To Whom It May Concern, How Do I Stand Out? | Job Seeker Selfies

Written by Megan Murray

“Posted 5 hours ago - 197 applicants”

How do I stand out? How will I ever stand a chance?

“To whom it may concern, I came across your advertisement on Seek and I knew that I immediately had to apply as I believe that this job will be excellent for my experience in the marketing field.

As a young motivated individual, I am thrilled to be applying for the role as I will definitely be an asset in your team, as I am hard working and punctual….”

I can bet that over 50% of the candidates cover letters start like this.

If you want to stand out against the multitude of applicants, you need to highlight what makes you, YOU! And why your unique features will be good for the company. It can be very nerve racking when applying for a job, especially when you are still learning the ropes of the field. I am a second year uni student, who has a passion for marketing and media, and as much as I tell myself I am going to succeed and thrive, it can be hard to believe it sometimes.

I find it hard to validate my own knowledge as I am constantly comparing myself to others, and struggle to believe that I will ever be as smart or creative as my peers. I am always concerned about what other people are doing for their future, whether that be getting a better job or an internship in the industry. I worry that these people are steps ahead of me and if I don’t do that, I will never be able to be as successful as them.

This kind of negative comparison is so unhealthy! We are all different, trying to figure out life, and it is unnecessary to have these worries. Instead, try focusing on what you need to do to challenge yourself- for me, it was picking up an internship at UseVerb, to try and put my learning into practice. For myself, I am a perfectionist in what I do, and I have high expectations of myself - whether that be for my uni assignments, or ensuring I am doing everything I can to help me succeed for my future.

At the end of the day, I am only at the beginning. I do not need to hold this much anxiety about the future. Life will take its course, and success will come with passion and drive.

It is important if you are feeling worried about the future, to remember that everything works out the way it needs to in the end. There is no point trying to control the uncontrollable, and instead enjoy the journey you are on - because at the end of the day, the path is not a one route trip.

Admittedly, it is a lot easier to preach this than believe it myself. But for me, doing mindful things like meditating, yoga, pilates or reading are great help. A meditation app I enjoy using is Balance - just doing 5 minutes in the morning is so useful to have a clear mind and release any built up tension you have. Along with this, simple daily yoga or pilates videos on YouTube are great to take a break. Exercise is great for a clear and healthy mind!

I know that my strengths are the passion I hold for marketing, and the way I will go head first into anything I commit myself to. These are the features you need to talk about when applying for jobs and writing cover letters, as they are the unique strengths which you will bring to their workplace.

You need to highlight your strengths, not general cover letter jargon which every other applicant will write.

Enjoy the journey, try and not to fret about the end when you are only at the beginning, you will get there when you need to!

• Megan 😍