The dos and don'ts of standing out in a competitive job market

We all know that the job market is tough right now. Hundreds of candidates are vying for the same positions at top-tier companies. LinkedIn is awash with stories of candidates applying for hundreds of jobs with minimal responses. It can feel overwhelming and scary.

It doesn’t have to be. If you’ve found yourself lacking responses from recruiters and you’re not sure where to start, we have some advice for you. If you’re searching for a job in a competitive market, here’s how to stand out.

DO: Apply for jobs based on your goals and values

Even in competitive job markets, be selective in order to stand out. Focus on companies where you can genuinely see a connection between your skills and values and their mission. You should have a defined strategy for your job search that includes your goals and values, your skills and background, and how you’ll target companies based on what makes YOU unique. Here’s how to get started.

1. Identify your goals and values. Ask yourself where you want to see yourself in a year or two. What kinds of things are important to you in the next phase of your career? Is it company size? Company values? The manager? Or the mission of the company? Identify the top three things that matter to you. Once you understand what your values are, identify the industries and organizations where you want to work. Focus your efforts there.
2. Understand your unique skills and background. Recognize what makes you a good fit for certain industries or companies. For instance, if you have a background in healthcare, leverage that experience to show why you're suitable for a role in that field.
3. Research and target. Once you know your values and skills, research companies that align with them. Apply to those where you see a strong fit rather than applying indiscriminately. For example, if you care about work/life balance, search on glassdoor. Then, reach out to people who work at those companies to set up a coffee chat to learn more about what it's like to work there
4. Make a compelling case. When applying, explain why you're passionate about the company and how your values and skills make you a great fit. This personal connection can make your application stand out.

DON'T: Indiscriminately apply for hundreds of jobs

When you’re trying to find work in a competitive market, it can be tempting to treat applying like a numbers game. But generically applying to 800 jobs won’t increase your chances of landing an interview if you’re not being thoughtful about your application.

Think about it from a recruiter's perspective—if you have a massive amount of applications, what’s going to stand out? The ones whose goals, passions, and backgrounds are the best fit. Recruiters want to know why you want to work for their company. Don’t apply unless you can easily answer that question.

Whittle down your company list and focus on quality over quantity. You’ll get better results.

DO: Customize your resume for the role

Generic resumes with minimal adjustments aren’t going to grab attention. Recruiters are sifting through hundreds of resumes. You have about two seconds to catch their eye and about 30 seconds total if they give your resume a look. Present your best, most compelling self by making minor tweaks for each application.

Here’s how.

1. Tailor your skills: Adjust your resume to highlight the skills most relevant to the job. For example, if applying for a mobile development role at a company, emphasize your mobile development experience. Don’t include skills that aren’t relevant, and always list skills in priority order, starting with what’s most important to the role you’re applying for.
2. Get creative to stand out. While not necessary, small changes like aligning your resume's color scheme with the company's brand aesthetic can catch a recruiter's attention. For the jobs that you really want, find creative ways to show how much you care.
3. Modify your summary and title: Align your resume's title and summary with the job you're applying for. If your current title is slightly different from the one in the job listing, but the roles are similar, consider adjusting it to better match. You want the recruiter to know you’re exactly what they’re looking for.
4. Create multiple versions. If you have varied skills (like mobile and front-end development), create different versions of your resume, each emphasizing the skills relevant to a specific type of role. Continue to modify the summary and titles for the specific company, but having multiple versions to begin with will streamline the process.

Most often, resumes should be kept to one page. Sections should include these basic categories: basic info, education, experience, skills,  and affiliations/organizations. We dive into the details of structuring each section in our article, An Ex-Meta Recruiter's Inside Guide to Creating a Stand Out SWE Resume.

DON'T: Make your resume or cover letter too text-heavy

Large companies may not always read cover letters unless they're directly emailed to a recruiter. Keep cover letters short and compelling. Avoid long essays; instead, focus on what's most relevant and interesting. Remember, you only have a handful of seconds to catch a recruiter’s attention. Your resume shouldn’t be ten pages long, and the design shouldn’t interfere with its readability.  Highlight important aspects and remove irrelevant details to make your application more effective.

Keep it straightforward, skimmable, and attention-grabbing. Focus on results where you can, and avoid explaining every single detail of your previous experience.

Figuring out what’s most important can be hard on your own. If you’re unsure about how to set up your resume, seek feedback from a career coach or recruiter to help refine and make it more appealing. At Formation, each Fellow receives 1:1 coaching and feedback from mentors and career coaches to help them.

You can try sending your resume to a few trusted peers. Ask them to look at it for 10 seconds and report back to you what their takeaways are. If they don’t list the things you think are most important, rework your resume to highlight it better.

DO: Use your network for warm introductions or referrals

The truth is, it’s very rare that a cold application makes it to the top of the pile, especially in the current market, because a single role could have 2,000 applications in one week. Wherever you can, reach out for an introduction or a referral.

Try to find a contact within the company through your network. If you don’t have a direct connection, look for someone with a common background, such as the same college or previous employer. One way to do this is with LinkedIn. Go to the company’s page and check the people tab. You can search employees by keywords or title. You could search for titles like engineering manager, technical recruiter, technical sourcer, or university recruiter. You could also do a search for a keyword like “UCLA” to find people who work at that company who went to your alma mater—get creative with it!

Here are some tips for how to do this well.

1. Be selective and proactive. Do this for companies you’re truly interested in. While it’s not feasible for every company, aim for 10 to 20 companies that genuinely appeal to you. Focus on people in the relevant department or those who share a common interest, such as members of the same professional group or club.
2. It doesn’t have to be 1:1 cold outreach asking for a referral. Any additional connection is great. For example, you could attend the company’s tech talks, reach out to their employees and offer to buy them coffee just to connect, or engage in any open source work they offer.
3. Be specific and personal. When reaching out for an introduction or referral, keep it short and sweet. Be very specific and explain why you're interested in that company.  Express your genuine curiosity and interest in the recipient's career path or company. Offer to meet for a brief chat or coffee, making it clear that you’re specifically interested in them and their insights.

DON'T: Send generic outreach to recruiters

Don't send the same generic message to multiple recruiters. Recruiters can tell when a message isn't personalized, and they're less likely to respond. Instead, take the time to research and write something personal for the companies you're most interested in. Mention specific details, like shared alma maters or similar career paths, to show that you've done your homework.

Get tailored help with your job search

All Formation Fellows receive one-to-one sessions and feedback from technical recruiters. If you’re having trouble debugging your job search on your own, apply here and get unconditional support from a team of engineering mentors, technical recruiters, career coaches, and more.