10 Ways You Can Stand Out From Everyone Else

A lot of very talented radio people are currently looking for a new job – hundreds more than just a few days ago. If you’re looking for a new place to use your skills, hopefully it’s because of a decision you made rather than someone else.  But either way, one of your biggest challenges will be how to stand out from everyone else who is looking for the same job that you are.

While your talent will certainly be critical, so will the way you will present yourself. Hopefully these 10 ways that will help you stand out from everyone else will be useful.

On the other hand, if you are working, consider these 10 ideas (particularly 3 – 10) as applicable to you too. They are actions that you can successfully take immediately to improve and expand your skill sets and at the same time your value to your company.

1 – Make It Easier Rather Than Harder to Get Hired

Put your complete contact information on everything you submit. Sure, it’s on your resume, but also include it with your headshot, cover letter, and – this is a big one – every piece of audio you send if you’re looking for on air work. Do this by including your name, phone and/or email address (without @ of course) in the file name.

By doing so you’ve made it infinitely easier for someone to contact you when your audio gets put in the “ask for more” folder and your resume gets put in a “keep this” file. Having your name as part of your audio file will give you an immediate advantage over an equally good audio sample but with the file name “aircheck.”

Relatedly, submit everything in a single email. When someone is receiving dozens of emailed presentation it’s an extra challenge to match up your part A with your part B. This includes sending all your documents in one file but making the recipient use a link to track down your audio or another part of your presentation. The exceptions are links to videos and personal pages.

2 – Think of a Your Resume as an Expanded but Tightly Edited Business Card

One page is still ideal though two may be necessary. Ease of reading with employment history and core skills are the minimum requirements.

Adding personal achievements, leadership examples and community service are powerful ways to help you stand out from everyone else. Include links to your personal professional web page where would-be employers can do a deeper dive once you’ve earned their attention.

Edit your resume tightly. Make everything on it “earn” its place.

3 – Continuous Engagement: Four Equals Requests for More

If you’re applying for an on air position, you need to engage the person doing the hiring in every single break but especially the first four.

Why four?

Many candidates open with one or two of their best breaks before moving on to an artist interview or something else that doesn’t showcase their uniqueness. Sorry – everyone gets to talk to big country artists so the fact that they’re also on your show means little. And it certainly won’t help you stand out from everyone else.

So unless you’re applying for an entertainment reporter position or are incredibly and uniquely skilled as an interviewer, these probably won’t do you much good. Worse, interviews are often a “bail” moment for someone with 15 more submissions to review before lunch.

Treat your audio as your “greatest hits” album. Don’t include any “mid-charters” or “covers” (that is, something everyone else will be submitting). Make your audio as tight as your resume.

If you’re working, treat your job as if you were an applicant instead of an employee. Prepare and deliver every break (or sales pitch, or newscast) as if it has to qualify for inclusion on your personal Greatest Hits collection.

4 – Make Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) Obvious

We help our advertisers do this all the time when we ask them, “Why should people buy from you?” We listen to what they say then create campaigns around their answers.

This thinking will help you too.

Build a case for yourself based on “Why you should hire me” (or buy from me or listen to me).

What are you (or your station) best at?

How will what you’re best at help the station you’re trying to work for or the client whose business you are trying to grow or attract the size audience you want?

If you don’t know what you or your station is best at, stop everything right now and figure that out.

Then come back.

5 – Demonstrate How You Can Generate Revenue

This can be a requirement or a big bonus depending on the position you’re seeking. But guaranteed, proving that you can help bring in revenue is a huge plus and something that will help you stand out from everyone else.

Specifics are your friend here, so be sure to supply all pertinent details. Present these in a way where a potential (or current) employer can easily embrace the feasibility and envision how you can be a valuable contributor to the bottom line.

6 – Demonstrate your Social Media Prowess

We all know that social is a big deal. People are getting record and TV gigs based on their social media activity and followers.

Social expertise is in demand at every radio station. You can’t have too much of it across a cluster.

Thus every talent should be skilled in using multiple platforms for both station and self-promotions.

This isn’t about ego.  Rather it’s about your ability to create compelling content both on and off the air that will attract cume, generate an additional occasion of listening, and offer additional revenue opportunities.

These skills are also powerful if you’re seeking a sales position.

7 – Give Ample Evidence of Your Value to Your Community

Every talent “emcees” or plays an ancillary role in charity events. This is nice, but it doesn’t help you stand out from everyone else.

What will is demonstrating how you give of yourself and your personal time particularly as it relates to your personal passions.

Share events you have created that demonstrate your interests, beliefs, loves, and your commitment to others in your community. Similarly share how your community service has elevated your status (and your station’s) in your market.

If you’re working, commit to increasing or finding new ways to be a contributor in 2020. Your efforts will have an added benefit: the personal satisfaction that comes with selflessness.

8 – Be Prepared to Tell Stories.

The ability to tell stories is a powerful and needed skill for both talent and sales. Stories help a potential employer get to know and understand you better. Stories also let you talk about your achievements without bragging.

Study the art of storytelling if it doesn’t come naturally to you.

Study storytellers you admire to find out what makes their stories compelling.

Practice telling your stories. And yes, telling them to yourself qualifies as practice.

Being a skilled storyteller will absolutely help you stand out from everyone else.

9 – Work Your Personal Hook

Admittedly this is tricky because you must be memorable yet genuine. Fakers will be immediately dismissed as candidates.

Often your personal hook is an outgrowth of a particular skill or personality trait you have. Said another way, your personal hook isn’t too different from a song hook. It is an impression that you will leave that will help you be remembered in a unique and positive way.

Call it an “it” factor if you like. The take away is something that is special and sticky about you. Think of creating your hook so that it has the same impact as a song “ear worm” – something you can’t get out of your head. 

This is absolutely something everyone who is working how should pause and reflect on: how much of what I’m creating and sharing has a high “ear worm” factor.

A high ear worm quotient will help you stand out from everyone else.

10 – Have a “Hire Me” (or buy from me) Elevator Pitch Rehearsed and Ready to Go

Incorporate as much of the above as you can in sixty seconds. Think of it as a Netflix description of the show named “You.”  Hook me into wanting more.

Depending on your situation – looking for work or working – one of these should apply.

Looking

If you’re LOOKING for a new position – especially if you have been looking for a while – don’t despair. It sounds like a cliché but a job search is a process.

Job searches take time because there are lots of moving parts to a great hire.  And these are not just limited to finding a strong match between the job and the candidate’s skills. Plus there may be dozens (hundreds?) applying for the same job you are (thus the need to stand out).

And of course the same evaluative process applies from your side of the equation. That is, are who you are, what you believe, and how you see and treat the world, compatible with the position you’re applying for?

Put another way: consider all the people who could have been your best friends. You made the choice to embrace those who matched your view of the world, sense of humor, goals, your values and so on. Your new employer should be held to the same standards.

But there’s a critical caveat – especially right now. Just like musical chairs, the numbers of places to sit are continually decreasing. So resist the urge to decline a good match because it isn’t a perfect match.

Because often the gap between good and perfect is something you can control.

Working

If you have a job that you love, revisit why you feel this way. But also consider the ramifications of having your position eliminated tomorrow. Hopefully this will give you fresh inspiration that translates into a renewed passion which will increase your job satisfaction while simultaneously benefiting others.

Reminding yourself that loving what you do is a gift – and that you can give this gift to yourself on a daily basis.

And, not meaning to be dire, but know that this week there are hundreds more people looking for jobs than there were last week. Perhaps some of them would love to take yours.

So commit yourself anew to demonstrating that your value to your company is so strong that you can make yourself as insulated an employee as possible. It’s not a guarantee of course because unfortunately, as we saw this month, even some of the greatest people can get RIF’d. Still, the worst case scenario is that your skills become sharper to the benefit of all.

Parting Thought Courtesy of Big & Rich’s Big Kenny

At A&O&B’s pre-CRS event in Nashville last year (2019) I had the privilege of doing a one-on-one with Big & Rich’s Big Kenny Alphin. We talked extensively about motivation. Big Kenny urged us to regularly stop and reflect on how far we’ve come and how many of our goals we’ve achieved.  And then – importantly – celebrate our journey to date.           

That’s great advice at any point in your career.

But hopefully it’s a special encouragement to those of our radio brethren looking to connect with a new station: a station where they can bring their skills and make a positive difference.

You’ve got a lot to celebrate. And a lot to offer.

Now you just need to make sure you stand out from everyone else.

Related: Back When Radio Was Good: A Week With Beats 1

Photo by Cristina Gottardi on Unsplash