Do you ever look at an internship, work experience or graduate role and think.... "yep.... I'll just quickly send through an application"? Do you then just quickly open an email, attach your regular resume, a standard cover letter and send it off to "To whom it may concern...."?

This 'just quickly' attitude could be your big mistake in job hunting.

The Careers Service speaks with hundreds of employers each year. Common mistakes from applicants that could see your application thrown in the 'no pile' include:

  • Addressing the application to the wrong company
  • Spelling errors and poor grammar
  • Not finding out to whom the application should be addressed (generic opening lines)
  • Not discussing/addressing the criteria the company is looking for in your application
  • Not tailoring your resume for the role (ie if you have technical applications that you use in University that relate to the job at hand, think about naming these before Word, Excel etc)
  • And a big one.... Talking all about your own experiences in isolation without consideration of how this relates to the role on offer or the company

Job hunting takes time, as do applications. Once you find a role that is of interest, take some time to consider the following:

  • What is it about this particular company that appeals to me?
  • What is it about this particular role that appeals to me?
  • What is it about the duties/projects that are described in the job description that appeal to me?

If you are unsure of these questions, take some time to review the company's website (this is the beginning), consider making a call through to their Human Resources team to find out more about the opportunity at hand and think about how else you could gather insights. Could you engage with the company on social media? Do they have upcoming events of interest? Are they visiting campus?

Once you have considered all of this, go back to your application documents and consider how you relate to the role at hand. Then begin writing your application. What you 

There may be standard elements of each application that you carry over between resumes, between cover letters and between selection criteria, but it is important to consider how this role fits into your landscape, and and how you fit into their organisation.

For more tips on resumes and cover letters, visit our Workshops Page, our Resources Page or our service in the Hughes Building, North Terrace Campus