Answer:
1: Take your time. Rushed applications that are not personalised will be immediately obvious to employers and can give the impression that you don't care about getting the role.
2: Speak their language;
Make sure you know what the employer is asking for with our job ad glossary and respond so that the person reading can see exactly how your skills and experience match. There will be specific words and phrases they use to describe their ideal candidate, so reference these in your application.
3: Sell yourself;
Write your application in a way that focuses on the positive impact of your day-to-day work. Verbs like ‘transformed’, ‘delivered’, ‘produced’ and ‘organised’ help to clearly demonstrate your action and its impact.
4: Keep it relevant
While you may want to include every little bit of experience you have, it’s important to grab the employer’s attention, which means putting most emphasis on skills and experience that are specifically relevant to the job. Anything in your application that doesn’t respond to requirements listed in the ad should either be left out of the application or only be mentioned briefly towards the end. Once you’re done, check the length. Recruiters read a lot of applications, so it’s important to be ruthless with text length. If you’re unsure how to cut down your application, ask someone you trust for help.
5. Include a cover letter
A cover letter is a document that you submit alongside your CV that introduces you to the employer and gives you a chance to talk directly to them, emphasising your enthusiasm for the organisation and the role. If there is an opportunity to submit one, you should (even if it’s not mandatory) as it will add to your chances of standing out.
