3 important points

In this course, you will gain insight into how to write an application that makes you stand out. You only have a few seconds to capture the reader’s attention. Here, I reveal some of what you will learn in the course.

Make sure that your first paragraph answers the three most important things they are looking for:

1. Why are you motivated for THIS job?
2. Which parts of your education are especially relevant?
3. What other experience do you have that can set you apart from the other talented people you are competing against?

I am part of NITO’s career counseling team. One of the membership benefits is that members can have their CV and application quality-checked. Even people with bachelor’s and master’s degrees fall into the essay trap when writing applications. Many start with an “introduction” like: “Blah, blah, I have followed your company for a while, it’s great that you take the green transition seriously, I’ve heard many good things about you and your focus areas, visions, blah, blah.”

Here, they waste the most important seconds without answering the three points I mentioned above. “Tell me something I don’t already know” is an important principle when a salesperson wants to capture attention — especially when you have very little time (maximum 5 seconds!) and are using a medium where only one sense is involved: SIGHT! Therefore, avoid wasting time on small talk that brings nothing new to the reader.

The online course “From Job Seeker to Competence Seller” teaches you everything you need to know to write the sales letter that makes employers want to invite you for an interview.