The resume and cover letter are a big part of your job application. As the first things the recruiter will read, these effectively constitute the ‘face’ of your brand. This article goes through 10 steps you should take to polish up your resume and cover letter to write a winning application!

Tailor it for each company. Make sure you do your research on the company you’re applying to and include specific details on what appeals to you in your cover letter. Maybe it’s the type of projects they do, or a particular deal they did last month, or the culture. Maybe you spoke to someone who works there and they shared some interesting insights about the company. These details will really make you stand out among the hundreds of applications.
Show your knowledge of the industry. Demonstrate your business acumen and mention interesting pieces of news or recent transactions when writing your cover letter. Link this to the company you’re applying to and the type of work they do. Mention some specific skills integral to the industry, and how you have developed or are developing them.
Make it memorable. Add some personal details about your passion for the role and your intrinsic motivations for applying. Don’t forget to talk about extra-curricular, leadership, or volunteering activities you’ve done. These will make you appear a more well-rounded individual who is able to balance their time effectively, as well as add a personal touch to your application.
Make every word count. If a word or phrase adds no meaning to your application, cut it out. Recruiters always appreciate a clear and straight to the point cover letter or resume, and will not spend hours reading an extended essay. Often there is a page limit, so really practise the skill of writing concisely.
Emphasise your contributions when talking about past experiences. This applies to both your cover letter and resume. If you’ve improved your team’s sales by X per cent, or increased the number of clients by Y, make sure you put that in your application. This makes you stand out and demonstrates your potential value to any company that is considering hiring you.
Address the recruiter personally. Try to find out the name of the hiring manager if you can, and address them on your cover letter.
Check the spelling of your recruiter’s name. The last thing a recruiter wants to see is that you’ve addressed your cover letter to a different person, or perhaps the recruiter at a competing company . . .
Spell check your documents. Even after you’ve edited and proofread your application a few times, ask another person to read through it with fresh eyes, or run it through an online spell checker. You can never be too careful.
Check your dates. If you’ve finished up at your last employer, put the end date on your resume rather than have it appear as if you’re still working there. If you’ve taken the last cover letter you wrote as a base on which to write this new one, check that you’ve modified the month and year to reflect the current time.
Double check all your contact details. If the recruiter reaches out to you for an interview, you want to be able to receive these emails or calls in the first instance!

Hopefully you find these tips useful! Remember that a good application takes time, and that each time you write an application you will become better at recognising your own skills and qualities. Good luck!