Even if the laws have mandated absolute equal opportunity as a goal when awarding jobs: Ultimately, jobs are awarded by people to people. And, in this case, the personal factor always still plays a role. It is human to want to make a good impression – and likewise also human to try to address this issue.
That does not mean that I consider this to be good. But the world is indeed as it is. In this context, it is certainly not misguided to ponder how one can optimally convey one’s own personality even during a digital job placement process.
Digitally, Everyone is Equal
Older persons are certainly still familiar with making many attempts to “stick out” as a job applicant. This encompassed even elaborately-designed application documents which extended to even 1:1 cardboard cut-outs which the applicants had created of themselves and which they then sent to potential employers.
One cannot forget the story of a friend who, after his university studies, had written an application in the form of pharmaceutical packaging with a packaging label. He wanted to garner attention and also got the job.
But all of that is history. Digital applications mercilessly serve the purpose of “levelling everything”. Everything which does not fit into the grid of the screen mask is no longer included.
These days, one no longer has a noticeably good text in the Cover Letter, a correspondingly impressive CV, and many more ways to stick out.
Really?
Whenever Everyone is the Same, Excellence is Even More Important
The complaint that it is so difficult to stick out among the droves of applicants is an old one.
Yes, it is correct that it is difficult for most people to stick out because this talent must simply be rooted in one’s personality.
But this does not mean that one has to be resigned to a “bad fate” during the job application process. Even in the digital world, “quite normal” people are more successful than other people during the job application process by using job application coaching and job application consulting which help people to stick out individually even in the digital world.
Creating Optimal Job Application Documents
Most applicants have little recent experience in the job application process – ultimately, almost all of them have only rarely had to go through such a process.
The result is that most job application documents are less than optimal: When drafting the Cover Letter, the opportunity is missed to “come across” in a unique way. One’s own strengths are not correctly communicated or the CV is prepared unskilfully. Some people also have quite fundamental difficulties in creating digital documents that are visually appealing.
Generally, they are only minor issues, but overall they then cause one’s online application to not convey the strong initial impression desired, but rather to simply get lost among the many droves of applications.
In this context, an experienced Job Application Consultant can help the job applicant upon the basis of his/her knowledge of the preferences of the personnel decision-makers and their decision-making criteria in the digital world.
Conducting a Job Interview Correctly via Zoom
The next “shock moment” for many applicants is when they find out that the job interview is supposed to be conducted as a video-conference or as a telephone interview.
Already a telephone interview seems overwhelming to many people, a video-conference even more so. In addition, there is still the pressure which one feels anyways during job interviews. For many people, this is an unfavourable combination and they therefore then present themselves far less than optimally.
In this case as well, job application consulting helps the job applicant to know where is important during the job interview and how to ideally prepare for the unfamiliar interviewing situation.
Shortcuts are Welcome
Sometimes, the job application process can also be substantially shortened. If, for example, the profile fits an announced job opening, the route via a commissioned Headhunter can be shorter and more promising than the route via the standardised online application.
Likewise, there is also the opportunity for the job applicant himself/herself to be active in those places where companies are also increasingly searching for personnel. Among others, these places include Instagram or Facebook because, for many companies, the appeal of classical job portals has the disadvantage that they can find only the people there who are currently looking for a job.
The potential becomes greater if one also reaches those people who are currently not searching at all for a new job, but would seriously consider a job change if the offer is “right”. They can be reached well via the social media. Thus, I absolutely advise job-seekers to also have a presence and be active on these social channels.
In this case, firstly, one can control the probability with which one receives such offers in his/her feed. Secondly, in this context, the social media can then be skilfully used in order to develop contacts beyond strictly the online job application process.
The Job Application Process is Important Enough to Request Support
Based upon my practical experience, I know that job application consulting shortens the job application phase and substantially increases the chances of finding one’s dream job.
Conversely, the alternative of merely searching on one’s own can end in frustration – precisely then if one has no experience with online applications.
Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in this theme. The initial consultation is free-of-charge.