B2: Résumés and Cover Letters
Two key documents are required when applying for a job: your résumé and the cover letter. However, in addition to these, you must have the ability to create job application documents that are adapted to suit specific job advertisements. Carefully analyzing job postings will help you to assess your qualifications vis-a-vis their requirements, understand the job description, and customize your cover letter and résumé to more adequately highlight your knowledge, experience, and abilities in relation to the advertised posting.
Analyzing the Job Advertisement
Analyzing the job advertisement before creating your cover letter and résumé enables you to more specifically address the requirements of the available job in your documents. Remember that the job advertisement has been carefully crafted to convey important information about the available position and the qualifications the employers are seeking in the ideal candidate. Key elements to analyze in a job include the following:
- The Job Description: The job description will typically offer a lot of detail about the various responsibilities involved in the position. Read it carefully and use it as a kind of checklist for determining if you have the experience and qualifications that will enable you to perform the various tasks and take on the responsibilities.
- Education and Experience: Educational qualifications are usually listed and will include university degrees, certifications, and other specialized training, such as software knowledge, indigenous education, diversity training, and the like. The minimum number of years of work experience in the field is also stipulated in this section of the job advertisement as well as specifics about the types of experience the employer is requiring.
- Qualifications: Employers will list the qualifications they are seeking, including the knowledge, skills, and capabilities. This is another way of self-assessing your suitability for the available job. If you have most of the qualifications, consider applying.
- Personal Qualities: In addition to role-specific qualifications, employers will also specify the attributes that the ideal candidate should have. Such attributes may include: the ability to work well with others and independently, team collaboration skills, ability to work under pressure, interpersonal and communication skills, languages, and such.
Job advertisements will also include information like posting date, start date, salary, working conditions and physical demands along with a company description. Use these components to further inform your decision as to the suitability of the job for you.
Print out the job description and annotate it; get into a conversation with it:
- Highlight or underline any qualifications that you hold — any skills you have, software you’ve used, special training, etc.
- Make note of any past achievements that relate to any of the preferred qualifications. For example, if the job descripti