Provide Stamps of Approval
You don’t need a study to convince you that testimonials, referrals, letters of recommendation, and other stamps of approval are valuable. When hiring managers and recruiters have information overload, they look for ways to minimize the time to review applications and invite the best candidates in for interviews. How do they do this? They do it in two ways: 1) They quickly eliminate weak applications through writing errors, design flaws, and inadequate qualifications, leaving the more impressive applications in the yes pile. Second, they also look for “stamps of approval” that may allow them to overlook some document issues and have hiring managers take a closer look.
Combining strong documents with stamps of approval will help your application stand out. If a well-respected person, for example, thinks highly of you (referral or letter of recommendation), the hiring manager will often move your application to the pile for further review.
What do you think happens when employers hear you have a job offer? They become more interested in you. If someone likes you enough to offer you the job, you must be good. Stamps of approval are powerful.
Think about what makes you feel more comfortable hiring a plumber, dentist, or hairstylist when the only available information sits on a website or flyer? Similarly, how do you think hiring managers commit to interviewing job applicants when they can only see marketing documents and promotional platforms (LinkedIn, professional career website)? Here are some tactics you can use on your resume, cover letter, and promotional platforms to help employers feel more comfortable bringing you in for an interview when they have never met you and can only rely on what they read and see:
- Testimonials – Testimonials put a stamp of approval on you and the quality of your work
- Experience in the Field – Experience adds credibility and minimizes the risk of interviewing you
- Accomplishments – Numbers and percentages grab attention and speak to the level of your work
- Essential Qualifications – Relevant qualifications keep you competitive and make employers feel comfortable interviewing you
- Awards and Honors – GPA, fellowships, scholarships, and awards reinforce the quality of your work
- Relevant Certifications and Training – Key skills add value and make employers feel comfortable moving you along in the process
- Leadership Roles – Leadership skills reinforce your capabilities and separate you from others
- Quality of Presentation – Well-crafted marketing documents and promotional platforms demonstrate the quality of your work
- Clients – Company names, specific projects, and particular individuals grab attention and add credibility
Seek to add these and other stamps of approval to your documents and promotional platforms whenever possible. They will help your documents land in the yes stack after the initial review, especially if you include the information near the top of your resume and cover letter.
