How to avoid blending in to a cloud of CV’s
Today I helped a close friend apply for a job. Both of us are in management roles and have seen many job applications and CV’s before.
Sometimes you get the most fantastic person in the world. On paper it all seems too good to be true so you don’t pick that one! Sometimes there are poor errors and it would seem that the applicant didn’t have the time to check. So you don’t select that one for interview either.
You have to strike a balance – enough information about your skills but don’t come across as a super droid. A little bit of personality and humility goes a long way.
Good lay out, clean readable text and a friendly manor is the objective.
Read through the advertisement and answer all of the points requested, this way you can directly appeal to the companies requirements. We did our research and checked out all aspects of the company. We also read between the lines asking ourselves what the employer needs and why they feel that this role is essential right now?
How will your CV and letter stand out from all the rest?
OK so we’ve braved the picture but can we put together a more personal approach, an outstanding application? If the company is relatively switched on in terms of media then a PowerPoint style or video clip presentation can work really well. These can be loaded on to a USB stick and sent via courier or recorded delivery.
OK it’s not Big Brother or X Factor that you’re applying for so don’t go mad. Just introduce yourself, talk about your skills and end the piece by suggesting that you have some ideas that the company would like to implement. Call the employer to action! Make sure your contact details are on the film or presentation and ask them to get in touch.
So in short
- Plan to impress
- Answer all of the questions posed by the advertisement in both letter and CV
- Don’t over do it (no one is that good) Keep it simple
- Inject some personality
- If appropriate do something a bit different
Good luck
