Tired of reading? Listen instead!

by Merlyn Gabriel Miller

Job hunting can be both time consuming and confusing.

You spend hours polishing your CV or resumé, tailoring your application, practising your interview technique – and yet you don’t get hired.

What gives?

Be Different

Well, the good news is that you have done what is recommended. The bad news, is that 99% of your competitors for the job have done the exact same thing. In other words, there is nothing about you that stands out.

And this is where the real work has to be done.

You need to find out exactly what it is that makes you different. Now, you may not know your competition. But you do know yourself, right? Your strengths and weaknesses, your attitude and motivation, and so on.

This is valuable information that the employer needs, in order to select YOU over the competition.

Don’t just focus on the keywords in the job ad, and how you match the criteria. These things a given. They’re what an employer expects to find.

But what else do you bring to the table?

Get A New Perspective

Many employers don’t have the time to sift through hundreds of applications to find “the one”. If you are really unlucky, your application gets tossed in the bin without even being looked at.

This is one of the reasons why employers are seeking the help of professional recruiters in their search for the right candidate. A good recruiter will be able to find the best candidates and relay that information to the employer, saving them heaps of time and effort.

Now, what if you could see yourself the way that a recruiter does? Wouldn’t that be helpful?

To be able to cut right through the fluff, and get to the best bits. The ones that really show YOU as the superstar that you are?

Recruiter Laura A. Kiley wrote that her job is to create a “30 second trailer” for each of the candidates. Just as you would for a movie. And if the trailer sucks, who wants to see the whole thing?

So, the difference between a box office flop and a blockbuster, is just 30 seconds. Those short clips will determine whether people show up for the screening. You either reel them in, or you lose them right there.

Your 30 Seconds To Shine

Everybody gets their 15 minutes of fame, they say. But in the recruiting game, you’ve got 30 seconds to shine. Share on X

You could take that literally, and create a 30 second trailer. Showcasing your best features, main achievements and experience. Get them interested in YOU and what you have to offer.

As you probably know, people respond better to images than text. Why not make use of that fact?

Imagine this:

The position you want to apply for, is one with a lot of responsibility.

You need stamina, they say, to fill this role. And the dedication to get the job done. Patience is another virtue that you cannot do without, because they are looking for someone that will stay with them for the long haul. And organising ability is a must.

So you create a short video, introducing yourself.

• Take 1: A clip from when you were running (and completing) a marathon.

Showing your stamina and ability to finish what you have started.

• Take two: Cut to your morning routine, where you make sure the kids are fed, clothed, have all they need for school or day care. Maybe with a schedule showing your daily routines in the background.

This shows patience (you need that with kids), your dedication to long term projects (kids take 18+ years to “complete”), and your organising ability (chaos control is key to running a household).

At the same time, the commentary is running. Where you talk about your experience and education, what motivates you and inspires you to keep going.

That’s a lot more interesting than a dry, black and white CV, don’t you think?

Last Tips

Even if you are not great with video, or have no idea how to create a trailer, don’t worry. Either get the help of a friend, a professional, or just use the idea in a different format.

Maybe a slideshow will do the trick. Or, just including a few images with your application to make it more memorable. Relevant images, mind you. Not holiday snaps.

Or, you can run this idea of a trailer in your mind. See what pops up, and then make a note of it. Include these insights in your application as keywords, or highlighted skills.

What you want to avoid is making a video of you talking directly to the camera, while nervously fidgeting. You know, what most people do at a live interview. That will not make a huge impression.

You’ve got 30 seconds to make the employer want YOU.
So, make them count.