40 years ago when I started out in my accounting career, the job application process was very different.
Newspapers were the primary source of job adverts. Some may have used professional journals.
Back then using recruitment consultants wasn’t that common.
Fast forward to current times (2020).
The internet has made advertising a job easy. There are numerous job boards. There’s LinkedIn and host of other social media channels.
Job opportunities are no longer just visible locally. They can be seen globally.
So in some respects you might have thought that it’s never been easier to apply, get interviewed and get the job offer.
Sadly the complete opposite is true.
Right now employers are being flooded with applications.
Getting through the screening process is a whole lot tougher.
Yet one thing I’ve noticed is that less and less candidates take the time to craft a good covering letter or note.
In many ways it can be that one thing that makes the difference and gets you through the screening process.
So why doesn’t every candidate do this?
- It takes effort and time.
- You have to really understand the role.
- You have to make a pitch.
- You don’t know how to write a good covering letter or note.
In many ways it’s like an Executive Summary in a report.
It summarises in a page or less why you’re the ideal candidate and shows how you meet the key requirements.
An employer looking at this, if they like it is going to be thinking differently about you as a candidate even before they look at your CV.
In some ways if your covering letter or note positively influences they will be looking at your CV believing you are already a good fit.
Setting out 5-7 reasons why you are the ideal candidate could give you that edge. Give it a try. You might be surprised the difference it makes to your job interview to job application success ratio.
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