The fundamental rule is: if you are going to apply for advertised jobs then only apply for the right ones. Dont waste time by applying for the ones youve no chance of getting; not only is your time lost but your morale will suffer if you keep getting rejections. Analysing adverts thoughtfully saves you more than just time. When you are looking for a new job, particularly if you dont currently have one, its too easy to be busy by spending your time on the wrong things. For example one day, I observed one of my students reading a well known Daily Newspaper which on this particular Thursday had around 40 pages of display adverts. As he read through, it became clear to me that although there were so many ads, there really wasnt anything suitable for him. However when he reached the end of the jobs section without marking or copying any of the vacancies, he went right back to the beginning and re-read the whole section until he found something he could apply for. Then he sat back with a look of satisfaction because he could now say hed found something to apply for and get on with an application. In fact hed wasted all that time, the job wasnt suitable but he felt as though hed been busy and had something to show for it. When the no thanks letter arrived it just deepened his desperation. So what should you do? Look very carefully at each advert that is of interest and read it several times until you get the feel of whats being said. When you have that feel, try to read between the lines to deduce if there is one crucial need or if there is anything else you could infer from their words. Its also useful to read it critically and ask have they missed anything out that could affect your suitability. Now you've worked out what its all about, take a highlighter pen and mark every clause or phrase where they state what their actual requirement is. You should read carefully to see if these needs are essential or merely desirable. Ill show you the difference below. The essential requirements form the backbone of the job and you should be able to meet more than 60% if you are to be considered. The desirables are nice-to-haves and the more of these you meet the better, but they are not the main issue. If you still see a good match, go ahead and draft your response letter. You should try to follow their style of writing by using similar phrases and words but dont just regurgitate their ad back to them. When you look at the advert some phrases will stand out: it is essential that you is a bit of a giveaway, or you must have or you will have all shout essential at you so look for similar phrases to match yourself against. Others are not so firm and may say: you should have or some knowledge of or ideally. These are all saying desirable but not essential. Now I mentioned that you should look for the crucial need if there is one and you dont have it, then dont proceed, this one is the killer and will knock you straight out. If you do have it Make sure its the first thing you mention in your response. That says this candidate understands what we need. Now youre ready to write your letter you must make sure you can grab their attention. See my website for how to write compelling cover letters that demand attention, show how you meet their needs with an enthusiastic, positive and reassuring letter that expects action. You will quickly find that analysing adverts becomes second nature, and you will know exactly how to demonstrate the match. But dont ignore the other things please make sure you follow all the instructions i.e. reference number, closing date, enclose CV, give salary details. If you dont do this you still might find yourself knocked out just for being careless. Analysing adverts is more art than science but if you approach it honestly youll find more time to do other productive things such as networking with the time youve saved. Analysing adverts is made so much easier when you fully know yourself and what you can do. |
