You might feel like you're competing with a million other candidates who are all applying for the exact same jobs you are. Worst of all, you keep hearing horror stories about hiring managers spending seconds reading each candidate's submission during the hiring process.
Be Attentive, Follow Instructions
Want to catapult yourself to the top of a hiring manager's list? There are two no-brainer, can't-miss things you could be doing right now to get started:
Read the job ad carefully.
Follow every instruction in it.
That's it! It sounds simple, but many applicants don't do these two things. Heck, you've probably not even done this once or twice when applying for a job. Even if you're competing against a ton of applicants, you'll put yourself in the top ten (or, for some jobs, even the top one to two) percent of applicants if you read carefully and follow the instructions. In an era when it's easier than ever to apply, it's also easier than ever to not pay attention to the details.
If the job description asks you for a cover letter, write a cover letter. If it specifies a format for your resume, provide it in the correct format. If the job post asks for specific things in your resume or your cover letter, make sure you address those exact things! Because it takes little time or effort to simultaneously apply for a bunch of jobs, paying attention to the details helps you stand out.
Optimize Your GitHub Profile
If you link to your GitHub profile, you will want to ensure it's up to snuff.
Use a recent photo of yourself.
Make sure it's easy to see the projects and contributions you're most proud of.
Star projects to make them quickly accessible from your profile and link to specific commits or PRs in your profile's README.md.
Your Website & Social Media Presence
If you've got one, make sure it's good. Make sure it's something you're proud of and want people to visit. If that's not the case, you don't have one, or you're not happy with it, and you're applying for a position as a web developer, you're sending the wrong message to employers. Good personal websites don't have to be perfect. A "good" personal website is accessible, clean, easy to navigate, and perhaps most importantly, up to date.
Make sure it has your latest content and contribute as your search continues. You can reference open-source contributions, blog posts, videos, podcasts, and more.
Even an informative presence on X or Bluesky can set you apart. All of these things add to your larger persona - and that can help you get hired.