You have found a job offer that suits you very well, but you are a little afraid to apply because you do not know how to write your CV and cover letter well? You are not wrong. The success of a job search depends above all on the presentation of your application. If it is not interesting or does not correspond to the profile sought, it will be immediately rejected. To land this job, you must then do your best to present a coherent application. Here’s how.
Respect Consistency
To make a successful CV and cover letter, it is not enough to improve their visual appearance and work on their layout. It is also necessary that the information included therein fully corresponds to that described in the ad and is the same. If you say one thing in your resume, but your cover letter proves otherwise, don’t be surprised you didn’t get called.
To keep your resume and cover letter consistent, there are a few basic rules to follow. You must first analyze the job offer in depth in order to pick up all the keywords used. Once you’ve jotted them down, list your skills and work experience on a sheet and sort them. Take only those that are related to the position in question or have a similar match.
Abandon those that have nothing to do with it. Then fill in each section of your CV with these chosen experiences and skills. And take the time to detail them carefully in your cover letter. This is where you can provide details. If you want to make your cover letter more impactful, know that there are also customizable cover letter templates online.
Choosing a Good Layout and Structure
As mentioned above, the presentation of your CV and cover letter is very important for a coherent application. At first glance, they must attract the attention of the recruiter and make them want to read them until the end. To increase your chances of succeeding and standing out from other candidates, tailor your resume and cover letter to your profile.
For a successful layout, only use professional typefaces such as Times New Roman or Calibri. And write with the right font size to be readable enough, at least 12. Also keep your information on one page, whether it’s for the CV or cover letter. Avoid including logos, pictograms, too many colors, in short anything that can weigh down your CV and your cover letter.
Keep it simple and clear and adopt a professional tone, especially when you address the recruiter in your cover letter. Normally, all CVs must respect the following presentation structure to facilitate its reading:
- Header (your profile details) and photo (not required)
- Catchphrase
- Headings:
- Professional experiences
- Training/studies
- Professional skills
- And additional sections:
- Interests
- Certificates
- Hobbies
- Etc
The structure of the cover letter
As for the cover letter, follow the following structure:
- Header (which includes your first and last name, your current address, your telephone number and your email): Put the information about you on the left and that about the company for which you are applying on the right.
- Subject: Here you will write “application for the position…”
- Greeting: For example, Mr./Madam Recruitment or Human Resources Manager
- Introductory sentences based on your current profile: you can start by saying: “As a…, I would like to address my application to you for the position of…”
- Paragraph on your skills in support of the experiences you have included in your CV: mention 2 to 3 experiences that have marked you and support them with concrete examples.
- Motivation paragraph: here, you will explain what you are capable of professionally speaking and what prompted you to apply. You must show the recruiter that you are the ideal candidate for this position.
- Concluding sentence with a request for an interview: say that you like to integrate such and such a company to expand your skills and that therefore you hope to meet soon with your future employer to discuss your qualities and your skills to lead complete your missions if you are caught.
- Last sentence of greeting with your signature: simply say “Please accept Sir/Madam, my sincere greetings”.
Normally, the cover letter is easier to write than the CV. You just need to know how to explain your most significant experiences and skills. You must try with the phrases you will use to convince the recruiter that you have everything to succeed in this position, and that you are therefore the ideal candidate. To be more consistent, take the keywords from the ad and translate them in your own way.
