Get Your Job Application Noticed

There is no way for you to know how many other people are applying for a given job. Rather than focusing on that, pay attention to ways to get your job application noticed. You can take a wonderful example of a cover letter and modify it to fit your qualifications, your passions, and the job description. You want the person reading it to be excited to schedule an interview!

As you look through various examples, you can get a feel for the right way to format and to create your own product. You need it to talk about your objectives and your preferences. The style should be one that covers your personality as well as your integrity. Don't just copy what someone else has written as it won't help you in the interview part of the job hunt.

Always Include One

Many job announcements don't ask for one, but you should always include it. This makes your application look professional. It also shows you took the time to complete documents because you are interested in that job. However, you need to make sure it flows well and it represents you successfully. You can take a part from an example of a cover letter and make it unique.

Keep it to One Page

A common problem is one that is far too long. You aren't writing a report, you are writing a summary! Look for an example of a cover letter that covers all the main objectives but doesn't exceed just one page. It may be hard at first to condense the details you wish to share. Keep in mind your resume and your actual job application also give you the opportunity to share details.

Introduction

A powerful introduction is very important. You only have a few seconds of time to capture the attention of the reader. What are you going to say to entice them to keep reading it rather than putting it aside? Take a look at many of them so you get a solid example of a cover letter introduction and how it should grab them.

Pick your Key Points

Next, you need to focus on a few key points. Each one should be a paragraph long. Make sure they flow well and they can lead into each other. Otherwise, your materials will be choppy and hard to follow. Look for an example of a cover letter that has the key points clearly shared and documented.

Wrap it Up

Don't let the information just drop off and end, that is a common problem. Instead, you need to wrap it up completely. You want to tie it into the introduction so all of the pieces of the puzzle fit well with each other. Don't leave any question in their mind that you are a prime candidate for the job they have available.

Call to Action

You may feel pushy by asking for an interview at the end, but you must do so. It can be done firmly but also respectfully. Don't assume that is the natural next step for them to take. Instead, you need to give them that push to call you and schedule that interview! Find the right example of a cover letter that does this so you can customize it to find your needs.

Employers like people to take the initiative and ask for what they want. They realize such individuals bring valuable skills to their business. They tend to be motivated, detail oriented, and they strive to find solutions. These are all traits that benefit any business that individual works within

How CV Showing Years of Employment With the Same Employer Can Hurt You (and How to Fix It)

We often hear that employment gaps in a resume can hurt a candidate, but did you know long term employment at the same employer can also be perceived negatively?

Having stable employment is certainly not a bad thing. However, if it is with the same employer and your resume doesn't show you made progress, it is not an impressive mark for a potential employer viewing your resume.

When a candidate has stayed with the same employer for many years, it can be considered in two ways: 1) You are lucky to have found a good employer and enjoy what you do, or, 2) You are afraid to take on new challenges and do not like stepping out of your comfort zone.

A potential employer may view your long term stay with an employer negatively for several reasons: 

1. Questions of Ambition and Motivation. If you have been working with the same employer for several years and your resume shows you have the same title as when you started, it can lead an employer to wonder if you have reached the peak of your career. Employers want people who have the ambition and motivation to progress.


2. Marketable Skills. When you have been with the same employer for a long period of time, your skills may grow stale and an employer may think you only know one way of doing things. Do you have what it takes to be effective and competitive? Are you willing to try things differently and can you learn new skills? How well would you adapt to a new environment, one that may require you to stretch into new and different skills requirements?

Here are ways in which your long tenure with an employer can impress potential employers rather than scare them away. 

1. Show Advancement. Whether you received promotions or transferred to work in different departments within the company, make note of these changes and advancements on your resume. Specify the dates you were in certain roles so the potential employer sees that you made advancements in your career.


2. Detail Your Achievements. Rather than group achievements as a whole with the same employer, break it down on your resume. Under each title and the specific dates you held the position, specify the challenge and accomplishments. This will indicate to a potential employer that you have continued to acquire knowledge, achieve new outcomes, and excel in new capabilities throughout your career with the long term employer and that you have taken on new challenges or projects.


3. Advanced Training and Education. If you continued to pursue education or took particular courses or training relevant to the job with your employer, make note of it on your resume. This shows a potential employer that you have a desire to continue to improve your abilities and your job skills have not gone outdated. You also have the initiative to acquire new job skills.


4. Provide a Reason for Leaving Your Long Term Employer. A potential employer always has this question in mind for candidates in these situations. They want to know that you are serious about your decision to move on from your long term employer and that you are not leaving for reasons of a bailout - perhaps your performance has grown stale and you are simply looking for a way out.

Never talk negatively about your employer. Simply indicate you have valued the experience and skills gained from you previous position and you are looking for new challenges where you can apply your marketable skills and continue to grow with new experiences.

Your loyalty and dedication is an impressive sign for potential employers, but they have to know you have grown over the years, and still have ambition, motivation, up-to-date skills, and good intentions for wanting to leave your long term employer. Doubt in any of the particular areas mentioned above can lead a potential employer to pass on your resume and application, so use these tips to make sure you get noticed.