#5 Ways to Spark Creativity When Applying for a Job Your CV is your identity; you have to be careful to make it express your uniqueness, achievements and value
By Vidur Gupta
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When one is looking out for a job, the priority is to get called for an interview. 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.
Here are the 5 things, which when taken care of, can help you in your search for the right job-
Covering Letter/mail
Make a covering letter according to the job description mentioned on the company website. If you don't have a JD to refer to, make a letter being specific about the unique value addition you could do for the company. For example: If you are a sales professional, write about specific experiences which could be valuable to the company. Mention figures like "contributed to sales growth of 20% =" which catches the eye. The brand value that you have created for yourself has to come out clearly in the cover letter, because that will be the first thing the recruiter will read before he or she proceeds to look into your CV, and we all know that first impression is the last impression.
Subject Line
Almost all CV's are sent over email. I get plenty of emails which have subject lines that say - looking for a job, experienced sales professional, CV for job etc. There are very few emails which mention subject lines like "Automotive sales – Regional Manager" or "Top Sales performer for West India". If you know the recruiter the expressions like "As discussed during our discussion", "with reference to Mr/Mrs XYZ", "working with competitor name", help a lot. Be discerning in your approach to write the subject line, as it create an immediate interest or reluctance.
CV Format
You could make your CV into a presentation which may have a few graphs or clip arts. You could insert letters of recommendations/certificates. Certificates of achievement really help in creating the right impression. Your CV is your identity; you have to be careful to make it express your uniqueness, achievements and value.
Research on the Company
No matter what level you are on, the amount of research that you do on a company before turning up for an interview or a telephonic discussion really matters. Note down names of important people, achievements, collect performance facts, share prices etc. When speaking to an interviewer, fit these in the conversation. For example: "I was just doing some research and found that XYZ has been with the company for the last five years and so have many other people like – "take names'. I am sure that people are very satisfied with the work and the culture". This shows both your interest and your homework, which invariably creates a positive impact on the mind of the recruiters.
Find Your References
Scan through your social networks and look for any known people currently working in a targeted company. Approach them or mention their details in the email. A reference from within the company goes a long way in establishing your credibility.
