“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is a phrase you need to keep at the back of your mind when it comes to your job search.

Your CV and covering letter should be considered your allies… so why wouldn’t you do your upmost to ensure they demonstrate your potential and ability to perform in a role? After all, they’re the first thing any prospective employer or hiring manager will be judging you on…

You’d be surprised how many applications we receive where candidates have failed to spell check or haven’t considered the benefits of including a cover letter. A job advert may list a cover letter as ‘optional’ however we would always recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to address a hiring manager directly to explain why you’re perfect for the role.

There are so many simple things that can act as a barrier to your success. Here’s a few points to consider:

1. Failure to include important skills on your CV that are listed in the job advert will result in you failing to demonstrate your ability to do the job.

2. Failure to master the art of the ‘humble brag’ can prevent you from standing out from other candidates.

3. A focus on duties completed without highlighting any tangible achievements can make for a generic CV and show a lack of passion for your previous roles and accomplishments.

4. Forgetting to attach a cover letter increases the risk of losing out to another candidate because they were able to strongly demonstrate their motivation for the role (don’t forget that cover letters can also be referred to as “motivation letters”).

5. Failure to proof read resulting in spelling mistakes and grammatical errors can give off a bad first impression to your prospective employer.

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