What are the best ways to make yourself look marketable to a prospective employer?

Sheryl Verhulst — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 13:23:14 -0500

Let's say you've got a solid resume and a fairly decent cover letter. What is the best way to introduce yourself to a prospective employer that will really capture their attention? I'm looking for both in person AND electronic correspondences separately.

Response by SrA Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2015 1:49 PM

SrA Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 13:49:08 -0500

The best way I have discovered is to make sure the prospective employer gets two messages from you.
1. "I don't just want 'a job'. I want 'this job'."
2. "I am flexible, adaptable, and teachable"
I used to think that credentials were more important than how you spoke and what attitude you portrayed, and I was dead wrong. I got my dream job 6 months ago, and my boss decided to hire me (no experience) over someone with 5 years experience because she saw me as a more flexible and teachable employee. She also knew that I wanted this job over any other job. Just my $0.02 and experience though. Every employer is different.

Response by LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® made Feb 10 at 2015 1:51 PM

LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 13:51:06 -0500

Make sure you look the part: professional and fitting. First impressions are big and you want to have a firm handshake, good eye contact, and smile. Be confident.

Response by MAJ David Vermillion made Feb 10 at 2015 2:00 PM

MAJ David Vermillion — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:00:35 -0500

I think dressing for the job is important, don't show up in a suit if you are interviewing for construction job laying bricks. Body hygiene, people who are well groomed usually don't fit certain types of work just as people who are not well groomed don't fit certain types of work. Make sure you can speak the language of the job you are seeking. A computer person may not know the language of the construction worker and finally, don 't talk too much as if you have been around 50 years when are only 25 years old.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 10 at 2015 2:14 PM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 10 Feb 2015 14:14:36 -0500

First, I found a "Statement of Beliefs" can distinguish me from the peers. Short one, discussing the things that value most for me. Including this in your resume packet can help provide them with the values that you hold dear and increase your marketability. Most of the time, just the simple presence of a new document may temporarily grab the interest of an employer.

In person, showing up and researching your employer goes a long way. Asking them questions about "What is your turnover like? I want to find a job that I can be satisfied with and stay." "Could I follow your employees for a few hours to see how they perform their jobs?" If they ask about why you applied, you can always talk about how you felt that you could relate to their mission statements. Showcase your knowledge of the company rather than asking questions.

For my current job, my supervisor asked me where I saw myself in 5 years. I told him "Here. I want to find a job that I can enjoy and dedicate myself to. I'm not looking to 'just get my foot in the door', this is my passion." Don't say it if you don't mean it....but you can change the verbiage to indicate your desire to find a company that you can be loyal to.

After you are done, ask them a hard time about when you could expect to hear from them. Send them a letter thanking them for the interview and expressing your continued interest in working for them. Keep it short, and then send it afterwards.

Response by Sheryl Verhulst made Apr 2 at 2015 10:26 AM

Sheryl Verhulst — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 10:26:43 -0400

Thank you everyone for your responses. Because of your advice, I started landing interviews for the different government jobs I have applied for. I actually have 2 job offers on the table now, which I am trying to weigh. One is for the State's Department of Education Voc Rehab tech position and the other is actually for another NPO but with a sizable pay increase.