Making yourself stand out during a job search

[SeanKilleen]

I recently just powered through a bunch of applications for some jobs I have open. I saw some patterns so I want to mention some simple things that can set you apart in your search.

All of these are based on patterns I saw; way more than one candidate was doing these things.

I am rooting for every candidate to succeed. I hope all candidates know that hiring managers want to find a fit.

(Random bullets below, will turn into blog post)

Simple things to set you apart

• A resume file with your name in the file name goes a long way (Resume.pdf tells me you're maybe not thinking about my experience)
• Clear, concise information on Resume
• Talking about what you accomplished vs what your job was or what activities you did
• Don't pad with typical activities (e.g. "attended daily standups"). If you want point these things out, condense them into one bullet or make them part of a position description above the bullets.
• Dropping a note about what makes you a good fit or excited about the role -- especially when asked for!
• Seeing an e-mail address and taking the time to drop a note (instant recognition!) -- so many people did a cold apply via linkedin when my e-mail was right in the job description.
• Understand if you're submitting to a human, and don't submit 1,000s of bullets that are clearly SEO.
• Claiming results is good. Claiming outlandish results backfires. Really? You increased client satisfaction 80% by switching a software library?
• Avoid using very common templates. They can begin to look like coordinated scamming, and I'm truly not sure if it's me or not.
• Surprised at how few candidates listed a web site, github, or stackoverflow. You don't have to do it, but it does stand out when it exists..
• Templates are fine. Some templates even contain helpful language. TWEAK THIS LANGUAGE BEFORE SUBMITTING. When I see multiple submissions using the same very specific phrases with the same template designs, they all get rejected because how do I know what else isn't plagiarized?
• Take 2 seconds to write actual bullet point responses if you want the job. Don't use Chat GPT for this. It sets you up for a bigger letdown from me when I say "ooh, someone took the time to do this!" and end up with "...nevermind, they think I'm too stupid to notice this was written by AI and doesn't actually say anything."
• Pick things to list that are impactful. Don't drop everything because to an experienced hiring manager it looks suspicious.

[SeanKilleen]

I added some other thoughts here that I can work in: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39001583