Whether you suddenly find yourself out of a job, courtesy of the recent wave of tech layoffs sweeping through the sector, or feel like you’ve outgrown your current position and are looking for a new challenge, firing off a generic CV and hoping for the best isn’t going to cut it.
In fact, according to online resume builder Zety, only 10% of job applications result in interviews, and job seekers need to send between 30-50 resumes to get hired. That means honing your application skills is essential if you want to stand out and secure an interview that will hopefully lead to a job offer. Here’s how…
Cover letters matter
While a lot of job seekers put all their focus into crafting the perfect CV, cover letters can sometimes be overlooked as an unnecessary introduction before the main event. However, a well-written cover letter is vital if you want to stand apart from your professional peers. In fact, according to Jobbio’s Hiring Intelligence Report 2022, 46% of hiring managers say a well-crafted cover letter immediately sets an applicant apart from the competition.
This is backed up by additional data gathered by ResumeGo: a custom-tailored cover letter makes an application 50% more likely to secure an interview.
Beat the ATS bots
From Siri helping you make hands-free calls on your iPhone to Chat GPT’s sophisticated and seamless aptitude in mimicking your writing style, AI has infiltrated every part of our everyday lives, including our ability to get a job.
Research indicates that 75% of recruiters or hiring managers use an applicant tracking system (ATS) in the hiring process while 98% of Fortune 500 companies also use an ATS program to filter prospective employees. So, how can you beat the bots? Pick out keywords from the job description and weave them into your CV and cover letter.
Add power words
Durable skills (the ability to use soft skills like collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and leadership as the foundation of your approach to all work tasks) are essential for career success—recent data shows that seven out of 10 of the most requested skills in job descriptions were durable skills. They should also be applied to your job application in the form of power words to demonstrate how your durable skills have helped you succeed professionally. Examples of power words include “initiated,” “developed,” “coordinated,” “orchestrated,” “adapted,” and “strengthened.”