Know Your Market

You’ve been doing a lot of critical research but here’s the kicker question. What makes your skills absolutely unique? Even in a crowded niche. Even in an overloaded market. Even if everyone and their brother is qualified for the same job.

How can you define your special unique spot in your market place?

Here is the fastest and easiest way to doing this.

Look for What’s Missing

Notice what isn’t in your field. What’s missing in your industry? What’s missing from the job market you are looking in? If at all possible, take an afternoon off to do this. Go for a walk. Look around as if you just arrived from another planet. Observe from a completely different perspective. And remember you are looking not for what’s already here. But for what’s not there.

Go online. Browse around different sites in your field. Look for what isn’t there. Look for what you would do if you could design the perfect solution for your industry. Keep asking yourself, “What’s missing?” until you find your answer. This is key to unlock the question of how you can stand out in a crowded marketplace.

And don’t only look at what’s present right now. Look for more. I’m Not saying this is necessarily easy. But it is remarkably powerful. And this single step distinguishes you as a leader and future leader in your industry.

Find the Spot That Can Grow

Explore the very things that could be coming in your industry but aren’t quite there yet. Is there a new trend? Is there a new target population to serve? Is there an emerging need?

Tap into what’s coming in the future. From this visionary standpoint, position your unique skills. This will make savvy recruiters stand up and take notice. This is what great companies look for in recruits: visionary leadership - at every level in the organization. This does not mean you are applying for a leadership position. But it does mean you are thinking like a leader - and this is a quality smart companies are always looking for. It makes you the stand out candidate. This is a rare and makes you extremely memorable.

This is the quality a smart recruiter recalls and selects. This may require that you step out of your normal zone. Look at magazines. Scout around in different online neighborhoods.Open your eyes to current and future trends. Tap into your intuitive sense about future needs.

Realize that you’re not the only one thinking about this. Your fellow job seekers may have beaten you to the finish line. But there are things you can do even if you feel that your job-search niche is totally swamped with established skilled candidates…

Even If You’re in a Super Tight Niche

Perhaps you are in a super tight niche and there’s one definite #1 candidate who you have to beat. What can you do? Get competitive. First off, get to know your competitor inside and out. Find out what is their unique “difference” in the market. And let them have it. Don’t try to go head to head and beat them at what they are so well known for. If they are supreme in data management, let them have it. Position your strength in communication and human relations.

Go in a side door. Go for a side aspect that your competitor is neglecting. Promote that. Own your zone. Tap into the un-mined opportunity and go for being the #1 in this area of your unique strength.

Position to Beat

Here’s why. Your number one competitor has already paid for your research. They have shown what the employer is looking for – and most likely this employer is not the only one looking. But now you can position to be better. In addition, be willing to engage your interviewer.

Many of the top candidates use a pencil or marker to sketch out a plan. They do this live, on the spot. This type of active engagement will set you apart from other candidates. You are looking for a need you can serve better and faster than your competition. The biggest need you must serve is to help you interviewer remember you. Make this easy and simple. Show a diagram. Share a blueprint. Leave behind a tangible and colorful record of your conversation.

You are in a great position. And there’s something else…

Don’t Laugh But…

This is a lot like that little sign on Sonal's desk so many years ago. “Choose the illogical.” You are in a special moment in time and space. How you choose to make a difference will make a difference not just for your practice. It will make a difference for each and every person you work with.

They will have the intuitive hunch just like you did, that they’ve just found the perfect person who understands their creativity. They’ll feel how good it is to work with someone who respects their uniqueness and understands their needs.

It feels great to work with people who “get you.” Get your creativity. Your unique bent. Your one of a kind take on things. That’s you!

Now there’s one more secret. The 5th of 5 secrets to boost your practice.

“The ONE Thing That Will Make Your Job Interviews Rock Solid…GUARANTEED”

How To Get A Steady Flow of Interviews

Have you ever been on a river…rafting, swimming or just playing around? You know when the water is flowing, it’s fun to go with the flow. The current takes you bobbing along. It’s fun. It’s fast and it’s no problem to stay floating. But you probably also know what it’s like if there’s been a drought. If the water level is low. You have to watch out. You have to put your feet first, so you can push away from rocks when you need to. Without enough water, you have to pay a lot more attention. You have to be alert. At times it can seem like its all rocks and no flow. It’s just like this when you are interviewing for a job. When you have a few interviews - you have to work on getting more. When you have a lot of interviews - you want to keep a steady stream coming.

The fastest and easiest way to keep a steady flow of interviews is to have everyone you know help you keep the flow going. Curious how this works? Stay tuned for our next article!

Indian Recruitment CompanyPerfman HR is headquartered in Mumbai. Our aim is to connect, engage, retain and develop talent. We offer the following services: Recruitments, Industry Data Mapping, Devising Performance Bonus Systems, Psychometric Test Development, Framing Policies, Drafting HR Policy and Procedures in the HR Manual, Hiring Support.