Recruitment | Executive Search

How to stand out from the crowd as a recent graduate

The most effective job seekers know that standing out from the crowd goes a long way toward job search and career success. Here are a few ways to differentiate yourself as a new graduate when on the job hunt.

Prove your superpowers

In conducting a deep dive into what makes you special, you can likely identify a few things you do better than most others. Your next step is to substantiate those distinguishing abilities. You think you are a hard worker? Give an example. Great communicator? Prove it. Learn more about identifying accomplishments and proving them by describing them in story form.

Have killer personal branding

Everyone has an individual personality and interests. It’s not only important to tell people you’re different, it’s also important to show them. This starts with creating your personal brand. Creating a personal brand is all about telling a consistent story across every platform. For example, if your focus is graphic design, you can amplify your personal brand by sharing and creating content about graphic design regularly on social media.

Focus on your work ethic

What will get you very far in your career is your work ethic. Companies love employees who put their one hundred and ten percent effort into anything, and these types of employees are usually the most reliable, disciplined, and responsible. When interviewing for a job or internship, it’s important to give your potential employer specific examples of your work ethic. Having a strong work ethic can be the difference between an employer choosing you over another person who still has senioritis even after graduation. A strong work ethic can improve your career, so make it a priority to show it off.

Join a community organisation

Being a part of an organisation outside of the classroom helps. It can showcase another part of what makes you, you. Depending on what organisation you choose, you can find something specific to your area of focus or general in nature. Consider organisations that enhance skillsets needed in the industry you are going after.

The little secret that few people realise is that employers are more likely to hire candidates who have a great set of soft skills, even if their hard skills need some work. The reason is that soft skills cannot be taught, but hard skills can. Any one of these four differentiators can be a great starting point to standing out instead of blending in with the crowd as a graduate. It also can be a great way to immerse yourself in your passion and field of study.

If you’re a graduate looking for an exciting career opportunity, make sure you click through to our job section.