As employment in the UK reaches new highs and with no slow down after Brexit, the competition in the job market is fiercer than ever. An increased demand for quality candidates isn’t an excuse to become complacent however. You still need to stand out from everyone else and if want to get the work you desire and this short blog will tell you how.

1 Be yourself
Don’t try to be something you’re not it will only end is disaster. Celebrate what makes you different. Being yourself has to be taken into moderation however. For example, some employers actively discriminate against people with tattoos which is something which makes you different. It’s therefore a good idea to research the company policy beforehand so you understand the positive or negative effect this will have. Hopefully overtime attitudes will change as we become more inclusive in society and celebrate our differences as well as what brings us together.

2 Giving back
We all live in the same society and people who give back gain more respect. For example, no one is going to deride a volunteer who is helping their community be a better place. It could be on an ad-hoc basis or something more involved, the key is it should be something you are passionate about and a place where you can test and stretch your skills. It will give you a sense of pride to know you helped your community and it could help your career as well. It definitely will not go unnoticed in an application form or interview and will make you stand out.

3 Grow and nurture your network
This has never been easier and harder at the same time. If you want to grow you will need an extensive network and you will need to use it. LinkedIn is a great place to start and is very easy to do so. You can join groups and contribute to discussions. You should use your current role as a starting point by connecting to your peers first and seeing where that takes you. You will stand out further by using your intutiton to get onto these networking platforms to begin with.

4 Reciprocation
If your friend got you a present for your birthday, would you not reciprocate and do the same for theirs? More than likely you will. This is something I really encourage my teams to do. It is such a powerful tool which can get such great results. For example, if you want to build your network and connect with someone, offer them something first. It might only be a link to a blog or a YouTube video, just make sure what you send is relevant and useful! You can use this example in person too. If you meet someone at a conference or work event, think how you can help them, human nature means they will want to and feel compelled to help you back.

5 Content, content and content
This is one of the best ways to stand out from a crowded job market by sharing your ideas publicly to build your brand and your network. A tip I would always give is always ask yourself, can my audience view this on a mobile? Mobile is becoming the way forward so the shorter the better! The content you post can be in many different formats too from blogs to podcasts or even being vlogger!

6 Social Proof
Brands use this all the time and you should too. People will look for external cues to gauge how they should react to something and this is where social proof comes in. Take LinkedIn for example. If you are on this, people will take note of what you say if you have recommendations on your profile, a lot of followers, connections or maybe it’s a great place you worked at. Each of these will give you more stock and all these add up. People will take note and start to see you as someone worth interacting with. Just like the “expert” we all see wheeled out on the 6 o’clock news, you too can be that person, in your own way thus giving you social proof.

7 Self-development
This is key to getting your next role. You need to keep raising your game and by developing yourself this could give you an edge and stand out. Working on yourself is one of the things many people neglect. If you wanted to lose weight, you would diet and exercise. Well to improve your skills you would have to learn new things, this could be reading a book or taking a course or qualification. The key here is to do something that your peers won’t. In social care it’s not just enough to do short one day courses, they are important but everyone does them. I love it when I interview a candidate and they tell me about a recent book they have just read.

In summary, this might seem like a lot to do, but it’s what you have to do to stand out from the crowd and get that dream role. You can also combine these and “kill more than two birds with one stone” so what are you waiting for…..

Hope you found this blog useful. If your organisation requires any temporary front line care staff, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with AJ, and let us help you manage and balance your staffing needs in the care sector by supplying the best candidates.