Dan Richards is a serial founder and former public company CEO, and an award-winning member of the marketing faculty at the Rotman School of Management, where he oversees the credit course associated with MBA student internships.
Business schools teach that companies succeed by differentiating themselves from the competition. The same principle applies to graduating students looking for their first job after university. In today’s ultracompetitive job market where job postings can attract thousands of applications, you need to stand out to succeed. Last week’s column talked about one proven way to stand out, by securing a meeting with someone who works for your target company with the goal of obtaining an internal referral.
Here are five other ways that I’ve seen students successfully differentiate themselves to secure full-time offers.
Part-time and summer jobs
An obvious place to start is part-time and summer jobs, especially if they were with companies or in roles related to the job you’re applying for. For international students who worked full-time before coming to Canada, draw on your experience in your home country. Remember though that even mundane jobs can set you apart. I talked to one employer who gave a recent graduate an interview who’d highlighted the fact that she worked weekends at McDonald’s through high school and university. For this employer, that sent a signal about this student’s work ethic. As it happens, he worked fast food jobs in university – and ended up hiring this student, in part because of the conversation in the interview about their shared experience.
Courses that hit employer hot buttons
Unique courses that hit employer hot buttons can be another source of differentiation. At the Rotman School of Management where I teach, one popular elective lets teams of students work with a company to deploy artificial intelligence to solve a real-world problem. In some cases, these projects have led to offers of part- and full-time work. In other instances, these projects have helped students get shortlisted for competitive roles.
Internships and co-op programs
A recent Wall Street Journal article pointed to increased applications to universities that offer co-op programs and internships. The article showed data that these placements increase graduates’ success in landing full-time roles. Sometimes those roles are at the company where internships took place – as students build relationships with co-workers and the risk of hiring them is reduced. Even if students don’t go back to the same company, their ability to point to concrete achievements can set them apart in the interview process.
Student clubs and volunteer roles
Many employers look for students who’ve shown leadership and demonstrated the ability to work effectively on teams. If you’ve been on the executive of a student club, highlight the initiative you helped make happen. The key here is to point to clubs where you held a leadership role – talking about one club where you were on the executive is more powerful than listing six or eight where you were a member. Another way to set yourself apart is through volunteering with community organizations. For some employers that will signal a work ethic and a focus on goals beyond things where you benefit.
Blogs, LinkedIn posts and podcasts
In a sea of sameness, blogs, podcasts and posts summarizing talks you attended can help you stand out. I’ve talked to graduates who e-mailed summaries of talks they’d attended to everyone they’d interviewed with – in some cases that led to conversations about other roles. Another example took place this spring. The founder of a rapidly growing tech firm posted a business development role. Resumes flooded in with a few candidates interviewed, but none of them struck a chord. Then, after the job posting had closed, a graduating MBA student reached out, highlighting her blog about hot marketing issues. That blog was enough to get an interview, ultimately leading to an offer.
Communicating your point of difference
Think of today’s most successful brands – names like Apple, Canada Goose, Lululemon and Nike – and universally they stand out with a clear point of difference. In the same way, job seekers need to stand out when applying for jobs. Of course, having a clear point of difference is only part of the battle – the other key is to ensure that you communicate that difference to employers. Some things to keep in mind:
- Your cover letter should lead with your point of difference – put it in the introduction, where it is less likely to be missed. Research shows that when hiring managers are reviewing responses to job postings, on average they may spend around 60 seconds on a cover letter and six to seven seconds on a resume.
- Frame your point of difference as a story – research by Jennifer Aaker at Stanford University shows that stories are much more powerful and 20 times more likely to be remembered than facts alone.
- Finally, take the time to tailor your cover letter and resume to the company and the role – hiring managers are alert to generic applications that aren’t specific to their job.
This column is part of Globe Careers’ Leadership Lab series, where executives and experts share their views and advice about the world of work. Find all Leadership Lab stories at tgam.ca/leadershiplab and guidelines for how to contribute to the column here.