5Â Ways to Improve Your Hireability

5Ways to Improve Your Hireability5Ways to Improve Your HireabilityCompetition among job seekershas remained strong in the last few years, with much of the recruitment efforts now taking place online. If youre a candidate in an increasingly noisy job search market, what can you do to increase your odds of getting selected for a sttte?Here arefivestrategies you can leverage dureif the job application process to improve your hireability among employers and recruiters1.Customize every resumeand cover letter you send out.In a misguided effort to save time, some job seekers make the mistake of sending a nearly identical resume and cover letter to every employer.Always be sure to craft thoughtful, tailored, well-researched materials for every position to which you apply. This definitely takes more of a time commitment on the front end. But the hours invested can quickly pay off when a hiring manager notices that you have a much better understanding of the role and requirements than the aver age applicant.2. Clean up your online profiles.Research from Jobvite found that nearly all recruiters (93%) pay attention to job candidatessocial media footprint. That means any online postings that appear unprofessional could greatly decrease your desirability to the hiring team. As a site professionally tailored for professionals, LinkedIn is a no-brainer for cleanup, but dont neglect tidying your presence on other sites that you may think of as more private. Ensure that youve removed any comments, postings, or photos that might be considered controversial, political, or unprofessional.3. Only apply to jobs you truly want.When you like the sound of a role, are well-qualified for it, and are genuinely interested in landing the job, youll be a more desirable candidate who managers want to hire. While you may think that youre fooling people by throwing your hat in the ring for a position that you know you wont enjoy, youre really only fooling yourself, since your feelings will likely come through in your responses and body language during your job search. Think quality or quantity.4. Let your positive attitude shine through.A national survey from Millennial Branding and Beyond.com revealed that apositive attitudeis the number one attribute that employers are looking for in potential new hires, with 84% of companies valuing this trait. With that statistic in mind, it makes sense to ensure that your enthusiasm is evident when it comes to the position and company.In all application materials that you submit, including your cover letter and any email communications you may have with the hiring team, make sure to emphasize your strong and specific interest in the job. During an in-person or video interview, you can communicate a positive attitude through your body language simply by maintaining direct eye contact, leaning slightly forward toward your interviewer, and avoiding fidgeting. During phone interviews, which arecommon with remote jobs, smile while you speak - youll sound happy and engaged.5. Look into professional development opportunities.Hiring managers and recruiters will likely be tickled to see professional development on your resume. This can come in the gestalt of classes, certificates, degrees, or even volunteer gigs. Continuing your education in your chosen career field can signify to a potential boss that you keep your skills sharp and that youre interested and invested in your career. A hiring manager may be more apt to hire your if you have current knowledge and expertise in your job.Start Your Job SearchRachel Jay contributed to this post.