Over the last few months, millions of employees around the country have been furloughed and thousands made redundant. With the Government’s furlough scheme soon set to be scaled down, the jobs market is looking more uncertain than ever.
If you’re one of the many people currently looking for a new role, you need to ensure your application stands out if you want to get ahead. There’s currently a huge amount of competition for every vacancy, so your application will need to be perfect if you’re going to be noticed.
Here, we take a closer look at how you can stand out in a challenging market and give yourself the best chance of getting that job.
Tailor your application
All too often, candidates send potential employers generic cover letters and standard CVs. This is rarely a good approach and is even less likely to be successful when high numbers of applicants are going for the same position.
Instead of sending out a generic application, tailor your CV and cover letter to the position you’re applying for. Take the time to explain why you want the job, what you can bring to the company and why you’re perfect for the position. You could also adjust the content in your CV to better reflect the skills and experience your potential employer is looking for, but make sure you’re still telling the truth. It’s about emphasising certain skills, not embellishing your CV.
Do your research
Before sitting down to write your application, do a little research about the company you’re applying to. Find out what types of projects they’ve worked on, what type of clients they cater for and look for information about any future projects they may have in the pipeline.
Learning as much as you can about the company will help you properly tailor your application. Slipping in a few references to this research in your cover letter will show the employer that you’ve put time and energy into your application. This should help you to stand out from the crowd. If you’re called in for an interview, you’ll be well equipped to ask relevant questions about the company and explain why you want to work there.
Make it relevant
When writing a job application, it’s important to make every section as relevant as possible to the position on offer. Try to avoid talking too much about unrelated jobs or skills and instead focus on the qualities and the experience you think the employer is looking for.
Remember, the person screening applications will probably go through hundreds of candidates before making a short list. When they see your application, they’ll want to know instantly that you’re qualified for the position and worth seeing for an interview.
When it comes to applying for a job in a competitive market, quality is always better than quantity. Instead of firing off a large number of average applications, focus on a few high quality, fully tailored CVs and cover letters. This should help you get noticed and secure the job that’s right for you.