How to make your mark in a saturated job market

When the job market is saturated, your biggest challenge will be to stand out among the competition. There will be a limited number of open positions to go among a large number of competitors. The person who gets the job will be the one that gets noticed by recruiters. In some sectors such as tech and finance, the competition is tougher. There are other sectors such as healthcare where job seekers face less fierce competition. However, no matter your industry, you still need to set yourself apart from the other candidates to win a job offer.

What are the challenges in a saturated job market?

It is not impossible for you to reach your career goals in a saturated job market, but it is quite difficult. The biggest obstacle you face is the high competition. Each open position will receive hundreds of job applications. In such a scenario it becomes difficult for hiring managers to spot each individual candidate. Neither would they have the time to dedicate their entire attention to one application.

There is also the issue of overapplying. Many job seekers apply for jobs they are not even qualified for, in the hopes of roping in some sort of a job offer. This adds to the competition. When the job market is saturated, recruitment professionals also become overworked. This causes many mishaps such as inaccurate job listings, applicant ghosting, long hiring procedures, and repetitive interviews.

How should you navigate your job search in a saturated job market?

Now that you know exactly what you are up against in this job hunt, you can prepare yourself better for the challenges ahead. Here are a few things you can do to position yourself successfully in a saturated job market.

Understand your unique value proposition

Your unique value position is the most powerful weapon you have in your arsenal for this job search battle. First, you must understand what your unique value proposition is. This is the combination of skills, talents, experience, and expertise that only you can contribute to a business. Ask yourself these questions to uncover your unique value proposition:

• What are some unique skills and talents that I have?
• What are my biggest accomplishments?
• What are the areas where I outperform my peers?
• What endorsements have I received from professionals to set me apart from others?
• What have I learned from the challenges I have faced?

Leverage your professional network

Do you know that your professional and personal connections are one of the biggest assets you have in the job market? Many professionals who get hired faster leverage their professional networks in the right way. The people you know can open up doors to amazing opportunities for you. All you have to do is get talking to them. Ask your professional network to send good opportunities your way and return the favor. Did you know that you can strengthen your professional network by spending just 15 minutes a day on LinkedIn?

Develop the skills that are in demand

One of the major reasons why job seekers don’t get hired right off the bat is that they lack many of the skills that employers demand. When you work on expanding your skillset, you should focus on the skills that are in demand. It isn’t difficult to determine the skills that employers value over others. Simply hop on to a job board on an afternoon off. Run a search for your target job title. Gather a few job descriptions from multiple employers. Now, print them out, grab your highlighter, and get to work. Highlight the skills that each employer has asked for. Once you have gone through each document, compare them side by side. You will notice the skills that are demanded the most by employers.