How to Stand Out in an Online Job Application |

Marketing
Jul 2014

We see advertisements and job postings on websites every day, from Craigslist to LinkedIn to all the freelance job sites. I often hear about the struggle to stand out when applying for a job. Ten applicants have more experience, five spent more time in school, one has been in the industry for many more years than you have even been out of college, or you are brand new to a freelance job site with not as many references or history behind you as the other applicants. How do you apply for an online job position or project without being lost in the shuffle of 100 other applicants?

Show Yourself

I came across an excellent idea a few months ago. One of my favorite businesses, Mindvalley, encourages each of its applicants to create a video answering a few simple questions that pertain to a job position within the company. They don’t ask for a bunch of references, experience, or college degrees, either. They want to get to know the person behind the application. I watched a bunch of the application videos out of curiosity, and found this to be a really excellent idea! Putting a face and a personality behind an application while working in a virtual world keeps a human element to a fairly mundane screening process.

How I Signed My Biggest Client Ever Using This Strategy

I received an email from a company asking me to submit a proposal to be their marketing agent. I knew they were shopping, and I knew some of the competition I was up against. I knew they wanted someone “local” so they could get to know the face/faces behind the business, but I travel and work abroad a lot, so am only in that particular business’s area once a year. I needed to really stand out and knock this proposal out of the park.

So I created a marketing plan that I wrote out in detail, just as I always do. Then I created a “Mind Map” that I drew out on a big piece of white paper that I pined onto a cork board. I set up my iPhone, and shot a video of myself explaining the Mind Map and the ideas behind my Business-Altering Marketing Plan Extraordinaire! At least that’s how I felt when I was finished.

I sent my plan and my video with a thank you email, and after 3 rounds of eliminations, I won the contract. In fact, I was told that my proposal was their favorite from the beginning, but the owner of that company wanted a lot of options to choose from. A week after sending this video, I signed my biggest monthly contract to date, despite the fact that I am not local and the management at that company have never met me.

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How to Apply this Strategy

You can set up your smart phone or tablet- this doesn’t have to be anything super fancy or technological. The key here is to project your personality into your video. If you’re nervous to talk to a camera, have some wine first.

Kidding.

Sort of.

To stay on track with what you want to convey on your video, either have note cards or a plan on a board behind you. I used my Mind Map to keep me on track.

Keep the tone professional but not stuffy. I veered off of my Mind Map plan a couple of times, but I made a couple of jokes, laughed a little, and got back on point. You’re a real person- don’t try to be a robot! If you were in a face-to-face interview, you would want to let some of your own personality and energy show through. Try to do the same here.

You can use video editing if you want- either a free version on your computer or Camtasia. I personally use Camtasia for business videos, but for this particular purpose, I did no editing. I let it flow, and sent as-is. Other interview videos I saw were definitely edited, and they looked fantastic. It’s up to you and how comfortable you feel with what you recorded and who your audience is.

Upload online (YouTube or Vimeo are good choices), and send with what ever other requirements the job poster asked for. Never skip out on cover letters or resumes if they ask for them. Provide the information they request and send your video as a bonus. This shows you know how to follow instructions AND you creatively take initiative.

Let me know in the comments if you try this and what your results are. If you’re not shy, share the link to your video as well!

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