We began by playing 20 questions. In this, you select a post it note with a job on it and ask 20 questions to try determine what the other persons job is. You cannot say outright what you do, so the person/people you play with need to figure it out through asking questions.
I played with Christel and Annabelle, we actually really enjoyed it. I had an actor as my job, and they really struggled to figure it out. After a lot of questions and some guessing, they finally guessed actor. Christel had Politician and Annabelle had bartender.
This was a really interesting activity, as I had fro come up with questions that I thought would best narrow down a job role. This meant that I had to think about different job qualities and skills that went into different roles. I asked a range of questions, such as is your job welfare employed, does it involve travel, does it involve the public etc.
We looked at an example of a job post and discussed how we should interpret these to determine what exactly they are looking for. Generally, they'll list a range of hard skills soft skills. For example, we looked at a job post that said “We look for passion, attention to detail, a willingness to take initiative, an enthusiastic team-spirit, and a collaborative attitude. A little humor helps,too. We’re especially interested if you love rich data and telling compelling stories with it.”. From something like this, you should identify the key skills being asked for then reflect ur own experiences to find a suitable scenario which highlights these skills. In this instance, it's clear that they want someone passionate and willing to be involved and take initiative, which you could then ensure to imply in your cover letter. Often, a little humour can help out as employers will want personality, however your portfolio if probably better for reflecting this.
Overall, when reading job posts, you should analyse the job spec, identify what they want and tell them how you can apply this.
The cover letter is an introduction for the person receiving your application, and a chance to explain why you were attracted to their company. Ultimately, it is an oppourtunity to really tell them what you can do and highlight your passions. It demonstrates that you’re passionate about what you do, showing initiative and attention to detail. Tell them what you’re good at and what you’l like to do- this should align with the job role., If the job is specific about something, such as data analysis, you can specify your skills and experience that relate to it to highlight that you want the job.
We discussed some tips for writing a cover letter during our lecture. I made note of these so that I can refer to them when writing my cover letter in the future. Unlike CV writing, I don’t have much experience in writing cover letters.
The most effective thing that someone can do to enhance their employability is tailoring your cover letter for the role. Simple things like adjusting the order in which you discuss your skills or what experiences you highlight can have a big impact.
Similarly to CV writing, a cover letter should be kept short and simple.
Cover letters should be addressed to a name.
The tone of voice of a cover letter should be respectful and natural. If it’s too formal it can take away from your personality, however, it shouldn’t be informal.
You want to show your passion and excitement about the role, so show enthusiasm throughout. Be passionate about emplaning why you’re a good fit, how you found the company and what you respect about them.
Cover letter can be used to introduce yourself to a company, even when they aren't hiring. Presenting your cover letter to a company who you are unsure if they are hiring is still beneficial for networking and could pay off in future.
Always use the simplest choice of words. I thought the following quote we looked at in classed explained this very well:
“Any word you have to hunt for in a thesaurus is the wrong word. There are no exceptions to this rule.”
Generally, it’s easier to talk out loud than write it down. I know that sometimes I find this when I write, it’s easier to say things then write them down as we are more used to talking. Therefore, it can be beneficial to say it out loud, then write it down.
Be succint and take new sentences when possible. I find it very easy to write long sentences with loads of commas, sometimes so much that I need to reread and correct myself. I find that it’s because long sentences and paragraphs allow for rambling, whereas limiting yourself requires more thought and consideration as there are more starting and ending points.