaboration and create alignment across the many moving parts in the company. Build bridges that bring the right people together and moves everyone forward.
Skill #2: Influence
This relates to collaboration. Again, with the complexity of most companies, the need to create results by moving individual parts into the same aligned direction is key.
PRO TIP: To get noticed, design your brand to demonstrate your skill at influencing and persuading others to take the right and necessary actions to reach the goal. Consistently move people from point A to point B while building relationships and loyalty to your leadership.
Skill #3: Innovation
One of the keys to corporate competitiveness is introducing new ways of seeing and doing things. The same old process can only take a company so far. There’s a need to keep things fresh and continuously evolving.
PRO TIP: Stand out by using your brand to articulate your new & relevant ideas that helps others solve problems and create success. Be specific. Learn to be the one that sees at the problem from all angles.
Skill #4: Adaptability
Today’s world is fast paced. It moves really quickly and factors like globalization and technology have a huge influence. The most competitive companies are nimble and responsive to what’s happening in the marketplace.
PRO TIP: Help the right people see your work by reshaping your brand to show how you adapt to changing circumstances and manage through ambiguity. Learn to live in the grey.
Skill #5: Efficiency
Time is money, honey. That old saying has stood the test of time because it holds true even today. Top performing companies strive to do more with less.
PRO TIP: Setting up your brand to show how you produce results in the best possible manner will help you stand out. Save time, money, and resources all while keeping quality high.
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So there you go. From here, your job is to get clear on how you deliver results using these five skills in your job today.
Collect your examples and build these into your brand. If you don’t have examples to draw on, that’s okay. Your job then is to get busy developing these skills so that you can weave them into your brand in the very near future.
Look for opportunities to step up and build your experience with these skills. You may not be looking for them, so they’re being missed. But, trust me, the opportunities are there.
Here’s what I’d love to know. When you look at this list, which skills do you feel the strongest in?
Leave a comment below and let’s keep the conversation going.
And be sure to watch the video to hear me talk about this topic too. So good!
Did you hear??
I made something special for you! It is my new FREE career guide, Get Promoted Playbook!
Learn the 10 strategies you can use to help position yourself for a promotion, even if playing politics isn’t your thing. Go to www.cindyharveyonline.com/playbook and grab your copy today!
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Cindy Harvey is a Leadership Coach and Founder of Amelia Dee, a career strategy company for women. She has coached hundreds of clients on leveraging the power of energy & mindset to create success at work as well as designing a magnetic professional brand to make their next career move a breeze.
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