Trying to "stand out" in the 2-D world of the Internet

First off, I must say that when I wrote that blog heading I felt my old Media Studies teacher flinch - she hated the phrase "stand out"...

I have applied for a lot of jobs online. It is a skill that takes time and persuasion to master, and as with all applications - some work out better than others.

Without getting into the discussion of Assessment Centres and the intensity of that stage of the application, getting the covering letter or assessment questions well written is something that I don't think I am bad at. Nonetheless there are frequent occasions when I wrote what I thought was an interesting and valid application and I don't pass the first stage due to "the high volume of candidates applying for the role".

Are there job sniping gurus out there who make up CVs and stories about "taking the initiative" just to get to interviews and get a free cup of tea?! Here I am genuinely wanting this role and I feel disappointed that an organisation refuses to employ a young and enthusiastic graduate with big and bold ideas and a thirst to succeed.

This is the problem with the Internet. It is now all too easy to apply for roles at the click of a button and the poor people in the HR departments are swamped with hundreds of people. Maybe I come across better in a one-to-one interview stage and I don't get my passion across clearly in my cover letters. Or maybe there are people out there with better experience with me and I need to lower my horizons. Either way, there are jobs that I have applied for and got my hopes up high just to get knocked out in the first round.

I applied for a very high intensity sales role a while back. Not what I thought would be my scene but I was clutching at straws. I got a phone interview and the guy from the recruitment agency seemed impressed and put me through to the assessment centre. However when I got there, I was put off by the role anyway (I really don't see myself in sales!) and the assessment centre itself was filled with business-graduates and marketing students up against which I realistically stood no chance anyway.

So here I am, again using written word to sell myself to employers. I recognised that this may not have been as good an idea as it originally was, but then I have got to interviews and assessment centres on my written applications before. I just need to find someone who sees my potential, is willing to take on someone with a creative and big-thinking ideas mind who is competent in many different fields and picks up new skills with ease.

The whole world seems to be employing online right now, so I thought I really would "take the initiative" and go bananas, putting myself out there to find some meaningful employment and a purpose.

Thanks for following my journey so far and for the support from those of you who have given it on Twitter. It means a lot!

As the guys at We Are What We Do (developers of Historypin) say: "A smile uses half the muscles of a frown, and it makes you and everyone else feel twice as better."

Jon