Let’s be honest, resumes, application forms and formal job interviews don’t necessarily scream “excitement!” However, there are ways for candidates to spice up the black-and-white world of job searching with a little bit of fireworks – not the ones that require literal fire, but the career kind! After all, recruiters and hiring managers don’t want to be bored anymore than you do, and hearing the same old stuff in a job interview can lead to yawns in a hurry.
Here are four exciting ways to dazzle employers as a job candidate:
Make Your Enthusiasm for the Position Clear
It might sound obvious, but respondents need to make it clear early and often throughout the application process that they are excited about the job opportunity at hand. This can be expressed implicitly by sticking to employer deadlines, following up on interactions and responding quickly. Explicitly, it’s important to state – either in-person, over the phone, on a video interview or in written communications – not only what excites you about the position, but why. Do you connect with the corporate culture on a personal level? Does this opportunity represent a major step forward in your career? Enthusiasm is contagious, so make sure to brighten your interviewer’s impression of you by sharing what excites you about the opportunity!
Numbers Don’t Lie
Employers have heard the same old lines a million times. Sure, you could just say, “I’m a people person” or “I have great organizational skills,” but it’s much more exciting to bring those phrases to life with real data. If customer service is one of your strong points, share the number of positive reviews you’ve received from interactions with customers. If you’re a whiz at organizing things, show how much time and money you saved a previous employer by implementing a new system. Believe it or not, quantifying your claims is a lot more exciting to employers than vague explanations can ever be.
Share How You Plan to Make an Impact Right Away
Hiring a new employee means that change is on the way, and change is exciting! While employers want to have an idea of how you’ll mesh with the existing team, they’re also interested on what you’ll be bringing to the table on day one to push the organization forward. During your research, try and uncover some of the major challenges currently facing the organization or industry. Then, in your interview, present a fully formed idea for a way to tackle that challenge in your new role. Your interviewers will appreciate the extra level of thought and will get a better idea of how you plan to hit the ground running.
Add a Splash of Color
We all learn and retain information in different ways. While some employers might be able to understand your career path and plans from a few conversations, other decision makers might need the information presented in a different way to make it stick. Consider bringing examples of your work – full color paper prints, videos or photos – into your job interview to help bring your accomplishments to life in a different way. If there’s not an opportunity to talk about them directly, you can leave behind these portfolio items for the employer to review after your interview has ended.
If the job search feels a little boring right now, there are countless ways to add excitement to your application! Connect with the Medix recruiting team to learn how to add fireworks to your next job interview today.
