Get a Job!

The stress of applying for jobs is killer!

Not only are there a billion pieces of advice on the internet for the best way to apply for jobs, but your friends and family want to butt into your business too. It’s all well and good that they want to help, I really appreciate that they care, but with all this advice, how do you find out what really works?

I’ve found that there is one solid answer for landing a job.

You ready?

Be yourself.

Shocker, isn’t it? You’ve probably heard this advice before, so let me elaborate. What I mean is, find something about you that is unique. You know that thing, that ONE special thing that makes you exceptional. If your friends and family have ever said, “Wow (insert name here)! You’re really good at that!” That is what will make you stand out to employers.

This is the part where you’re going to start making excuses. “But that doesn’t apply to the job I want,” you might say. I’m going to counter and say, “Oh yes it does.” Because of the simple fact that anything, yes LITERALLY anything, can be applied to the job you want. Let’s say that you’re good at building things. Like you just built a tree house for your neighbor little Susie. Susie points out how lovely her treehouse is, her parents point out what a remarkable job you’ve done, but you feel like you can’t use this on your resume because you want to be a secretary.

Well, let me tell you if you just built a treehouse, then you’ve got so many skills that you might not even see. For example, when you build a treehouse you must have good planning skills. Those skills translate to good organization skills. For goodness sakes, you just built a treehouse! Look at everything you had to do to get there. You had to utilize tools, listen to or follow instructions carefully, and give it some aesthetic appeal. You can put all those things on your resume to show that you are perfect for that secretary job you want.

You may not openly say that you built a treehouse because that isn’t very relevant, but you will want to show off your skills in a way that makes you unique. Ask yourself, what do I do better than anyone else? If you have low self-esteem, now is the time to raise it. This is your time to brag about YOU in a way that will stand out to employers. When it comes to applying for jobs, you need to show off how amazing YOU are, and yes, YOU ARE AMAZING.

Please take time to think of something you’ve done in the past better than anyone else, whether it was building a treehouse or mowing a lawn. Now is your time to embrace that you are ONE OF A KIND. Only you can bring a certain set of skills to the table that an employer needs. I will not lie, there are others out there droning on about how well organized they are, quick they are to learn new skills, and how amazing they are at problem-solving. But while they're showing off skills they have in a generic way, you can show off your skills in a different way. Talk yourself up. Know that you are more than just another number in the system

Take time to reflect upon your individuality. You may not think you’ve done interesting things in your life, but you’re wrong. Everyone has done something to earn their skill of being “well organized” but just think, what have you done? What is the story behind the skill? As soon as you take time to evaluate what you have done, and create a unique way of advertising yourself, then you’ll be a sure shoe-in for whatever job you’re looking for.

Maybe next time you go do polish up your resume, you won’t just write it, you’ll make a video that shows off who you are. Or maybe you’ll create a website that is centered around your specific skill set and shows off your creativity. You can even advertise yourself on Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, and even right here on Vocal.

Don’t be afraid to show off.

Now is your time to shine.