The Best Way to Position Yourself in a Saturated Job Market
In a saturated job market, the biggest challenge isn’t the scarcity of jobs but standing out among the crowd. Job seekers need to go beyond their basic qualifications to catch the attention of potential employers. The influx of job seekers, especially in specific sectors like tech, makes this task even more challenging. A crowded job market is where the supply (people looking for jobs) is higher than the demand (job openings). But don’t be disheartened — with the right strategies, you can successfully position yourself to stand out and secure your target position.
The Challenges of a Saturated Job Market
Getting noticed in a crowded job market is like finding a needle in a haystack — difficult but not impossible.
An overcrowded job market is inherently challenging because of the high competition. Each job posting receives hundreds of applications (approximately 250, according to Glassdoor), making it hard for employers to notice every applicant. Sadly, many job seekers apply to all available opportunities without considering whether their skills and experiences match the job requirements. Overapplying increases the noise in the job market, making it harder for qualified applicants to get noticed.
Overapplying isn’t the only challenge. You’re also dealing with non-responsive employers, inaccurate job postings, repetitive and lengthy job applications, ghosting, and long wait times. I hate that for job seekers. Who wants to upload their resume to input the same information in the application? Or have to wait a month to hear back on the next step in the interview process? It’s unrealistic. There’s a better way to cut through the crowd, get noticed, and get hired.
Understanding Your Unique Value Proposition
Your unique value proposition (UVP) is your secret weapon in the job market. Understanding your UVP is like knowing your superpower in the battle of job hunting. A UVP encompasses your unique combination of skills, experiences, and talents that can add value to a potential employer. Research shows that individuals who can clearly articulate their UVP are more likely to succeed in job applications (source: Zety, 2022).
If you’re struggling to identify your UVP, these five questions can help:
- What unique combination of skills and experiences do I possess? Everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences. Think about what combination makes you different from others in your field.
- What accomplishments am I most proud of in my career? Reflect on your career highlights, and consider how these accomplishments might benefit your desired role or industry.
- In what areas have I consistently outperformed my peers or exceeded expectations? Reflecting on your past performance can highlight your strengths and areas of expertise.
- What feedback have I received from colleagues, superiors, or subordinates that sets me apart? Often, others can more easily identify your unique strengths. Consider any comments or feedback that suggest an exceptional value you bring to a team. My favorite tip is to look through past performance reviews or LinkedIn recommendations for good insights.
- What challenges have I overcome, and what did I learn from them? Overcoming challenges leads to unique skills or perspectives. Reflecting on these can help you identify the unique value you can bring to a future employer.
Actionable Tip: Reflect on your career achievements and how they can benefit potential employers.
Building a Strong Personal Brand in a Saturated Job Market
Your personal brand is your reputation, and it’s crucial to make it a good one. Building a solid personal brand is critical to standing out in an overrun job market. Your personal brand is what you’re known for over and above anything else. It’s how you do what you do.
My client Suzann, a Vice President of Care with an MBA in Healthcare Management and 15 years of nursing experience, faced a significant challenge when transitioning from acute care nursing to a healthcare leadership role. Despite her qualifications and a refresh of her resume and LinkedIn profile, she only received offers for nursing positions, often with lower salaries than her current role. Frustrated and unable to market her leadership capabilities, she contacted us for help.
We took a hands-on approach, taking time to understand Suzann’s unique blend of real-world nursing experience and business acumen. Then, we crafted a resume that accurately represented Suzann’s skills and potential, highlighting her as a “unicorn” in healthcare – a nurse with proven business leadership skills. The result was a comprehensive package, including an enhanced LinkedIn profile and tailored cover letters.
Soon, Suzann began attracting attention from recruiters for positions that matched her career and financial goals. She eventually accepted a VP position with a fantastic culture and the ability to work remotely. Moreover, this position offered a take-home pay of $80,000 more than her previous salary, reflecting the true value of effective personal branding and a well-crafted resume.
If you need help putting your finger on your personal brand, try answering these five questions, and then combining your UVP and personal brand answers. A theme will likely emerge. You’ll see that no matter where you’ve worked or what you’ve accomplished, some specific skills and outcomes follow you wherever you go.
- What are my core strengths and skills? These are the capabilities that you excel in and which make you stand out. They might be technical skills or soft skills, like leadership or negotiation.
- What are my values and passions? Your core values and passions can shape your work style and the types of roles, industries, or causes that appeal to you. For me, ongoing learning is one of my top values and passions.
- How do others perceive me? Consider the feedback you’ve received from colleagues, superiors, and others in your professional network. How others perceive you can provide insights into your personal brand.
- What is my professional style? Your professional style refers to how you approach your work, including your work ethic, communication style, problem-solving approach, and interpersonal interactions.
- What unique experiences or perspectives do I bring to my field? Reflect on the experiences that differentiate you from others in your industry and how those experiences shape your unique perspective.
Actionable Tip: Ensure your resume and LinkedIn profile are up-to-date and reflect relevant accomplishments for your target position.
Leveraging Networking and Social Capital
In a crowded job market, it’s not just what you know — but also who you know. Networking and social capital can be the differentiator in a saturated job market. Leveraging professional connections can open doors to opportunities that aren’t publicly advertised. Numerous surveys and studies have identified networking as the number-one way job seekers land their next job.
Research from HBR and LinkedIn shows that your weak ties (or acquaintances) are your ticket to your next career move. It’s not just who you know but who the people you know, know. (That’s a tongue twister.) It’s your friends’ connections that will help you, according to the research. These types of relationships are one reason why it’s essential to speak up and let your network know that you’re looking and which role you’re targeting.
Actionable tip: Take 15 minutes a day to comment on 3-5 industry connection posts on LinkedIn. Don’t just say, “Great post,” — add a thoughtful or insightful remark with your advice added to it.
Developing In-Demand Skills and Continuous Learning
“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” – Eric Hoffer.
Developing in-demand skills and committing to continuous learning can help you stay relevant in a crowded job market. According to a World Economic Forum report, critical thinking, complex problem solving, and emotional intelligence are among the top skills employers will seek in 2025 (source: WEF, 2020).
Actionable Tip: Explore online learning platforms like Coursera or Udemy to improve or acquire new skills. You can also take courses and earn certifications and credentials on LinkedIn Learning. These show up in recruiter searches. Upskilling is a great way to stand out in an overcrowded job market.
Crafting a Compelling Resume and Cover Letter for a Saturated Job Market
Your resume and cover letter are your ambassadors. Make sure they represent you well.
A compelling resume and cover letter are vital in making an unforgettable first impression. Unfortunately, too many job seekers use the same resume and cover letter for all job applications. Customizing your resume and cover letter to fit the job you’re applying for can significantly increase your chances of getting noticed.
For a brand-new framework to optimize and modernize your resume, read my article:
3 Quick Ways to Refresh, Optimize, and Modernize Your Executive Resume
And for the dreaded cover letter, I have multiple resources for you:
- 1 Cover Letter Secret that Will Guarantee You Interviews (Most popular blog article)
- The Cover Letters Made Simple Course (Self-paced course with templates)
- The Cover Letters Made Simple Guide & Template Pack (Examples + templates)
A job seeker recently asked me if it was OK to use a general resume to apply to a position they weren’t excited about. My question was: Why apply at all? If the job doesn’t excite you, that’s a hard pass. Invest that time in networking with employees at one of your top three target companies.
Need help to improve your resume? Grab my free executive resume template here. I included a series of 10 emails that walk you through each section of the template and the best content to have in each so that you can attract more interviews.
Excelling in Interviews
A job interview is not a test of your knowledge but of your ability to use it at the right time.
Excelling in interviews is all-important to secure a job offer. Employers are interested in your skills and experiences, your fit with the company culture, and your ability to handle challenging situations.
Actionable Tip: Practice common interview questions and prepare to provide examples from your experience to validate your answers. If you’re tech-savvy, ask ChatGPT common interview questions and answers for the role you’re going after.
Embracing a Positive Mindset and Resilience
Positivity and resilience are not a luxury — but a necessity — when job searching. It’s essential to maintain a positive mindset and resilience in the job hunt. Dealing with job rejection can be challenging, but it’s essential to keep pushing forward.
When things get tough, try to remember these tips:
- Establish a routine: Keep to a regular schedule to maintain a sense of normalcy and progress. Divide your day into blocks dedicated to various tasks related to job searches, like researching companies, tailoring applications, networking, and enhancing your skills. But also include time for breaks, physical activity, and relaxation to avoid burnout.
- Celebrate the small wins: Job searching is a lengthy process, and it’s easy to feel disheartened in the face of continual rejections, non-responses, and ghosting. (I hate those things, too! Who wouldn’t?) Celebrate small milestones along the way — a promising networking call, a well-written cover letter, or even getting a call for an interview.
- Cultivate a growth mindset: Rather than seeing unsuccessful applications as failures, reframe them as learning experiences. Each application or interview can teach you about your skills, career goals, or the job market. By learning from each experience, you can continually improve your job search strategy and resilience.
Standing out in a competitive job market is a challenge. Still, with the right strategies, it’s a challenge you can overcome. In the face of a competitive job market, the key to securing your dream job lies in understanding your unique value proposition, building a personal brand, leveraging your network, developing in-demand skills, crafting compelling job applications, performing well in interviews, and maintaining a positive mindset. It may seem daunting, but every step brings you closer to your goal.
Your journey of navigating a crowded job market is a success story waiting for you to tell. If you found this article helpful, please comment “Helpful” below so I know to share more tips like this in the future.
Ready for professional help?
If you’re an executive job seeker in the US, we’re happy to explore how we can help you with your job search. Book a free resume strategy session with Kelly.
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About the author
Jessica Hernandez, President, CEO & Founder of Great Resumes Fast
Hi, I’m Jessica. I started this company back in 2008 after more than a decade directing hiring practices at Fortune 500 companies.
What started as a side hustle (before that was even a word!) helping friends of friends with their resumes has now grown into a company that serves hundreds of happy clients a year. But the personal touch? I’ve kept that.
You might have seen me featured as a resume expert in publications like Forbes, Fast Company, and Fortune. And in 2020, I was honored to be named as a LinkedIn Top Voice of the year!
I’m so glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to help you find your next perfect-fit position!
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