SPONSORED BY:

If you can relate to this meme, this is the newsletter article you don’t want to miss.

I talked to over 20 companies, and here are the 4 strategies I learned to help you stand out when applying. (#4 is my favourite!)

A MESSAGE FROM THEFUTUREPARTY

Everything you need, and nothing you don’t

The world’s moving faster than ever and there’s no sign of things slowing down. Luckily, there’s a way to stay ahead of the curve:

TheFutureParty newsletter dissects the business of entertainment and culture – all in a quick and witty package. Join 200k+ driven professionals and learn how industry trends shape the future.

Get it free in your inbox.

Interested in sponsoring Level Up? Learn more and apply here.

1. Send a personalized email or message

This seems obvious, but I’m surprised how many people don’t do it - simply because it’s so easy.

Find the email or LinkedIn of the person in charge of hiring and let them know you applied. Let them know why you’re passionate about the company’s mission.

You can ask ChatGPT to write a template and fill it in for each company - but remember to fact-check it.

Of course, your original application still needs to be good.

2. Engage with the company on social media

This goes one step further than just researching the company.

Don’t just learn about their vision, mission, and what they do.

Become a part of their community by engaging on their social media. By contributing, you’re showing you can bring value and you actually care about what the company does - even before you get hired.

3. Go the extra mile

I used to hire for a lot of different organizations. I interviewed more people than I can count.

Here’s what DIDN’T matter to me*:

1. Years of experience (yes, really)

2. Number of projects

3. Typos in resumes (I’m pretty forgiving and probably won’t notice the typo anyway when I’m scanning it)

*Note: this might depend on the company’s culture. That’s why I always suggest doing research and figuring out if you’ll like working at the company. You don’t want to be stuck working somewhere you hate.

So what DID matter?

1. A passion for learning

2. Quality, relevant projects - to show that passion for learning

3. Good communication - like answering my questions well and with confidence

If you always “go the extra mile” in your life - i.e. have a growth mindset like our student Alexa - you’ll get recognized. So show off all the cool things you’re learning, share your amazing projects, and really be passionate about what you do. That energy is contagious.

4. Follow up

Send a thank you email after interviewing. Even better if you can personalize it by mentioning specific parts of the interview that resonated with you.

But don’t just stop at the thank you email - you can also send a polite follow-up message if you don’t hear back within the expected timeframe.

This can go a long way to showing your genuine interest in the position.

For example, I talked to an old boss a few weeks ago. She told me:

Summary

Here’s how to stand out in your job search:

1. Send a personalized email or message

2. Engage with the company on social media

3. Go the extra mile

4. Follow up

Keep in mind that this just helps you stand out as a candidate - your previous projects and interview skills have to be great too.