When someone is looking for a job, the first thing that he/she ensure is get called for an interview. All the other things follow this first and crucial stage and they can wait. So, the focus should be on presenting an application that scales the first hurdle. Every company has hundreds of candidates, if not more, applying for various roles with them. You must be different or do things differently to get noticed.
Covering letter
Your covering letter or mail should focus on all aspects of the job description, as given on the company’s website. Focus on how you can be a value addition to the company. For example, if you are a sales professional, write about specific experiences that could be valuable to the company. Mention figures supporting your performance in previous companies. This will catch the recruiter’s eye.
The subject line
The importance of the subject line is out of proportion to the space allocated for it. Now, almost all CVs are sent over email. I get plenty of emails that have insipid subject lines — “Looking for a job”, “Experienced sales professional” and “CV for job” are some examples. Very few emails have catchy subject lines such as “Top sales performer for West India”. If you have already got in touch with the recruiter, “As discussed... ”, “With reference to Mr/Mrs XYZ” or “Working with competitor’s name” will be apt.
CV format
Your CV could be a presentation that has a few graphs and clip arts.
You could insert letters of recommendations/ certificates. Certificates of achievement really help in creating the right impression.
The research
No matter what level you are on, the amount of research that you do about a company before turning up for an interview or a telephonic discussion, really matters. Note down names of important people, achievements, collect performance facts and share prices. When speaking to an interviewer, fit these into the conversation. For example:
“I was just doing some research and found that XYZ has been with the company for the last 5 years and so have many other people. I am sure that people are very satisfied with the work and the culture here.”
Find references
Scan through your social networks and look for someone currently working in a targeted company. Approach them or mention their details in the email, with their permission.
(Vidur Gupta is a Director at Spectrum Talent Management)
