Top tips on getting an interview. Start by paying attention to the details.
Getting an interview today in Sydney, Australia can be as difficult as landing a job. There are a lot of people applying for the same jobs. Therefore, you have to make sure you stand out from the crowd by paying attention to the details in the advertised role.
The advertiser provides plenty of information to help you decide if the role is right for you.
To get an interview you need to read through the ad for specific requirements of the job. Tale note of what you must be able to demonstrate. Look for instructions on how best to approach your application.
If the ad states: “only those who address how they fit the requirements with a cover letter will be considered.”, you must write a cover letter. Applications that follow instructions will be read first. If you do not demonstrate you can follow instructions in your application you risk not being looked at.
Why won’t your application be looked at?
The advertiser receives a lot of applications and must go through them all, at least at a glance. One of the first things they look at is: “did the applicant follow instructions?”, a cover letter demonstrates you read the ad and followed instructions well. If you did not write a cover letter, then you clearly did not follow instructions. That begs the question how will you cope with instructions on the job. It is really that simple.
Only apply for a role if you can demonstrate the required skills and experience in your resume.
If you have worked in childcare for most of your career, why would you apply for a role as a warehouse assistant in an industrial business? It makes no sense, unless you can explain it in a cover letter.
If the role states it is permanent full-time, do not apply looking for a casual or part time role. There is no point and it is annoying to the advertiser. You have just wasted their time. If you do want to this role but only on a casual or part time basis, acknowledge that up front in your cover letter.
Do not have gaps in your resume.
If you have not worked during some period, you must explain what you were doing. Leaving gaps, with no explanation leaves the reader to guess what you were doing. Consequently, putting your application lower down in the rank of quality. It will put your application in the get back to later pile, if there are no better applicants. Potentially, putting your application in the forgotten pile.
If you do not put any effort in to your application what does that say about your work ethics?
For example, I recently had over 175 applications for a role I had advertised. ‘Only applicants that address the criteria in a cover letter would be considered’, was stated in the ad in bold type, however 160 applications arrived with no cover letter.
While others, had totally irrelevant experience and training, suggesting the applications were sent in error, or, for the sake of appearing to be looking for work. Still others, had big gaps of time with no explanation for what they were doing for 2 or 4 years.
Others had messy formatting and spelling mistakes that were bad. There were some that were really quite sad, recent immigrants with high level experience in another field altogether applying for a role that they had no previous experience in.
Ask questions, rather than make assumptions.
An expensive advertisement provides an indication on how important the role is to the company. Indications of an expensive ad are; a template with a logo and it is on a job board such as Seek. Furthermore, if they are going through an agency, it will be an, even more, expensive exercise. Therefore, you can reason that this role is important to the employer, if they are willing to pay for an expensive ad and an agency.
Consequently, If you read the requirements for the role and do not see a match to your skills, do not apply. Wherever possible, see if you can contact the advertiser by phone when they are not busy. They may be willing to assist you, by providing advise on how to increase your ability to obtain this type of role.
Treat yourself with respect and the advertiser
It can be tough looking for employment, especially when you are currently unemployed. Therefore, make sure you go about it with respect for yourself and the advertiser. Otherwise, you risk destroying your confidence as well as your opportunities to build connections with people like the person advertising the role you want. Furthermore, make sure you apply for roles that match your skills and experience and read the requirements to make sure you can address them in your application.
Treat the advertiser with respect for their time too. Spend a bit of time on your job search and present yourself in the best way to land a job, by first making sure your application will get attention.
Read the details, pay attention and put in some effort. Seek guidance wherever possible, there are plenty of agencies, some of them subsidized to assist job seekers. If you can afford it, pay a specialist to help you present yourself on paper and at interview. Thereby, giving you the best chance to land the job you want.
Read articles like this one to help you land an interview and then a job you love.
Conclusion
Good luck with your job search, respect yourself and others and pay attention to the details. You might also like: