How to Stand Out Among Seasonal Job Applicants

If you want to stand out among a pool of job applicants, heed these tips from an employment expert.

“Be prepared. Take the process seriously,” said Christine Karaska, employment specialist for the N.J. State Department of Labor.

“It's so competitive,” Karaska said in stressing preparation for the interview. “You only have five minutes to sell yourself” to a prospective employer.

Karaska offered the following tips for applicants:

• Come dressed appropriately. Skip the sweats and shorts.
• Bring your own pen to fill out the application.
• Write neatly so the employer can clearly read all of the information on the application.
• Smile. Employers want to see a pleasant person, not a grouch, especially if the job requires contact with customers.
• If you are an adult, bring a resume.
• If you are a student with good grades, bring your report card and any certificates that show you participated in a particular school or extracurricular program, such as “School Counts.”
• Make sure you have all the information you need to fill out the application completely. Bring the company names, supervisors' names, addresses and phone numbers of previous employers, because those doing the hiring will check references.
• Never lie on a job application. Even if you are hired, discovery of a lie on your application could result in firing.
• Have your Social Security number and identification, such as a driver's license, with you.
• Be prepared to answer the question: “Why should I hire you?” The answers could range from “I work hard,” “I learn quickly,” or “I'm dependable,”to “I have experience.” Whatever you can tell an employer to help you stand out from other applicants could be the deciding factor.