The job market is ordinarily an intimidating prospect, but with the pandemic and job losses, many current students and graduates are finding this even harder than in previous years. We’ve all had the dreaded email expressing gratitude for your application but because the company had “an unprecedented number of applicants” your application will not be taken further.

This blog post will provide some tips and tricks that I’ve been utilising for acing your next job application:

Use key words and highlighting key skills from the job description

One thing that employers look out for is if someone has read the job description. You may have read the job description, but did you really read it? For every job application, I read over the job description countless times and ensure I use key words and the exact wording that job descriptions contain.

Using phrases and key words from the job description shows that you are eager and pay attention to close detail, two attributes employers look out for in applicants. Also, if a job description states that candidates must know how to navigate WordPress for example and you’ve used it before, ensure you mention it in your key skills section on your CV and in your cover letter; this will highlight that you are the perfect person employers are looking for.

Research the company and provide solutions to their problems

Another brilliant way of standing out from other applicants is researching the company closely and offering active solutions to their problems presented within the job description in your cover letter.

Though it’s scary to ‘criticise’ a company, it will show that you’re proactive and you will bring a lot to the company. More likely than not, other applicants will have not provided a solution to a problem the company is experiencing, so you’ll be more likely to be considered for a role.

Key phrases you can use in your cover letter

One thing I have consistently struggled with is imposter syndrome and lack of confidence. It’s so easy to look at a job description and immediately think others are more qualified than you; the danger with this is this uncertainty can leak into the cover letter, meaning that employers won’t believe you’re capable of succeeding in the job role.

I’ve littered a few phrases within my cover letter to present myself as more confident (a fake it until you make it scenario) to showcase to the company that I can do the job role:

• My experience as… would be able to give me the edge over other candidates as…
• I believe I would be able to… more than other candidates because of my skillset
• I possess excellent…
• My experience with… has equipped me with expert knowledge on…
• My knowledge, skills, and passion for… would make me a valuable addition to your team
• This valuable… skill displays that…

Hopefully if you utilise a few more of these tips, you might be more successful in your job search!

Good luck!

______________________________________________

Nicky March is a current MA History (Heritage) student at Lancaster University and a former First-Class BA (Hons) Film Studies graduate. She is currently completing a marketing internship with the Employment and Recruitment Service website and a FASS placement working on decolonising LancNaster’s education. In her spare time, she likes to do weightlifting and yoga!

Related Blogs

• 

  Maximising Your Employability: Building Essential Skills During University

• 

  The Benefits of Working While Studying - A Student Perspective

• 

  Using AI effectively and ethically in your job applications

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.