Competition in this job market today is very tough. With the unemployment rate still sitting at a solid 9 percent, there are many people who are out there looking for a job. Which means that you are just a speck of dust compared to all of the other people who are out there.

So how can you ensure that you are standing out above the rest of everyone else? What can you do differently to help you land that job interview? Here are a few tips to help you stand out above everyone else:

1. Resume
   Make sure that you have the most up-to-date resume available to you at all times. Also make sure that the resume is clean, neat and easy to follow that is going to focus on what makes you stand out. Focusing your resume is going to help you to stand above the rest out there looking for a job, and it’s going to make it easy for the recruiters to know that you are a good fit.
2. Cover Letter
   Writing a great cover letter can be the key to helping you land an interview with a really good company. A cover letter that is filled with a lot of mistakes and poor grammar will not impress the recruiter or the hiring manager. Make sure that your cover letter is clear, but that is also shares your story and conveys your passion for the position that you are being interviewed for.
3. Social Media
   Clean up your social media presence. In the world today where everyone is connected by technology, you can often forget that the employers are not using social media to help screen out employees before hiring them, or even interviewing them. Make sure that you clean up your profile and take advantage of the privacy setting to ensure that you are not your own enemy when it comes to job hunting.
4. Networking
   Whenever you get the chance to meet someone new in the industry you want to try and work in, jump at the opportunity! Meeting new people in the your industry can help you get your foot in the door at your dream company. Thirty-four percent of the jobs filled in today’s market are by employee referrals. So remember to always be on your best networking game.
5. Follow Up
   Following up after an interview is very important because it shows the person that interviewed you that you are truly interested in the job. By neglecting this important step, it is quite possible that someone else will snag job because they did remember to follow up. In an age where everything is done digitally, you might be surprised at just how far a handwritten thank-you note can actually go. Do not be afraid to still use snail mail when following up on an interview to thank an employer for their time that they had used on you.