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How to create a competitive advantage

In times of high unemployment, frozen or restricted recruitment and a high degree of competition, you need to have a strong competitive advantage to be chosen.

Here are 14 tips to help you stand out from the masses and be chosen now and in the future:

What is a personal brand and why do you need one.

A brand is a product or service with a personality, which occupies a territory in peoples minds and hearts. Every time they interact with it, for example a service like Alton Towers or a product like Heinz baked beans, they hopefully have a consistent and positive experience which builds the relationship they have with the brand and their affinity to it. Equally if they have a negative experience, their attachment to the brand is lessened and they start to consider other choices.

There are some generic steps you should always take to prepare for an interview — research the company, study the job description and person specification, for example — but the consultant should be able to give you a lot more detailed information about the organisation and the role.

There are a few things I’ve picked up along the way that makes life at work much more enjoyable, which ultimately produces a better level of work and thinking.

The idea of selling yourself essentially means,to convince others of your value, It’s usually a concept referred to when trying to get something, like a new job or a promotion. A lot people have a hard time selling themselves because they feel like it’s arrogant. People are often taught that self promotion is vain or bigheaded. Truth be told, it is a necessary part of business. Its your responsibility to make others sit up and notice your work. You are your own biggest supporter. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging your talents. In fact, its a very wise and necessary career move.

The idea of selling yourself essentially means,to convince others of your value, It’s usually a concept referred to when trying to get something, like a new job or a promotion. A lot people have a hard time selling themselves because they feel like it’s arrogant. People are often taught that self promotion is vain or bigheaded. Truth be told, it is a necessary part of business. Its your responsibility to make others sit up and notice your work. You are your own biggest supporter. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging your talents. In fact, its a very wise and necessary career move.

When it comes to applying for a new job, your CV could be just the ticket to get you that initial foot in the door and secure an interview, but how do you ensure your CV is added to the interview pile rather than thrown straight in the bin.

Putting together a successful CV is easy once you know how. It is a case of taking all your skills and experience and tailoring them to the job you are applying for. But what if you do not meet the right criteria. Well I have put together the following tips to help you get started in creating a successful CV.

The real secret sauce to a successful job search usually is so close to us it is like we literally can not see our hand in front of our face.

It boils down to some simple, solid strategies.

A CV is your way of saying 'Hey! This is me! I could make a contribution to your business!' Sounds easy, right? After all, we know ourselves better than anyone else. Actually, writing a good CV can be one of the toughest challenges of job hunting. Most employers spend just a few seconds scanning each CV before sticking it in the 'Yes' or 'No' pile. Harsh.

But never fear! We've compiled our Top 10 hints on how to show the world 'this is me!' and get that all-important interview.

In a competitive marketplace it's harder than ever to stand out from others at an interview. You will have followed all the usual advice: researched the organisation beforehand, dressed professionally, arrived early, and all the rest. Now you're starting to talk, how can you impress them? Hiring decisions are made on more than just skills and experience. It's also about gut feelings and instinctual reactions. All sorts of subtle psychological factors come into play; so here are eleven techniques which can help you give the interviewer the feeling that you are the one.