HOW to beat your competitors
Are you looking for ways to take your career to the next level? Do you feel stuck in your current job and want to explore new opportunities – read on.
If you’re applying for a job, you know that you’re up against a lot of competition. You need to find a way to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by employers. Just like FIAT’s quirky commercials that differentiate them from competitors, you need to find a way to differentiate yourself from other job applicants. Your résumé is your marketing tool, and you need to use it wisely. Here are some tips to help you create a résumé that will catch the attention of potential employers and increase your chances of getting hired.
The FIAT-Way
You may have seen commercials by FIAT proving the resilience and practicality of their vehicles. Here is one of my favorites of their 500 S model.
FIAT commercials are known for their humorous and quirky approach, which appeals to many viewers. The commercials use a number of comical elements to engage the viewer thus creating brand awareness.
Mind you, the FIAT 500 S is not portrayed as a high-performance car, but rather a small and fun vehicle that can handle everyday situations with ease, like a break-up – a bad one at that, according to the ad. Other ads feature a woman who can fit her entire wardrobe into the car’s small trunk and a group of friends who turn the car into a mini disco with flashing lights and music.
The point is that these elements help differentiate a product from competitors and create unique brand awareness and loyalty.
Now, think of your résumé as a marketing product – an advertisement. The aim? To differentiate you from other competitors!
If 20 applicants use clichéd or self-appointed words which are subjective and unsubstantiated by any actual evidence, such as, “self-starter or results-driven with a proven track record” then how will they distinguish themselves from other applicants?
Here are some tips to consider when creating a résumé that will help you stand out from the crowd.
Highlight Relevant Skills, Keywords, and Values
When applying for a job, make sure you read the job description carefully and highlight the hard skills, soft skills, industry keywords, and company values that are relevant to the position. Use these keywords throughout your résumé, so that when recruiters scan it, they can see that you’re a good match for the job.
Understand the Roles and Responsibilities of the Position
Before you start writing your résumé, make sure you clearly understand the roles and responsibilities of the position you’re applying for. This will help you tailor your résumé to match the requirements of the job.
Provide Examples of How You’ve Used Relevant Skills
When listing the responsibilities of the position, provide examples of how you’ve used those skills in the past. Use quantifiable metrics whenever possible to showcase your achievements. For example, instead of saying “I reviewed documents for completeness, consistency, and accuracy,” say
- “I reviewed 100+ medical prescriptions for completeness, consistency, and accuracy and confirmed the appropriate selection of drugs, checking for contraindications and interactions with other medications.”, or
- Managed each patient’s file for completeness, consistency, and accuracy and ensured good documentation practice (GDP) from physicians, nurses, and the recovery team, or
- Supported the updating and maintenance of appropriate documentation and monitored pharmacy findings by submitting timely reports on the number of prescriptions issued invoices and necessary indicators for the achievement of the monthly target, or
- Support the updating and maintenance of licenses and malpractice insurance for 8 physiotherapists, 2 physicians, and 6 nurses.
No prior clinical research experience. No problem!
If you don’t have prior experience in the field you’re applying for, focus on transferable skills. List the relevant skills and competencies you have gained through your academic and professional experience that are applicable to the role. This will show recruiters that you have the potential to excel in the position.
Use Action Verbs
Use action verbs to describe your accomplishments and responsibilities, such as implemented, coordinated, developed, monitored, documented, recommended, etc. This will make your résumé more engaging and showcase your active involvement in your previous roles.
Customize Your Résumé for Each Job Application
Tailor your experience section for each job application to match the specific requirements of the job. This will show that you’ve done your research and are genuinely interested in the position.
Make the best first impression
Remember, your résumé is your first impression on the employer. Ensure that it is well-written, relevant, and easy to read. The experience section is one of the most important parts of your résumé as it demonstrates your suitability for the position. Make certain that you showcase your experience and achievements in a clear and concise manner.
Get help from our Experts
If you’re struggling to create a résumé that showcases your skills and accomplishments in the best possible way, consider signing up for VIARES Career Accelerator. VIARES offers career coaching, résumé reviews, interview preparation, and networking opportunities to help you land your dream job. Don’t let the competition intimidate you – take control of your career with VIARES. Sign up today!
This blog post was written by:
Khilna Samat
Talent Specialist
Hear from our Graduates
VIARES already supported 5500+ talents from 100+ countries on all continents. Here is a Snapshot of Graduate Experience and how they benefited from our Clinical Research Training Courses and Job Support.
Izabela
I wanted to progress in my career, as I already was working in the field of clinical research. For me the course was a great experience, I learned a lot. I was able to broaden my knowledge about clinical trials and now
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I feel prepared for the interviews and career steps to come! The teachers were extremely good trained and it was a pleasure to learn from them.
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Vassil
Proud to announce that I have passed the Final Exam on the VIARES Clinical Research Talent Program. I strongly recommend it to all people interested in the field of clinical trials. Of course many thanks to Dietmar Eglhofer for creating this program
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and all the great tutors: Eric Klaver, Gavin Chait and Gabriele Disselhoff.
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Shilpa
The VIARES Clinical Research Talent Program provided me a great opportunity to refresh and rebuild my clinical research skills and competencies. The program was well structured and covered the key aspects related to clinical research, drug
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development, ICH guidelines, and clinical research regulations. The self-learning modules, followed by live webinars led by subject matter experts, provided the participants a platform to understand the key concepts and engage in great dialogue and discussions. I thank VIARES for giving me this opportunity and highly recommend this program to professionals looking to start a career in clinical research.
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Iwona
VIARES Academy supported me at every step in my course and answered my questions instantly. Moreover the platform is very organized and I could find my way around very fast.
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The course content provided by the courses at VIARES have helped me to improve my knowledge at my current job as a clinical trials assistant.
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