How To Succeed With Cover Letters, CVs & Online Applications… In theory, the application process should be very simple... 1. An employer tells you what they’re looking for 2. You tell them how you meet their criteria through your application 3. The employer asks the best candidates back to find out more What gets in the way is the confusion over cover letters, CVs, online application forms, and, often, some very silly mistakes. Online Application Forms Most companies now use online application forms. If you come up against one then you should make sure you read ALL the guidelines, and adhere to the maximum word count. Alongside standard questions about personal details and educational background, you will usually be asked to complete a series of questions designed to explain how your skills and achievements make you an ideal candidate for the role.
“Take your time to complete a form and provide as much information about yourself as possible - if you are allowed up to 200 words for a question - use 200 words! Always re-read application forms before you submit them, and ask someone else to check through it.” Nicola Jay, HR Advisor at MBDA. Prepare your answers in a separate document. This will also help with spell check as online application forms often don’t have this functionality and be sure to save them for future use! Always ensure you tailor your answers to the specific role and company too.
Top 3 mistakes that get your application binned! 1. Poor spelling and grammar This is always top of an employer’s list of pet hates and will guarantee your CV goes in the bin! Check, check, and check again. 2. Copy and paste The amount of times that we’ve come across applications that contain the wrong company name is frightening. Recruiters are looking for people who want to work for them, and not their competitors... 3. Not meeting the required criteria Many employers have strict criteria that must be met before you can apply. Always ensure you meet the criteria before wasting hours submitting an application. If in doubt, contact the company directly beforehand to check.
RateMyPlacement Co-founder, Oliver Sidwell, gives us his thoughts.
“Online applications do take time, try not to get frustrated! Think about it from the recruiter’s perspective. Opportunities are competitive and therefore the online application forms have been implemented and designed to whittle down a large pool of candidates. We have recently added a new Application Tracking System on RateMyPlacement.co.uk which will help you keep a track of all of your applications and progress too, completely free of charge.” Cover Letters and CVs Some employers still use the traditional cover letter & CV approach for their application process. The first step is to ensure you have a cover letter that lets your strengths shine through. This is your introduction to the company and the first thing a recruiter will read.
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