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How To Write A Cover Letter & CV| 3 min read

1. Cover Letter

1) What is a Cover Letter?

Before you apply for a job, it is recommended to write a cover letter. The question is – what is it? A cover letter should include information such as an introduction of yourself, explanation of the purpose of writing the cover letter, highlights of the few experiences you have had and request of meeting the person who may be concerned – your potential employer. It is mainly written to give a good first impression of yourself and to distinguish yourself from others even before your potential employer gets to read your Curriculum Vitae (CV).

It is recommended to do your homework before you write a cover letter. Do some research of the company you are applying for and start with a nice punch line. It is recommended to mention the person in the first sentence or two, if you have any personal connection who works for the company already. Also, always address your letter to someone directly, by putting the potential employer’s name in the beginning.

Although only 50 percent of the cover letters are read by potential employers but let’s keep a positive attitude! You still have a 50 percent chance to have your cover letter help you to get to the next step. Always remember to keep it simple and not too long – under a page is enough for a cover letter.

2) What is a Curriculum Vitae (CV)?

A Curriculum Vitae (hereinafter CV) is document usually prepared for job applications that contain information such as skills, abilities, achievements, qualifications, experiences and references of a candidate. CV is all about ‘selling’ and ‘marketing’ yourself to potential employers – therefore, it needs to be shown attractive to them. Remember, there is no such thing as ONE constructive way to write your CV! Mostly, your potential employer seeks to find what previous related work experience you have had in the past, your qualifications and skills and last but not least, it should be well organized enough for your potential employer to have a look at a glance.

As a first step, it is recommended to brainstorm the things that you want to list in your CV. For instance, do some research of the company, the position you are applying for, make a list of your education, experiences, qualifications, skills, hobbies and interests. Recommended order of your CV may be like this – remember to write your experiences in a chronological order:

  • Personal Information
  • Education
  • Work Experiences
  • Skills and Interests
  • Achievements
  • References

Personal information may include your name, address, date of birth (depends on the company and the country), email address and your mobile number.

Education may include your degree subject and the name of the university. Feel free to add A Levels, IGCSE or IB as well!

Work experiences may include part-time jobs to full-time jobs but try to relate your experiences to the current position you are applying for. Also, try to use action words such as organized, developed and planned when explaining.

Just like the ‘work experiences’ section, it is important to relate your skills, interests and achievements to the current position you are applying for. Try to make them sound interesting or look like something out of the ordinary, so that it catches your potential employer’s eyes! Skills may include languages, computing skills and licenses.

It is recommended to have your CV under 2 pages – maybe try to use bullet points to reduce unnecessary space and to look sharp and neat!

Need CV templates? Click HERE to download your CV template!

Infographic Source:

www.ResumeTemplates101.com

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