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Founder, CVJury

Stand out in a crowded job market by thinking differently. With more high-quality candidates competing for fewer roles, landing interviews is more challenging than ever. That's where problem-solving techniques can give you a real edge. If you've been struggling to get interviews with the employers you want to work for, it might be time to rethink your strategy. Most candidates focus on ticking boxes in a job description. However, when everyone sounds the same, employers have difficulty picking out who stands out.
A novel approach to job applications can help you develop fresh ideas that appeal to your target employer. Still, it can also be the defining difference that gets you an interview over your competition.
The problem-solving techniques are about showing that you have a comprehensive understanding of the industry you are about to enter and how it can be improved for your potential future employer.
However, this approach is not for the work-shy. The critical advice here is that you only get what you put in. This will become clear as we explain the methodology of the approach.
This approach involves creating a research paper on an issue that solves problems for the industry you desire to work in and then proposing some solutions.
This research paper is attached to your CV and cover letter as further evidence of your qualifications and as other evidence as to why you would be ideal for the job.
This research paper accomplishes a variety of things:
This novel approach gives you an advantage over rivals because even before you meet your employer, you have stepped forward as a problem solver for them.
Note: A long and academic-style research paper will work for many industries but not for all.
However, you'll still be able to provide value by writing a problem-solving article about your industry. This article should show your thoughts about your work area and how to solve these afflictions.
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We understand that, in theory, this is much simpler than it might prove to be in practice, especially for very technical industries. In this regard, we'd like to refer to our earlier point that you get out what you put into this piece of work.
To help explain this approach further, we've included an example of how it works below.
We will use Jane's case study to explain the problem-solving techniques for getting an interview (and hopefully, subsequently, a job).
Jane's industry is Education, and she is applying for a University Lecturer job. The problem she identified was that 90% of her lecturers did not finish their course outlines when she was an undergrad.
She argued that this might be one reason some universities do not perform as well as others in terms of student satisfaction and academic results.
Her solution for this problem was to suggest that lecturers break down their course contents into weekly lectures and follow-up work for their students to ensure they hit every point of their course content by the end of the term.
In addition to her suggestion, she explained how a typical year's course could be broken down into this format. She said that this framework would be one of the valuable aspects she would bring if she were a lecturer at her desired institution.
Jane then presented all of the information in the style of a research paper, with statistical evidence outlining the problem and how her solution could help improve teaching and add value to the institution that she wished to join.
Dos
Don'ts
Now that you know the problem-solving techniques for job-seeking, here are a few crucial points from this article.
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About the author
Ita John
Founder, CVJuryDr Ita John founded CVJury in 2022. He previously worked as an IT recruiter in the London market for nearly seven years at Star Jobs Recruitment and founded the NECareersConnect careers platform. He brings experience in recruitment, practical project management, and business development. Earlier in his career, he taught business and economics at Oxford Brookes University and in Nigeria for over a decade. He lives in England with his wife and three sons. He earned a PhD in Entrepreneurship, International Business, and Economics from Oxford Brookes University. See how his background shapes the work he does for you. Read his story..
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