CAREER FOCUS
How to Stand Out From the Crowd
Treating your job search like a job itself will help you stand out from other candidates.
Written by Robin L. Flanigan
COMPETITION IS FIERCE FOR GOOD TALENT. The good news for recent grads is that now more than ever, recruiters hunting for mechanical engineering candidates are looking for younger applicants.
So, once you’ve completed internships for experience, or even gone back to school for a graduate degree, what are results-oriented steps for landing a desired position?
“The first thing is to treat your job search like a job,” said George Santos, managing director of 180 Engineering in Naperville, Ill.
Santos offers 12 tips for getting—and staying—noticed:
Make Your Resume Descriptive
If you’re familiar with certain software programs, for example, name them and explain them.
“Make it easy for a non-technical person to see what skills and experience you have,” Santos said.
Be Smart with AI
“You can upload your resume and job description, and ask ChatGPT, ‘What are some areas of improvement if I’m applying for this role?’” Santos said. “It will make some pretty solid recommendations.”
Just be careful with any proprietary information and be sure to proofread what it sends back.
AI isn’t always great at making sure a resume reflects a prospective employer’s stated job requirements, however.
“AI will save you a ton of time, but you’ve got to be able to use it correctly,” Santos said.
Get Personal
Talent acquisition teams, HR departments, and hiring managers want to know what interviewees do during their downtime.
“They love hearing about MEs tinkering with things,” Santos explained. “Maybe it’s a project car in the garage or building a home alarm system. Sharing some personal interests on your resume showcases that you’re someone who likes to stay busy and are a problem-solver—and those will bode well for you.”
What if your hobby doesn’t require working with your hands? That’s absolutely fine. Being a marathon runner, for instance, shows you like to challenge yourself on a personal level—another positive attribute.
Create a Separate Email Account
This will make job-related inquiries easy to spot and keep monitor.
Be sure to make the address clearly visible in any online biographical summary.
“The most common reason people don’t advance [after an interview] isn’t a lack of technical ability, it’s a failure to effectively answer the questions being asked. Avoid rambling and focus on providing specific examples from your experience.”
—George Santos, managing director of 180 Engineering
Round Out Social Media
“The reality is that a recruiter is most likely going to find you on LinkedIn, rather than on Facebook or TikTok,” Santos said.
So, create an impressive profile on LinkedIn that mirrors your resume, and if you haven’t had much professional work, play up academic skills.
Also, let recruiters and your network know you’re searching for job opportunities by using LinkedIn’s “Open to Work” feature.
Find Uncommon Ways to Network
Be open about your job search anywhere people congregate, such as community events and family barbecues.
Santos can’t count the number of people who introduce him to prospective employees. “The only reason that comes about is because they were approached by somebody younger who said they were hoping for some help,” he said. “You have to continually broadcast that you’re looking.”
Avoid ghost ads
Steer clear of postings that appear generic and have been open for a while.
“They could be ads just to fetch resumes into a database for a later time,” Santos said. While they’re not a terrible thing, dedicate your time to postings that have “some urgency” behind them and can be verified by a human.
Be Open to Available Positions
Entry-level engineers often have their hearts set on a particular specialty but should be open to a variety of roles to get a foot in the door, because a six-month contract could lead to a permanent hire. “Use it as an opportunity to learn,” Santos said.
Plan for the Interview
Once you have an interview scheduled, properly prepare. You won’t have a lot of time with the interviewer, so plan on making every minute count.
Aside from reviewing the company’s website, Santos advised examining its LinkedIn page, YouTube channel, and any recent press releases, as well as familiarizing yourself with the company’s core values, mission statement, and initiatives.
Stand Out
If you respond to an online job posting, “it’s actually not that frowned upon” to then contact the HR or talent acquisition manager for that posting. With a short, polite message on LinkedIn, explain that you just applied.
The move can show initiative.
“It might get you that extra 30 seconds of a review that you wouldn’t otherwise have gotten,” Santos said.
Ace the Interview
Remember to use strong communication skills. This means being direct, concise, and relevant.
“The most common reason people don’t advance isn’t a lack of technical ability, it’s a failure to effectively answer the questions being asked,” Santos said. “Avoid rambling and focus on providing specific examples from your experience.”
Structure responses according to the STAR method. The acronym is a formula to help set a context (Situation), explain your role in that situation (Task), describe the steps you took to achieve that task (Action), and recount the outcome of your efforts (Result).
Follow up
Send a thank-you note to everyone you spoke with—even a junior member of a hiring team—on the day of your interview.
“It’s an old-school thing and not a lot of candidates do it, but you need to stick out,” Santos said. “This is a small gesture that puts a nice bow on things and can leave a lasting impression.”
Robin L. Flanigan is an independent writer in Rochester, N.Y.
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