Supporting students with applying for jobs can be a challenge. To help, Kayleigh Rivett, support worker at The University of Portsmouth (and former science teacher), shares her experiences and gives some top tips to ensure that students’ applications stand out from the crowd.
There are so many aspects to writing job applications, CVs and covering letters. So, in summary, I have searched far and wide (OK, I asked some of my friends that know about this stuff) and drawn on my own experience, to put together what I think are the most important things when going through the job searching process.
CVs, applications and covering letters
So, you’ve seen your dream job advertised, you know it will be perfect for you in every way, but writing isn’t your strong point, you hate having to sell yourself and it’s all very new to you. So how do you make sure you get invited to interview? What are employers looking for?
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
There’s a reason your teachers drone on at you about this one (I admit I was one of them)! It matters to employers. With programmes such as spell check and Grammarly – there really is no excuse for mistakes. If all else fails print it off and read through – I find that mistakes just suddenly leap off the page if I’m reading paper and print, rather than on a screen!
Dyslexic? Perhaps black and white doesn’t work for you – then print it off on coloured paper or a different coloured font. You can still send it black and white!
Presentation
For CVs, first impressions matter. The way you layout information says a lot about you. Use clear font that’s easy to read and looks professional – not comic sans, this doesn’t give a good first impression to employers. I know someone who has told me if they see comic sans font anywhere on the page – it gets binned immediately, not even a second glance!
Relevance
The content of your CV or job application must be relevant to the role, the person hiring is only going to spend a few seconds glancing over it initially before deciding if it’s binned or ringed (to be looked at in more detail). If they don’t see something relevant in the first ten seconds that stands out – guess which pile it’s going to end up in!
Use examples
Two things. Always use examples. And always examples relevant to the role that you’re applying for. Look back at the job description – identify the skills, knowledge and experience they’re looking for. Tell them about your experience and what skills it has developed using an example. There’s no point banging on about what a whizz you are on the computer and how you fix the problems every ICT lesson unless you relate this to the position you’re applying for. If you’re applying for a hands-on role working with young children in an outdoor play centre, this isn’t going to cut it. If you’re applying for a role as an ICT technician – brilliant! Big this up and make sure you identify how amazing you are at problem solving – this is likely to be one of the skills they’re looking for.
Profiles and unique selling points
I have always been taught it is good practice to include a small profile at the top of your CV and the introductory paragraph of a covering letter. Its purpose is to introduce yourself, explain why you want the job and why you are the most suitable candidate. Use it to highlight your unique selling point (USP), a marketing term and acronym that’s commonly coined elsewhere by other industries. Employers look for a specific set of USPs in potential employees – make sure yours fits! Look back at the job description. Most applications provide a list of essential skills and experience. Remember the person hiring will only glance at your application for ten seconds. Choose a USP that does exactly that – sells you to the employer! It could be your extensive experience in a particular area, working with children, for example. Or a really strong skill you’ve developed – perhaps you have a very active following on YouTube or Instagram, this would be great for a marketing based role.
Stand out from the crowd
To put this in to context, I recently attended an interview at which I was told there were over 300 applicants! Let’s assume the person hiring had about an hour to look through these applications (I’m told that’s being generous – they still have their job to do). There are 60 minutes in an hour, so there’s less than a minute to spend on each application. The reality is they have only 12 seconds to spend on each application! Yours needs to stand out. Often employers do keyword searches, make sure you include key words from the job description in your CV – another reason your teachers bang on about this stuff – especially in science! I know I did – it really is relevant in the real world!