Because of the competitive job market, it’s not enough to state how great you are without any actual proof to back it up. Education is great, but passing exams alone doesn’t prove that you have real-world skills that will be of immediate benefit to the company. Also, consider this: how many people out there have degrees and are getting advanced degrees? You may think stating your “experience” is enough, but what use would be five years of essentially doing the same thing and without a single accomplishment or any skills advancement?
Standing out is about showing you have something unique to offer the company and proving that you will go beyond expectations. In a nutshell, it’s about showcasing what you have achieved (and, in turn, can achieve). It’s also about showing that you know the company enough to identify their needs and to be of value. Let’s look at a few things you can do for your application to stand out.
Do: Your duties should read like achievements. As much as possible, your duties should state a positive outcome/ result produced through your efforts. For example—
- Designed an automated batch weighing system that removed human error and enabled 24-hour product sorting and costing.
- Streamlined project operations, resulting in consistent work completion within tight deadlines and budgets—overall, the company saw a 7% profit increase on its 2021 projects.
Don’t: You shouldn’t just list your job description under duties. Most times, your CV will become unnecessarily long because it’s filled with mundane tasks. A marketable candidate solves problems, improves processes, and produces results. At the very least, any listed duty should display skill.
Do: Achievements sell. Achievements should state a clear improvement (numbers do this very well). For example—
- I created a lead magnet that resulted in a 50% increase in our mailing lists. Subsequently, our fiction book sales rose by 25% in 2021.
- Because of the work procedures I designed, 2021 production rose by 30% whilst wastage fell by 5%.
Don’t: Attributes mean nothing without proof to back them up. Don’t be stuck explaining how hardworking/ results-oriented/ driven you are. Show how you possess these attributes by stating what you have actually achieved in the recent past.
Do: Always tailor your CV and cover letter to the application. Do this by first reading through the job advert, the requirements, and the company website. As much as possible, match your experience/ skills to the job requirements and company vision/ values/ culture. You should do this for ALL applications.
Don’t: Best to avoid submitting a generic CV and cover letter for different positions and at different companies. Whereas a sales engineer has to be articulate, convincing, and is supposed to present impressive sales figures, a maintenance engineer is expected to emphasise troubleshooting, technical systems knowledge, and planning skills.
Do: In your cover letter, only mention your experience/ skills/ achievements in relation to and as proof of the value you can and intend to bring to the company. The application letter is not about you—it’s about the company—how you can help them increase their market share, boost their profits, improve their operational efficiencies, satisfy their customers . . . The application letter should be tailored to the position/ company as mentioned in the preceding point.
Don’t: The purpose of your letter is not to describe your life history or any backstory. Avoid writing a generic letter that only talks about you. When the hiring manager reads your letter, they must be impressed by how well you know the company’s needs and how you are ready to create solutions for their current problems and to realise their goals.
To get all the important information, advice, and tips, check out The CV Design Guide PDF eBook or get the FREE Cheat Sheet.
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