Creating a Compelling (and Kick-Ass) Digital Presence
So, you meet someone at a happy hour, you’re killing it at small talk, making a real connection (great job networking by the way), talking about your job and what you do. Maybe you mention how you’re looking to make a change soon because you’re ready to move on from your current position. Maybe you’re about to graduate and looking for your first job out of school. As luck would have it, the person you’re talking to is hiring! And not just any hire, your absolute dream job. You exchange information at the end of the night, they invite you to submit yourself for the position -- awesome.
Submitting your cover letter and resume is the beginning of creating your digital presence with a company. Your information will be in their system and what you write will decide whether you move onto the interview stage -- it needs to be compelling!
Let’s take a look at some easy things you can do to make sure your digital submission gets you a coveted interview.
Cover Letter
First up, you need a stand out cover letter. Communication is key here -- don’t assume that your cover letter will be read past the first couple of sentences. Make sure the opening is eye-catching, interesting, and to the point.
For example: “As a highly skilled project manager with 6 years of experience...” is a much more compelling opening than “I heard you were looking to fill the position of project manager”.
Next, make sure your cover letter states clearly what you can bring both to the company AND the position you’re applying for. Address the needs of the company and the specific position -- this will show you’ve done your homework.
As a salesperson, your job is to understand what’s important to your customer and provide the answer to their problem. And applying for a job is no different. Imagine yourself as the employer you’re trying to impress. Who is their ideal candidate? (Hint: it’s you!) Figure out the problem your potential employer is looking to solve, then use your cover letter to show them how you are the answer. BE SPECIFIC in every cover letter you write (remember you’ll probably write a fair few before you find your dream job -- each one is an opportunity to practice these skills). It’s ok to have a template or outline you follow for each cover letter, but sending out tailored cover letters to 30 jobs will be much more effective than a generic cover letter to 100 jobs.
Resume
And speaking of tailored, let’s chat about your resume! Your resume should also be tailored specifically for each job opportunity (are you sensing the theme here?) Remember to think of the company as your customer -- what is their current problem that you can solve? Here’s your chance not just to say how you could solve it theoretically, but back it up with past work experience and acquired skills.
If you’re applying for a position in a tech company, make sure your resume highlights past experience you’ve had with technology, showing how you understand that world. Use keywords so your resume will come up in a search. Often times hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes and cover letters. The first thing they’ll do is search resumes and cover letters for keywords. If you tailor your resume to each position, yours will always make the cut. The more specific your resume, the better chance you’ll have of moving through the interview process.
Quick Note: Since salespeople are numbers-driven and results-oriented, make sure you do the work of putting metrics and numbers into your resume to show your performance in terms of year-to-year growth, percentages of sales quota hit, and overall company revenue and worth. Don’t create an ambiguous resume -- back it up with the data!
A Word (on your wider digital footprint)
At some point before you get an interview, you better believe your potential employer will be looking you up online. And what they find could make or break your chances of getting the job, even before you step in the door of the office.
How do you make sure your online presence helps you GET a job instead of pushes you out the door? Or, heaven forbid, have to explain some questionable online content that’s related to you straight off the bat in your first interview? It’s more than just making sure your personal social media accounts are private. (Really private, super duper private -- 100% PRIVATE do you hear me? If your personal social media is public go change that right now. Seriously. I’ll wait. Ok great moving on.)
When a potential employer looks you up online, they should easily find your LinkedIn Profile.
LinkedIn Profile
Don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet? Now’s the perfect time to set one up. Your LinkedIn profile is your professional presence online. It serves as verification that everything you put in your resume and cover letter is true. So it’s really important not to lie in those. If you say you studied with a famous researcher and are connected to them via LinkedIn (or maybe they’ve even written you a recommendation), that’s excellent confirmation for your potential employer to see that you are believable and trustworthy. If your resume is tailored for each job you apply for, your LinkedIn profile serves as your CV (curriculum vitae) where you can put EVERYTHING you’ve ever done professionally. Every job you’ve ever had, all the awards you’ve received, every place you’ve volunteered, every professional skill you’ve honed over the years. They all go on your LinkedIn profile. It should back up your cover letter and resume AND paint a full, well-rounded picture of who you are outside of what you could bring to that specific job.
All of the above -- your cover letter, resume and LinkedIn profile -- need to be congruent. They should truthfully show who you are and drive a consistent narrative that clearly states how can you help the company achieve their goals and what skills you bring to the team.
This digital representation of you is just as important as your actual skill set.
What your narrative conveys about you goes a long way when getting your foot in the door with a new company. Nail this and you’re well on your way into any interview room.
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So, you meet someone at a happy hour, you’re killing it at small talk, making a real connection (great job networking by the way), talking about your job and what you do. Maybe you mention how you’re looking to make a change soon because you’re ready to move on from your current position.