How to Stand Out in the Competitive London Job Market
Let’s face it. London isn’t (and never has been) cheap.
With an average PCM rent of £1,800 that’s more than double the rate of other booming cities like Leeds, you can’t risk being out of work.
Yet, when you apply for jobs in the area (regardless of the industry you’re trying to get into), you become just one candidate among thousands.
The odds are sometimes seemingly stacked against you.
The Difficulty of Landing a Job in London
Even though the UK’s biggest corporations have offices in London and new opportunities are constantly being opened, landing a position isn’t an easy task.
In fact, according to Movement to Work, it will take a candidate between 100-200 applications to receive just one job offer (equating to an 8.3% chance). Even though sending out your CV en masse is relatively easy through sites like Indeed… this is still a disheartening statistic.
How to Get Noticed in an Oversaturated Job Market
Luckily, there are a few different methods you can try to stand out from the crowd and get your application the notice it deserves… without using prior connections as a stepping stone.
Step 1. Do Your Research
When there is a role that you are particularly excited about, the last thing you want to do is send in a generic application. It’ll quickly be rejected and sidelined, added to the pile of other “copy-pasted” CVs.
To avoid this, read the job description in detail and take the time to head to the company’s website. Identify exactly what they’re looking for in their new employee and use this knowledge to your advantage.
Step 2. Tailor Your CV
Once you’re confident you know what the company is looking for, be sure to customise your CV to align with their exact requirements.
For instance, if you’ve discovered that they are looking for someone who is enthusiastic and an excellent problem-solver… add these keywords under your skills and characteristics. This way, an ATS will put your application at the top.
Step 3. Write a Cover Letter
After your CV has been polished to perfection (with your creativity expressed), you have another mile to go to get noticed.
Instead of sending your application without a cover letter because “it feels like too much effort”, see it as the opportunity it is! You’ll have another way to convince the recruiter that you’re the employee for them.
Step 4. Emphasise Your Best Qualities
In your cover letter, be sure to specifically discuss the relevant experience and qualifications that you hold that would make you an ideal candidate.
Try to keep connecting the job description to your background and characteristics, detailing what stood out to you about the position and why you believe you would be the perfect fit.
Step 5. Follow Up
Although it can be hard to find contact information for a company when you’re simply filling in applications through job site after job site, it’s worth the search.
If you can connect with the company on LinkedIn and find the specific HR manager behind the decision-making, you can convince them to prioritise your application and get you an interview.
The Solution to Standing Out in the Competitive London Job Market
Still, when you are applying for jobs in London, you’re always going to be competing against a few candidates who are putting in the same extra effort that you are.
After all, they’ll have found themselves in a similar circumstance – eager to try anything to stand out in the crowd.
In these cases, you need to go above and beyond to find your “in”. To get your name out there, try:
Networking through social media.
Attending industry events and trade shows.
Being an active and present member of a relevant community.
This way, you’ll increase the likelihood of someone recognising your application and fast-tracking it through the system.
Enlisting the Help of a Recruiter
However, there’s an even easier route you can take to stand out… speak to a specialist industry recruiter like the ones at Forward Role.
Our expert team is easily accessible through LinkedIn and has an incredible level of in-depth knowledge about local job markets. We also have a range of connections that we can put you in touch with and tap into for your job search.
Natalie Turner is a Senior Principle Recruitment Consultant at Forward Role, specialising in Ecommerce and Performance Marketing - connect with her here
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