NAIL THAT JOB APPLICATION! Our tips and tricks for how to stand out from the crowd AUSTRALIA AND NZ

Transcription

1 NAIL THAT JOB APPLICATION! Our tips and tricks for how to stand out from the crowd AUSTRALIA AND NZ

2 WHY HAVE WE CREATED THIS GUIDE? We know that it can be hard to create a great CV & cover letter and sometimes you just don't know what the recruiter is looking for. Everyone has their thoughts on what works best in an application but here are some of our tips and tricks to make your application stand out and force us to pay attention! ACCURACY First impressions count! There is nothing worse for a recruiter than opening up an application and finding loads of spelling mistakes, or even worse, an application addressed to a different company! Before hitting submit, make sure: you have checked for any spelling mistakes your contact information is up to date the file name is appropriate it's addressed to the correct company you've tailored your application to the role and the organisation KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL Although Cotton On Group can be a pretty casual place to work, it is still really important to maintain professionalism when submitting your application to any organisation. Here are some do's and don't's when applying. Use professional language and tone. Imagine you are talking to the reader at an interview. Tell us how enthusiastic you are about the opportunity and why you believe you're the right person for the role. Make sure you've told us about yourself and given us all the information we need to make a decision. Don't be overly casual or use lots of abbreviations. Don't address your cover letter to your bestie but to your potential new boss! Don't beg for or demand a job. We love enthusiasm but make sure you express this in a professional way. Don't follow up with constant phone calls or s to discuss your application. We receive 1000s of applications each day so we will be busily working through them so we can get back to you.

3 WHAT MAKES A GREAT CV? Whether you're applying for your first or your hundredth job, it is important to make sure you always review your CV and update with any new information before applying. So what makes a great CV? HEADINGS Make sure your CV is as clear and neat as possible. CONTACT INFORMATION Set out different headings for each of your sections so it is easy to read. SUMMARY/OBJECTIVE The headings you include will vary depending on the detail you have in your CV but here are some suggestions of the common sections you might like to include. WORK EXPERIENCE We recommend you do include a summary/objective section in your CV. Don't make this into a demand list of what you want but instead tell us about what skills you have to bring to the company.this is a key place recruiters will check to see if your direction is in line with the role and the organisation. EDUCATION SKILLS REFERENCES FORMATTING Every month we receive more than 50,000 applications. That's not even considering peak recruitment at Christmas time! Make sure your application looks great and stands out in the best way possible. Think about things such as: Font - This font doesn't look very professional does it? Stick to fonts such as Arial or Calibri - neat and clean fonts Number of pages - We want to find out about you but we don't want to review a 7 page CV. Keep it to 3 pages max! Bullet points - Keep it short and sharp. This makes it much easier to read rather than big slabs of text.

4 WORK EXPERIENCE So what should you include in your work experience section? Here are our tips for how to include the most valuable information. TOO MUCH WORK EXPERIENCE You've been working for a long time and have a varied work history. How many jobs should you include? Think about whether you can group your roles together - for example was there a period of a few years where you were doing admin work but for different companies? Group these as 'Various administration roles' and outline the general duties. Make sure your most recent few jobs are outlined in detail but those roles from 10 years ago can be a bit lighter on detail. NOT ENOUGH WORK EXPERIENCE Is this your first job? Or maybe you have had a few casual roles but feel that the work experience section is a bit light for you. If you have no work experience then it's totally fine to leave this section out but make sure you address in your cover letter that you are looking for your first job. Also think about other types of work you might have done that you can include. Think about things such as delivering papers, babysitting, helping out at little athletics, volunteer work etc. EXPERIENCE THAT ISN'T RELEVANT You're applying for a retail management role and you previously had a job as an apprentice hairdresser. Totally not relevant so you will just leave it off your CV right? Not necessarily. Don't be afraid to include these other roles on your CV as that experience would still have taught you skills that apply to this role. Think communication, time management, using a booking system, teamwork, budgeting, meeting deadlines etc. DON'T MAKE IT UP! Most importantly, don't make up your work experience or exaggerate your abilities. Although it may seem like a good idea so you can get an interview, you will be caught out as soon as the recruiter starts drilling a bit deeper. WHAT DETAIL TO INCLUDE Try to include the below details for each of your previous jobs: Company name - In most cases it is a good idea to also include a short sentence about the company (size, sales, objectives etc.) Job title Employment dates Your responsibilities and achievements (bullet points) Remember to list your work history in chronological order starting with most recent. Don't leave big gaps in your work history. If you were out of work for a period explain why e.g. travelling, studying, job hunting etc.

5 TAILORED CV Think about how you can tailor your CV to suit the role you are applying for. You can do this by: Adding more detail to your work history for roles you have been in that are in the same industry Highlighting qualifications you have completed in that industry Adjusting your objective listed (if included) to suit the particular industry Using the job ad as a guide to what is important for this application COVER LETTERS The world of cover letters is changing and you need to make sure you change with it. Don't use your cover letter to re-hash information already included in your CV. It is your opportunity to show your future employer that you have done your research and you are aligned with their strategy, vision, goals and objectives. It is also the perfect time to relate your skills and experience to the requirements of the role to show how you can deliver on the specifics required. Make sure you: Customise your cover letter for that specific application - don't have one generic cover letter and make sure you have addressed this to the right company when sending. Do your research - make sure you know your stuff about the company and reference this throughout your letter. Relate your skills and experience to the role requirements - promote why you are the perfect candidate. Provide clarity - Are you applying from a different city and are willing to relocate, have you been made redundant and that's why your recent role duration was short etc. MAKE IT FUN Don't be scared to show some of your personality. Your CV needs to be professional but it can also be fun and engaging. Don't be afraid to include a section about your hobbies or volunteer experience. What else are you passionate about that tells us who you are? Do you have a favourite colour that you can bring into the design? Help us get to know you! WHAT ELSE? A photo - You've probably tossed up whether you should put your photo on your CV. Unless specifically asked for, you don't need to include a photo. If you do include one, make sure it is professionally taken - no selfies or party photos LinkedIN - If you are applying for a professional role then make sure your LinkedIN profile is up to date and accurate. This will definitely be somewhere a recruiter will look to find out more about you. Social media - We love that you have fun outside of your job but be mindful of what the public can see on your online social media profiles. Your future boss might do some research on you and you want to make sure that they don't come across anything that might damage your professional reputation.

6 So now you should be ready to submit an amazing application that will help get you noticed. Just always remember these top 3 tips. 1. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS... BE PROFESSIONAL 2. CHECK EVERYTHING YOU SUBMIT CHECK ACCURACY GOOD LUCK! 3. TAILOR YOUR CV FOR THE ROLE PERSONALISED APPLICATION