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| The
Exquisite Careers Corner |
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Your
First Job: Where to start?
The question that many people struggle
with as they finish university and embark upon the
real world is ‘What should I do with my life?’
The first thing to emphasise is that it is entirely
natural to have difficulty in finding an answer
to this – and, rather than being a problem,
it can be a very good thing, because it gets you
to focus on who you are and what you want.
We at Exquisite Solution Ltd believe that where
most come unstuck is by looking at a range of careers
and thinking – ‘could I do this?’
Rather, we suggest, you should look at yourself
and identify what will be important to you in employment:
What motivates you? What structures do you enjoy?
Are you more people - or task-oriented? Yes. You
ought to start by growing your portfolio of self-knowledge.
The shortcoming that some graduates and finalists
don’t realize they have is that their mental
map of the world of work is limited. Do you know
what Social Enterprise is? Have you considered self-employment?
Ultimately, don’t be in too much of a hurry,
it will often take experience to know what you want,
and to refine your choices. Moreover, futurologists
predict the average graduate will change job over
twenty times in their career, so the key to your
career will be continuing your learning and development,
not your first job.
Go for education and experience over immediate salary
– they will stay with you, whereas the extra
few grand is of little importance in the long run.
The ideal career will combine your talent, your
passion and your conscience. It could be any or
all of the above.
Always look out for the Exquisite
Graduate Career and Education Fairs which offer
you the chance to research careers and companies
face-to-face, or, at the very least, give you some
inspiration!
Alternatively, do register with our online recruitment
service and we shall link you to the various companies
currently recruiting.
Good luck with your career.
Exquisite Support
Covering Letters
Now that you have a strong CV – having attended
the Coach Africa CV
Clinic at the Grad Fair Workshops, it is important
that it is complemented by an equally strong covering
letter. This is what Exquisite Solution brings you
on your career journey.
While as a CV should be a formal record of your
skills and achievements, the covering letter offers
a means of personalizing each application to a specific
role and company. It should also be used to highlight
and elaborate on the key points in your CV, which
are of particular relevance to the employer and
will hopefully encourage further investigation.
The letter is also an ideal opportunity to demonstrate
your enthusiasm and suitability for a role as you
can show how much research you have done into the
job and the company itself. Since employers are
experts at spotting “multi-purpose”
letters written to cover a range of applications,
every letter needs to be uniquely relevant to each
role you apply for.
Another reason for companies requesting a covering
letter is that it gives them a direct means of assessing
your verbal and written skills, so it is essential
to pay close attention to your writing style, as
well as avoiding any spelling or grammatical errors.
Try to avoid using strong “action” verbs,
vary your vocabulary so as not to overuse favorite
words or phrases, and resist the temptation to stress
a point too much.
Structure
There is a tendency for covering letters to become
long-winded, leading them to lose their focus. Remember
that, as with your CV, a recruiter will probably have
a pile of applications to read through. So, you need
to make sure your letter is succinct and interesting
to read. After all, the easier it is to read the letter
quickly, the more likely any strong selling points
won’t get overlooked. As a guide, you should
aim to keep any letter to no more than 3-4 paragraphs
of short and simple sentences, and certainly to only
one page. Key
Guides:
Paragraph 1: Attention-grabbing introduction
The golden rule when starting a letter is always,
if possible, to address it to a particular person
and so avoid using “Dear Sir/Madam” etc.
They will either be the contact name in the advert
or the person with whom you wish to have an interview.
If you are unsure, it is best to ring up and find
out the correct title and spelling of their name and
how they prefer to be addressed (i.e. formally or
by their first name).
The rest of the introduction should be brief and to
the point, explaining which job you are applying for
(including reference number if applicable), where
you found out about the position/company, and why
you have decided to apply. If your application
is a speculative one - i.e. not for a specifically
advertised vacancy – be sure to state clearly
the type of role you are seeking and your reasons
for applying, which will need to be convincing to
generate enough interest to read on.
Paragraph 2: Why the company and what requirements?
This is the first of the two main paragraphs and needs
to focus on the needs of the company and requirements
of the role. The aim is to explain your reasons for
applying to the company and to tell the reader the
three requirements that you have identified as being
key to the role. Not only will this demonstrate that
you have done your research, but also that you have
understood the requirements of the position applied
for. It is vital that you research the role and company
to ensure your application can be tailored to be as
directly relevant as possible.
Paragraph 3: Why are you the right candidate
for the job?
Having just stated what you believe are the selection
criteria, it is important that you now match these
with up to three reasons justifying your application
and explaining why you are right for the job. These
need to be as relevant as possible, highlighting and
elaborating upon achievements in your CV, rather than
just simply regurgitating information already mentioned.
Stay positive and try to turn a negative around showing
that you can bring something extra to the table.
Paragraph 4: Strong conclusion
This final paragraph’s main function is to ensure
the letter concludes strongly and ends on a positive
note, reaffirming both your suitability and enthusiasm
for the position. If applicable, now is the time to
state clearly any dates when you will be unable to
attend an interview. Finally, close the letter along
the lines of “I very much look forward to hearing
from you in the near future” etc. and sign off,
using either “Yours sincerely”, if to
a named addressee, or “Yours faithfully”,
if “Dear Sir/Madam” was used earlier.
NEVER use “To whom it may concern” or
similar variations. Perhaps obvious, but you should
never forget to sign your letter and print your name
beneath.
Final Checklist
Once completed, read through the letter several times
for any spelling or grammatical errors and get a friend
to proof-read it for you. Double check that the information
conveyed is correct e.g., addressed to the correct
company, consistent with your CV, etc.
As with any formal business letter, you should align
your address to the right margin and the company’s
to the left and justify all paragraphs to ensure neat
margins either side of the text. The font ought to
be the same as that used in the CV and, if you are
sending a hard copy of the letter, be sure to use
the same stationery as with the CV and a matching
A4 size envelope to avoid having to fold the letter.
Good luck on your exciting adventure!
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