Here are some tips that will demonstrate your abilities, which are highly sought after by employers.
1. Be Meticulous and Efficient.
Tailor your CV to the job. Every detail, every sentence in the CV should be relevant to the job you are applying for. If you are not willing to put up the hours it takes to do the research and think of how your profile fits the job, then you are not serious enough about wanting the job badly. The summary of your degree should be relevant to the job function; the experience (and skills) gained from previous work should also be relevant; and your personal statement as well as your hobbies should all reflect the particular job you are interested in. This means that every CV you send out will be different, even when you are applying for the same function in different organisations! That is right… because different organisations have different mission statements and different expectations—your CV has to reflect the organisation you want to work with. Take the time and the effort. You will hit two birds with one stone; namely, you will have done enough research to know the ins and outs of the organisation, in case you land an interview; and you will demonstrate your ability to be meticulous and efficient.
2. Be Proactive.
Pick up the phone and make contact with the hiring manager or recruiter (job agency). Do not blindly send in your CV and cover letter. Let them hear your voice and know how serious you are about the vacancy. Ask questions about anything that is unclear, often you will be surprised at what they let slip and how you can later use that information to your advantage in an interview. Be clear and annunciate well, make sure you have a glass of water near you just in case, and that there is zero background noise. The manner in which you speak reflects upon you. Also, ask about the organisation and what they are looking for. Remember that speaking with someone will help you demystify the job application and remind you that it is just a bunch of people looking for someone to join them. Note down clearly the name of the person (and the date and time of your call) so that you can address him/her in further emails or calls. You have now established a contact person who will likely remember you over someone anonymously sending in a CV and a cover letter. So demonstrate your proactivity to potential employers/recruiters by pick up the phone and calling them.
3. Be Expressive.
Know yourself, so that others can get to know you. In other words, know your strengths and weaknesses. Talk about your strengths, whether they are experience based, skill based, linguistic based or whatever. Feel that it is almost okay to brag about those abilities you have that you are proud of, because you have earned that right (only do not necessarily brag!). As for weaknesses, be honest with yourself and then figure out how you can turn them into advantages by improving upon them, or by showing willingness and an openness to let others help you where you lack the ability. A willingness to learn is always admirable and will set you on the right track. Express yourself through your eyes, not through the eyes of others, so that you are honest and clear. Let others see you the way you see yourself.
4. Be Considerate.
Remember the polite kid that was picked on at school? Well be that kid. Be considerate, trustworthy and proper. Ethics is important to employers because when the going gets tough, they need to know whom they can count on, and who has their best interest. You will stick out if you adopt a set of positive traits, and if your ethics are sound. Politeness goes a long way; it creates harmony and security with others. Trust is vital if your job requires it (and also if it does not), because what is said to you in confidence is not meant for anyone else to know, so respect that and keep it to yourself. Properness entails following a set of good morals at a workplace, so that you are reliable and trustworthy, your colleagues or boss can count on you when they need to. Also, look into the organisations principles or ethics, so as to be on par with them. In a nutshell, demonstrate your consideration of others during an interview (and during that first phone call you make) by being polite and attentive, and showing that you understand their principles/ethics and how well you can work along with them.
5. Be Ambitious.
This one is tricky, in light of what has been discussed so far: it might seem counter-intuitive, yet it need not be. Being ambitious means you can have goals you want to achieve, getting the job is one of them, but perhaps getting somewhere desired within the organisation is already a dream you have—that is a positive ambition. Likewise, being ambitious means you are invested in achieving something, which can also mean you are curious about how to do it, and probably willing to do what it takes to get there—these, too, are positive ambitions. Such ambition works well with all the other traits mentioned above. Avoid the kind of ambition where you walk over others, regardless of their feelings; or you take up more space than necessary, disrupting the harmony that makes a team effective. Listening is a key element of positive ambition. Know when to talk and when to listen. Know when to push forward and when to take a step back. During an interview, listen well to what you are being asked, or invited to talk about, rather than jumping the gun and assuming you know what the interviewer is asking in mid-sentence. But when you do speak, then show your enthusiasm, your excitement, and your ambition.
To conclude, although these are but a few positive traits to have amongst many, they are traits highly sought after by employers/recruiters because they demonstrate the kind of candidate that takes the job being applied for seriously, and they demonstrate a candidate who is mature enough to know his or herself, which means the candidate is capable of learning, adapting and growing. So do not be afraid when you do not tick all the requirements of the job, do your research and think carefully if you can see yourself in that function, then just get the wheel rolling. Do not miss out on an opportunity simply because you do not fit a few specific requirements.
Samir Rawas Sarayji