MOBILE - CELL VERSION

Human Resources - Career Competitiveness
Don't Just Compete - Beat!

August 2014

by Ric Riccobono/Director

We always try to throw you a pitch you haven't seen before in our articles as it motivates your thinking process that assist you in ways to beat your competition, and this one's no different. Those of you seeking a career in the Human Resource market have some good news to look forward to. The job market analysts expects the number of Human Resources jobs to increase in the future and also the median annual income for careers in Human Resources to be above the national average. Some creative job seekers are turning to unique and unconventional methods to stand out from the competition. The question is are you ready, willing and able to do the same? According to a recent survey conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com, nearly one-quarter of hiring managers (22 percent) reported that they are seeing more job seekers implementing unusual tactics to capture their attention. This is up from almost 20 percent of hiring managers who said the same just a few years back, a most interesting and useful statistic.

Reports from some hiring managers state that various creative, but unusual job seeking tactics can certainly prove to be effective. Nearly one-in-ten (9 percent) said they have hired someone who used an unconventional tactic to get their attention and that's truly a decent ratio.

It's not about Applying for a Job... it's about Selling Yourself!

Understand this; selling yourself is no different in principle than marketing a business, service or product. However, there is one time tested strategy that has proven its value time and again, “Don't Sell Your Business, Sell Yourself!” In this case or in 'your' case, “Your Business” is “Yourself”, yourself as a HR expert, and expert is what you would 'ideally' want to appear as. While there are many powerful reasons why the 'Sell Yourself' first strategy is so strong, that is a topic for another article another time, in and of itself.

Let's now, take a look at some interesting and creative strategies one can incorporate to impress hiring managers:

DVD-Website Video – prepare a Video and make both a DVD and place the video on your website that features a former employer or course instructor giving an on-camera recommendation. Do not make a major production out of this as you must consider that your employer/instructor's time is valuable and often very limited, so be prepared to set it up in advance and storyboard it out ahead of time so everything goes professional, smooth and quickly. I don't recommend you script this, as it must look like it comes straight from the source. This can create their opinion of your skills and character.

The Problem Solver - Do some forward research on the company you are seeking to hire onto ahead of time and prepare an outline of how to solve a problem or issue the company may be having with either technology or function.

Well define your Target - Study the business your employer is engaged in to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the specific business and its functions of your employer.

Self-Introduction by Company Association - One prospective individual came into the hiring meeting with pamphlets and business cards with the company's logo. The brochure was basically a back-end style approach that was a self-introduction with highlights of qualifications and interest in the particular company.

Graphic Portfolio - One prospective employee designed a full graphics portfolio of one of the company's brands. This can be done by underscoring the valuable role an HR employee has over hiring in seeking out creative and productive personnel for the firm.

While I wouldn't recommend using homing pigeons, singing telegrams, sky writing or dropping aerial leaflets on your potential prospects place of business, I'm sure that after reading some of the above ideas you can however, start to see some opportunities for some creative and unique ways which you can professionally set yourself apart from others competing for the same position. It is on that note, that the more creative and professional you look going in, tells your potential employer 'the more creative and professional you'll be' when they hire you.

Start a List -
You may want to start a list of creative ideas to beat the competition while you're getting your HR certificate.

It merely takes understanding the types of employees a company is looking for. It may also help by picturing yourself in the position of the President or Owner of the company and looking at it from that 'hiring' end. What would 'You' look for if you were running the firm? What would impress you regarding other potential employees?

By serious preparation and having a deep understanding of the business your employer is engaged in your chances of success in that profession increases dramatically.

Now, get creative while your earning your certificate and remember, at the LAVC, campus your not just a student, you're a friend!

Until next time,

Ric Riccobono / Director

Written by Ric Riccobono, Attorney at Law
Director LAVC Extension Program

Collaboration with
Bob Schott
Actor-Producer-Director with over 28 Years in the Entertainment Industry
Who's Who in America and the World 2006-2013

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