Standing out in an interview
By Cara Jenkin
Standing out from the masses is taking more effort as competition for jobs increases. The skills shortage is making it harder for employers to find applicants who tick all the boxes and more workers are looking for greener pastures now that more employers are hiring.
Getting the hirer’s attention from stage one of the recruiting process, therefore, is becoming even more important.
The application letter and resume is the first contact most job hunters have with their desired employer.
Recruiters and human resources staff receive hundreds, if not thousands, of applications and resumes for jobs and now spend as little as 30 seconds skimming each one to whittle down the numbers to suitable candidates for interview.
Career Development Association of Australia reports more people are visiting specialists who can help job hunters write their resume so it stands out from the competition and provides the information in a way which will make recruiters take notice.
But job hunters can take matters into their own hands to develop a letter and resume which does not get skimmed and tossed.
CareerOne.com.au editor Kate Southam says job hunters need to avoid “airy fairy” statements as employers want facts about their ability.
But they also need to be careful not to list every achievement, responsibility or hobby they have, with key and specific points sufficient.
She says job hunters need to provide the potential employer with only the information that he or she wants and to keep their letters and resumes simple.
“No one gets a job based on the resume alone,” she says.
“The purpose of the resume is to get the interview, no more, no less.”
Australian Human Resources Institute state president Samantha Wilkinson says application or cover letters and resumes also need to be clear and professional.
Samantha’s top tips when preparing their application letter and resume:
Review the role
Conduct a detailed review of the job advertisement, position description, selection criteria and any other material available.
Make a note of the qualifications, skills and experience required. Also keep an eye out for any cues and clues.
For instance, if the job ad says “hands on” then the role calls for someone to be involved intimately with operational goal achievement, not policy making or strategy.
It also could mean the worker is required to work on their own or in a small team.
Build the resume
Target the content of your resume so it is in line with the notes taken in Step 1.
The objective is to sell yourself as the best candidate for the job, therefore the responsibilities and achievements outlined in the resume, as well as the language used to outline them, need to match the job advertisement specifications. Typical resume categories include:
A career summary of two to three paragraphs, which includes key skills and a more detailed career history with examples of main responsibilities and achievements;
education and training background; professional memberships and participation on professional bodies.
The resume should be written in plain English, be free of error and be set out in a format that is easy to read.
Write a cover letter
The cover/application letter is the opportunity to capture the reader’s attention so it needs to count.
Many candidates make the mistake of using a generic cover letter for all job applications. Don’t!
The cover letter should be no longer than one page.
The letter needs to be tailored to the job vacancy and refer to required criteria outlined in the advert-
isement so that it confirms the applicant has the necessary qualifications, skills, personal attributes and work experience.
Top 10 mistakes made on a cover letter and resume
1. Spelling mistakes.
2. Addressing the cover letter to the wrong person.
3. A cover letter which is too generic and does not address the desired role.
4. Too long. Too many candidates send through pages and pages of information.
5. Including information more than 10 years old.
6. Submitting a handwritten cover letter.
7. Providing too much personal information.
8. Inventing careers and skills. Resume checkers will sniff this out.
9. Excluding contact details and having gaps in the job history.
10. Using inappropriate email addresses.
Article from The Advertiser, April 2011.
