What to Cover in Your Application
It’s 2010 and the unemployment rate, as you know, has sky rocketed. You need a job and so does the long line of other jobs seekers. Nowadays, finding work is harder than before the recession due to limited openings and a flood of qualified candidates eager to snag an open opportunity.
Competition is fierce in today’s market. And it doesn’t help that employers have become more selective in who they hire as a result of having more talent to choose from to fill open positions.
If you are seeking work, it’s important to present yourself in the best of light to prospective employers. It all starts with the application process. You need to stand out above the competition by having a well put together application, a resume highlighting professional and educational achievements and most importantly, a cover letter tailored to the position.
The objective to sending in an application is to grab the employers’ attention and to impress them enough to invite you in for an interview.
Employers have what you need the most, a job. But for every job opening, employers receive a ton of resumes of qualified candidates but not all applications received are equal.
A common complaint among hiring managers, is that they see resumes with grammatical errors and typos, something that will land your resume in the trash immediately. It is also known, that employers won’t even look at your resume if it doesn’t include a cover letter. Not including a cover letter tells the employer that a candidate is neither serious nor interested in the position.
If you are seeking work, it’s vital for you to spend time researching the company and the position before writing the cover letter. Try to find interesting facts and information about the company and comment on this in your cover letter. It shows you did your research which tells the reader, “I’m interested and interesting.”
The more specific and relevant your cover letter is to the position and the company, the more likely you will get called in for an interview. Sending out generic cover letters with your resume, as opposed to a refined and tailored one, tells prospective employers that you are looking for a job but just any job. Generic cover letters also are seen as lazy, boring to read and impersonal.
The key is to show effort during the application process. Employers prefer to hire candidates who show how much they want the job by putting in forth the effort during the hiring process. If it comes down to 3 qualified persons with great references, employers are more likely to hire the person who wants the job the most. Getting work, takes work.
One cover letter won’t do it either. Every time you apply for a position, it is important to rewrite the cover letter tailored to the exact position and company you are applying to. A strong, tailored letter speaks volumes about who you are, how you are different, and how much you want the job.
Cover letters also give you a chance to show off your personality, something resumes can‘t express.
Employers can also get a sense of your writing skills from your cover letter. If writing is not your strong point, seek out a friend or a writing service to help you put one together. It is well worth it.
Remember, it’s you and everyone else applying for the same positions. Show employers that you are hardworking and enthusiastic by writing researched, personalized and interesting cover letters.
By – Andrea Richard