The job market has gotten increasingly competitive in recent months, with millions of applicants vying for thousands of jobs. Many job-seekers find the process tedious, infuriating, and sometimes unfair. But at the end of what could be a long and winding road lies the potential for a fulfilling career.

While refusing to give up on finding a job is key, another crucial factor for getting hired is making yourself more desirable as a candidate. The following are five tips to help get you started:

Put experience over education

Many resume formats put the educational background first, followed by work experience. Consider switching the sections around so that work experience comes before academic credentials. That’s because it’s the more important section in the eyes of potential employers. What’s more, the number of college-educated candidates has skyrocketed in recent decades, making degrees look less enticing than before.

Know credit could be a factor

Your credit history and credit score could determine whether or not you get the job. It depends on the line of work you’ll be doing. Positions involving the handling of large sums of money, or where the potential for theft is higher than normal, are likely to require a credit check.

If your credit history is less than perfect or nonexistent, consider a credit repair or credit starter loan. Many loan companies in San Angelo Texas and other communities provide these types of loans to individuals in need of building credit. As long as you make the payments on time until the loan is repaid, you’ll see a boost in your score. That way, if a potential employer runs a check, they’ll see you’re in good standing.

Show don’t tell when possible

Today’s job-seekers need to take advantage of the latest in digital media resources. Rather than be forced to explain the projects you’ve worked on in the past and where your work has been used, provide links, QR codes, and prompts that lead hirers to relative online content. Whether it’s your personal website, a webpage featuring a product you helped design, or a video showcasing your best work, prefer showing over telling whenever possible.

Cut to the chase

Reaching the interview phase is both an exciting and stressful experience for most job-seekers. While there’s no end to the advice given to those about to undergo a job interview, very little focuses on the value of time management skills. Rather than rehearse specific answers to potential questions, develop an internal rhythm for timing your answers in a quick and effective manner.

Think of it as the shot clock in basketball; you have 24 seconds to answer a question, just like a team has 24 seconds to shoot the ball. With help from a friend or loved one, train yourself to answer questions in under half a minute. By the time you’re being interviewed, the timely manner in which you respond will be second nature.

Learn from your mistakes

Job hunting involves a lot of swings and misses. Sure, there’s always someone lucky enough to land a great job after only applying to three different places, but that’s unlikely. Prepare to fail more times than not, but make a point to take lessons as you go along. If an interview didn’t go well, step back, and uncover why then work to keep it from happening again.

Finding a job is always hard, but especially so these days. However, with the right attitude and approach, you’ll eventually succeed.