Differentiating Yourself to Employers

The article Differentiate Yourself and Land a Job Fast Even in a Recession, was really insightful, the following paragraph in particular:

"The secret is a common sense one-the job seekers who are getting
interviews and winning jobs have found a way to set themselves apart
from the masses. How have they done that? Simple: they've "sold" their
potential to deliver RESULTS rather than just their skills and baseline
qualifications. In other words, they've communicated their ability to
deliver desired VALUE and BENEFITS to the employer."

I believe that the economics of finding talent is slowly changing because companies are starting to realize that a resume cannot sufficiently portray the skills of a job candidate. Progressive companies are increasingly seeking candidates not only with practical experience, but creative thinking and problem-solving skills too. What better way to demonstrate these qualities than to actually solve real-world problems?

We launched Colspark because we wanted to empower students to think outside the box and be rewarded for their creative ideas with career opportunities. Graduating students who have reputable "Ivy League" names on their resumes tend to stand a greater chance of securing promising jobs than students who are from more average schools. By enabling students to complement their education, and giving them an equal opportunity to differentiate themselves, we hope the recruitment process becomes a little fairer and assessment of job candidates more accurate.