Right Now, I’m Sifting Through 50+ Applications For A New Entry-level Position. Here’s Some Advice

Right now, I’m sifting through 50+ applications for a new entry-level position. Here’s some advice from the person who will actually be looking at your CV/resume and cover letter:

‘You must include a cover letter’ does not mean ‘write a single line about why you want this position’. If you can’t be bothered to write at least one actual paragraphs about why you want this job, I can’t be bothered to read your CV.

Don’t bother including a list of your interests if all you can think of is ‘socialising with friends’ and ‘listening to music’. Everyone likes those things. Unless you can explain why the stuff you do enriches you as a person and a candidate (e.g. playing an instrument or a sport shows dedication and discipline) then I honestly don’t care how you spend your time. I won’t be looking at your CV thinking ‘huh, they haven’t included their interests, they must have none’, I’m just looking for what you have included.

Even if you apply online, I can see the filename you used for your CV. Filenames that don’t include YOUR name are annoying. Filenames like ‘CV - media’ tell me that you’ve got several CVs you send off depending on the kind of job advertised and that you probably didn’t tailor it for this position. ‘[Full name] CV’ is best.

USE. A. PDF. All the meta information, including how long you worked on it, when you created it, times, etc, is right there in a Word doc. PDFs are far more professional looking and clean and mean that I can’t make any (unconscious or not) decisions about you based on information about the file.

I don’t care what the duties in your previous unrelated jobs were unless you can tell me why they’re useful to this job. If you worked in a shop, and you’re applying for an office job which involves talking to lots of people, don’t give me a list of stuff you did, write a sentence about how much you enjoyed working in a team to help everyone you interacted with and did your best to make them leave the shop with a smile. I want to know what makes you happy in a job, because I want you to be happy within the job I’m advertising.

Does the application pack say who you’ll be reporting to? Can you find their name on the company website? Address your application to them. It’s super easy and shows that you give enough of a shit to google something. 95% of people don’t do this.

Tell me who you are. Tell me what makes you want to get up in the morning and go to work and feel fulfilled. Tell me what you’re looking for, not just what you think I’m looking for.

I will skim your CV. If you have a bunch of bullet points, make every one of them count. Make the first one the best one. If it’s not interesting to you, it’s probably not interesting to me. I’m overworked and tired. Make my job easy.

“I work well in a team or individually” okay cool, you and everyone else. If the job means you’ll be part of a big team, talk about how much you love teamwork and how collaborating with people is the best way to solve problems. If the job requires lots of independence, talk about how you are great at taking direction and running with it, and how you have the confidence to follow your own ideas and seek out the insight of others when necessary. I am profoundly uninterested in cookie-cutter statements. I want to know how you actually work, not how a teacher once told you you should work.

For an entry-level role, tell me how you’re looking forward to growing and developing and learning as much as you can. I will hire genuine enthusiasm and drive over cherry-picked skills any day. You can teach someone to use Excel, but you can’t teach someone to give a shit. It makes a real difference.

This is my advice for small, independent orgs like charities, etc. We usually don’t go through agencies, and the person reading through the applications is usually the person who will manage you, so it helps if you can give them a real sense of who you are and how you’ll grab hold of that entry level position and give it all you’ve got. This stuff might not apply to big companies with actual HR departments - it’s up to you to figure out the culture and what they’re looking for and mirror it. Do they use buzzwords? Use the same buzzwords! Do they write in a friendly, informal way? Do the same! And remember, 95% of job hunting (beyond who you know and flat-out nepotism, ugh) is luck. If you keep getting rejected, it’s not because you suck. You might just need a different approach, or it might just take the right pair of eyes landing on your CV.

And if you get rejected, it’s worthwhile asking why. You’ve already been rejected, the worst has already happened, there’s really nothing bad that can come out of you asking them for some constructive feedback (politely, informally, “if it isn’t too much trouble”). Pretty much all of us have been hopeless jobseekers at one point or another. We know it’s shitty and hard and soul-crushing. Friendliness goes a long way. Even if it’s just one line like “your cover letter wasn’t inspiring" at least you know where to start.

And seriously, if you have any friends that do any kind of hiring or have any involvement with that side of things, ask them to look at your CV with a big red pen and brutal honesty. I do this all the time, and the most important thing I do is making it so their CV doesn’t read exactly like that of every other person who took the same ‘how-to-get-a-job’ class in school. If your CV has a paragraph that starts with something like ‘I am a highly motivated and punctual individual who–’ then oh my god I AM ALREADY ASLEEP.

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6 years ago

In case no one told you growing up

Bras last longer if you let them air dry. Don’t put them in the dryer.

If you have a problem with frizzy hair, don’t dry your hair with a towel. It makes the frizzies worse. (I recently read an article that said to use a t-shirt? I brush mine out and let it air dry.)

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Unless your hair has something on/in it (like grease or mud or something), using conditioner first can actually be the better choice. The conditioner holds in the good oils that help you hair look sleek and beautiful, which shampoo would otherwise wash away.

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After running the dryer, use the dryer sheet from that load to brush out the lint catch - it gets everything off in a fraction of the time it’ll take you to get it clean with your bare hands. Paper towels also work well.

Wash your face everyday, or as often as possible. Forget which brand of cleanser is best. Just washing your face everyday will guarantee you clearer skin. And do you best not to pop pimples, as tempting as the urge may be.

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This Is So Fucking Cute.
This Is So Fucking Cute.
This Is So Fucking Cute.
This Is So Fucking Cute.
This Is So Fucking Cute.

This is so fucking cute.

8 years ago

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Marie Curie (via onequoteperday)

7 years ago

SELF CARE CHEAT SHEET!!

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how not to be hard on yourself

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back to school self-care advice

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what is your acne telling you? | another useful post about acne

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the sex ed your parents didn’t give you

head to toe self care

7 simple ways of saying no

compilation of sex tips 

limits of the human body

when to change your toothbrush, workouts etc

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“how to make love”

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foods that fix everything

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superhero workouts | lose 500 calories at home

bad habits and how to break them

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stretches to improve every aspect of your body

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stop falling asleep late 

list of stress relievers

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smoothie masterpost

morning yoga

hair masterpost

self care masterpost

period hacks | alleviate menstrual cramps

sounds to soothe anxiety | another tip | panic attacks | calming down

things to do when you’re scared, anxious | reduce anxiety

self help for anxiety

what to eat before you run

how to get shit done

how to get ahead in life

self care infographic 

study guide for health (basic first aid, healthy hobbies etc)

a+ self care advice | more lovely advice

coping skills

get rid of negative self talk

feeling sad? | not having a good day? | if anyone is sad | feeling anxious for school? | in case you’re having a bad night | unfuck tomorrow morning

study food

health life hacks

what to do with food poisoning

self talk to end obsessions

self care ideas/tips

what to do with you’re bleeding and don’t have a band aid

why you should drink a lot of water

other cheat sheets

8 years ago

guides to life

how to write a resume

how to protect your home against break-ins

effortlessly earn cash from polls online

reasons to take a foreign language

harsh truths

questions to ask in an interview

getting an apartment

list of jobs based on social interaction levels

long distance relationships: how to stay in contact

how to find a college

marriage

how to ask for a recommendation letter

how to choose a college major

what to do if your wallet is stolen/lost

budgeting

how to write a cover letter

how to handle a phone interview

how to get a copy of your birth certificate

first-time flying tips

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8 years ago
IG, 2016
IG, 2016
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IG, 2016

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kakpok - Skinny Noodle
Skinny Noodle

Katya/intp/19/cz

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