How do you make your CV, resume and cover-letter stand out from the rest?
We've written a few guides on resume-writing on this blog, but we're always looking at finding new ways to present your information in an eye-catching and relevant way. Here's one new idea that was passed on to us when writing a cover letter.
Before you begin writing your cover letter, make a two-column table of all the key skills the advertisement asks for. On one side write the skill - on the other write precisely what you can bring to the role in that area. For example if they're looking for a go-getter with research experience, a background in science, and a bachelor's degree, then your table will look something like this:
Go-getter
Your experience that relates to being a "go-getter" and your personal style
Research experience
Your background in research and the sort of research projects you've worked on in the past
Background in science
Your work and study in the science industry
Bachelor's degree
Your qualifications and the university you studied at
We all know that the true key to getting a great job is being the right person for the job. But a recruiter or hiring manager won't know about all your experience unless you tell them!
Putting together a table like this will clarify exactly why you're the right person for the role - or why it's probably not the right sort of position for you. It'll also give you a great framework to work from when you start to write that cover letter.
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