How to stand out as a candidate in the changing tech industry.

Considering moving jobs is never a small thing to do. It impacts not only yourself but also your family and those closest to you, and the job search process really starts before even looking at which company or role to apply for.

And once you’ve made it to the point of applying for roles, you’ll be faced with competition from others, so need to really be confident about how to stand out and how to land the right job for you. 

With that in mind, here are some tips and tricks on how to stand out when applying to tech roles - from sending your CV, to making the right impression in interviews.  

Thinking about your CV.

Let’s compare your CV to a restaurant menu. A menu is meant to showcase what the restaurant has to offer in a simple and intriguing way. The menu has different sections like appetisers, drinks, mains etc. 

Similar to a CV, it’s a snapshot and an opportunity to showcase your unique skills and captivate the reader. Your CV should focus on education, experience and skills. A menu is always nicely organised, without typos and easy to understand to make the reader want to know more. You really want your reader to easily find what they’re looking for (they’ll probably have a few key things in mind) and make them believe that you can do the job you are applying for.

Tips on how to write your CV.

Keep it simple and structured. 

Too much text overwhelms the reader. State highlights like your key achievements and responsibilities in the roles you’ve had, as this gives the reader a clear indication of your capabilities and skills. Leave the details for the interview.

Mimic the wording of the job description. 

For example, if you take a look at job descriptions within Nordcloud, they’ll contain lots of clues on what it takes to get the job and also what skills you need.  Examples of this could be if you’re a cloud architect and have worked with Terraform or Kubernetes, you should make sure to use those specific words in your application as it indicates you match what we’re looking for. 

Or if you’re looking at a sales role, it’ll suggest having worked with sales in public cloud transformation projects, so you should make sure to highlight this in your CV. It’s this kind of attention to detail that will give you a better chance of cutting through and getting the job interview.

Stay up-to-date.

Remember that your CV should reflect your professional identity and qualifications. Keep it up to date and be prepared to adapt it as your career progresses or as you pursue different opportunities.

Tips on standing out in an interview.

Research the company.

… And understand what’s important to them. At Nordcloud, we really like people to be cloud experts and continuous learning is very important to us, so if you invest in your own learning and keeping up with current technologies, then make sure to make that shine in interviews and in your application.

Use your network. 

You might already know someone who works here or has interviewed with us in the past. Use them! Or if you’ve previously interviewed with us, but it may not have been the right fit at the time, we do encourage people to come back and apply again. Reaching out to the recruiter you spoke with before is a great way to reconnect.

Prepare for the interviews. 

The last 5-10 min of an interview are always left for questions, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t prepare anything. So this is a really easy way to stand out from the crowd. You can keep the questions simple, so things about internal progression, culture, team structure - but by showing this kind of interest and asking thoughtful questions, you’re already standing out from other applicants.

Soft skills matter. 

For sure, being an expert in your field is important, but so are things like communication, networking and team spirit. Before doing an interview, think of examples where you’ve showcased great technical skills, but also where you’ve shown soft skills. This shows the interviewer you’ve prepared for the interview and reflected on your own achievements.

The tech industry is an ever-changing and competitive landscape and standing out is key to securing a future role. By following these tips and tricks, you’ll give yourself the best chance of standing out from the crowd and making a positive, lasting impression. It's important to remember that your journey to securing a job doesn’t start from sending through your application, but from when the thought of potentially changing jobs arises. 

Nordcloud is a growing company, and should you be interested in an opportunity or want to just learn more about us, reach out to us using the form below, connect with me on LinkedIn, or follow us on social media to learn more about life in Nordcloud. And you can check out our open roles right now here.