7 ways to stand out from the crowd: Job interview tips

In many industries and professions, competition for jobs continues to intensify. Sure, you may tick all the right boxes in terms of qualifications, you may have a compelling track record to talk about, and you may have a winning personality too. But chances are, so will several other candidates.

How can you stand out from the crowd? You want to show that you are prepared to go the extra mile, that you want and deserve the job more than the other potential candidates. Here are some ideas about how to stand out before, during and after a job interview.

What’s in this article? Explore the following tips below:

• Prepare for your interview - do your research
• Demonstrate value and vision by ‘doing the job already’
• Make use of your other skills and experience
• Show your creativity
• Highlight essential soft skills
• Demonstrate a growth mindset
• Follow-up after your job interview

Our 7 tips to stand out

By following our tips below, you can give yourself the best chance to stand out from your competitors.

1. Prepare for your interview - do your research

Make sure you properly research your potential future employer and workplace prior to your first meeting. Have a strong answer prepared for the question, ‘What do you know about us?’ Simply reciting the About Us page can come across as dull. Instead, take the time to read the annual report and get a sense of the language the company uses—you’ll already be aligning with their DNA.

This approach helps you understand what truly matters to the organisation. Consider their phraseology: is it ‘We’re all about caring for customers,’ ‘We’re here to drive change,’ or ‘Our priority is unlocking value for stakeholders’? Identify the keywords that define the company’s ethos and use them to your advantage.

Discover how to answer other commonly asked questions. 

Takeaway: How can you show you’ve gone the extra mile in the way you research for the role? 

2. Demonstrate value and vision by ‘doing the job already’

Go beyond basic research and demonstrate how you can add value to the business.

Think about what you’d like to achieve in the first six months of the role and what support you might need from the company to excel. Be creative in your approach—share ideas that could be entirely new to the organisation. Speak as if you already have the job.

It’s refreshing for an employer to engage with someone who has put significant thought into understanding the role. This not only highlights your resourcefulness and intelligence but also shows your enthusiasm for the position, reflected in the time and effort you’ve invested in preparation.

It’s refreshing to talk to someone who’s already done some significant thinking to get their head around the role.

Takeaway: What can you do to show that you’re already thinking and acting as if you’re ready to start the role tomorrow? 

3. Make use of your other skills and experience 

Candidates often stand out by applying their unique skills and experiences to their interview preparation. You can apply the STAR technique to transform your past experiences into compelling stories. For example, one candidate with a background in logistics impressed hiring managers for a professional services role by suggesting innovative ways to streamline their service delivery processes. This practical insight demonstrated his ability to think strategically and bring fresh ideas to the table.

Similarly, another candidate, drawing on their experience in e-commerce, identified a market gap for a clothing brand while interviewing for an unrelated role. This observation ultimately led to the company developing a new revenue stream.

These examples from Robert Walters highlight how leveraging your prior expertise and perspective can set you apart from other candidates and showcase your value to the organisation. 

Takeaway: What skills from other parts of your life can you put to use in your job search and interview?

4. Show your creativity 

The creative and promotional industries are full of examples of applicants who have made use of their talents to help their application stand out from the crowd. Salespeople have been known to present their expertise in the form of a commercial pitch. And creatives have packaged their credentials in a variety of weird and wacky ways – in the form of specially designed cereal packets, Swiss Army knives, Lego kits, action figurines and more. 

One candidate famously hired the advertising hoarding opposite the HQ of the company they wanted to work at to get noticed. Another marketing hopeful decided to launch her own ‘hire a boss’ website. She listed her position, organisation and manager requirements, got media coverage for her efforts – and ended up with a dream job.

Showing creativity in the process demonstrates energy and initiative. It’s another way of showing that you are willing to go above and beyond.

The aim is to create an impression that resonates with your interviewers and gives them something to think about long after the interview finishes. One candidate interviewing for a finance analyst role at a major fashion brand took the time to conduct in-depth research into the company’s competitors, product range and position in the industry. He used his research to create a visual SWOT analysis and left printed copies for his interviewers to take away. The extra effort did not go unmissed – in addition to securing the role, his interview set a new standard for future candidates.

Takeaway: While going to such creative lengths isn’t suitable or necessary in every industry or sector, there are always opportunities to use thoughtful and imaginative presentation to stand out. For example, you might enhance the look and feel of your slide deck or create a digitally savvy personal CV website to showcase your skills and personality.

5. Highlight essential soft skills

In many senior roles, technical expertise and industry experience are often taken as a given. What sets candidates apart today are their soft skills—qualities like grit, resilience, emotional intelligence, and adaptability.

The ability to bounce back from difficulties and learn from adversity is an especially vital skill in today’s workplace, where rapid technological advancements and constant change are the norm. Employers value individuals who can thrive in an environment of disruption, frequent restructuring, and ongoing transformation. Demonstrating these skills signals that you’re not only capable of handling adversity but also of contributing meaningfully in dynamic, fast-evolving contexts.

Takeaway: What stories can you share to illustrate your ability to adapt, overcome challenges, and grow in the face of change? These examples can make a powerful impression during the hiring process.

6. Demonstrate a growth mindset 

A related soft skill that can help you stand out from the crowd is ‘learning agility’ – a willingness and enthusiasm to move with the times, take on new skills and expand into new areas as business requirements and priorities evolve. 

What we learn at school often doesn’t equip us with the tools for the jobs of tomorrow, so you need to be able to demonstrate evidence of your willingness and ability to learn new skills, and adapt or take on new challenges and working patterns.

Companies invest a lot of money to hire top talent, and so of course they are hiring not just for now but for the future too. Tell stories using real-life examples to demonstrate learning agility and your readiness to stretch yourself. For example, ‘I’m an excellent IT engineer, but to really progress I knew I needed to develop my stakeholder engagement and communication management skills. So here’s how I went about developing my knowledge and skills in this area…’

Takeaway: What stories can you tell to demonstrate that you are a candidate who is not afraid to learn new things – and you will be an asset to your employer not just today, but in five or ten years’ time?  

7. Follow-up after your job interview

Add a personal touch by reaching out post-interview. Reaching out to your potential employer, especially if it’s in a thoughtful way, will help you to be the candidate that leaves a lasting impression. A simple way to do this is to compose an email or handwritten thank you note.

This is a courtesy which, when done well, is likely to gain approval. Better yet, it gives you another chance to get your name in front of your potential employer. Referencing parts of the conversation also shows you were fully engaged throughout the process. Read our tips on exactly how to follow up after an interview.

Takeaway: What key points can you make in your personal message which will show how you really engaged with your interviewer?  

Go into your interview with confidence

In today’s job market, meeting the basic requirements is just the starting point. To truly stand out, you need to show initiative, creativity, and a willingness to go the extra mile. From adding a personal touch to your follow-up communications, conducting in-depth research, and showcasing your unique skills and experiences, to demonstrating grit, resilience, and a growth mindset, every effort you make counts.

Remember, the aim is to leave a lasting impression on your employer—one that sets you apart from other candidates. Think about how you can illustrate your value, reflect the company’s ethos, and prove that you’re not only ready to hit the ground running but also prepared to grow with the role. By doing so, you’ll show employers that you’re not just another candidate—you’re the candidate they’ve been looking for.

Access the complete interview guide for more tips and advice. 

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