Make sure your cover letter is short and snappy. They will be reading hundreds of them, so if something’s unnecessary, don’t include it.
A good cover letter will make the reader want to know more about you. It is, first and foremost, a good piece of writing that tells your story.
Employers want someone different, with exceptional skills.
But different doesn’t always mean ‘quirky’! Think of the industry you want to work in: if you’re applying to work at a prestigious law firm, a pink CV might not go down well!
Generic CVs don’t work: they need to be tailored to the job you’re applying for.
While 75% of your CV (such as your details, education and work experience) will remain the same, the other 25% (for example, a personal statement, a skills profile or the more granular details about what you studied for a particular subject) needs to be relevant to that job.
Look at the job description and what the employer is looking for, and match that with your experience.
Give concrete examples. It’s easy to claim you’ve got excellent communication skills, but you need to back it up with evidence. Did you volunteer at a helpline or work in customer service? Or were you part of a debating team? Say it!
If you’re applying for a place at uni, they will want to know: why should we choose you and why do you want to study this course?
If you are invited for an interview, your prospective tutors might ask you questions about books, films or anything else you may have mentioned in your statement – so don’t lie, and do your research!
Of course, it goes without saying: spellcheck your application and make sure your grammar is impeccable.
