💡 Pro tip: Use your real full name and your professional email.
What does it include:This includes your full name (first and family name), your mobile number with the country code, and the city and country you live in.
Cover Letter
C1: Name and Contact details
💡 Pro tip: Use your real full name and your professional email.
What does it include: This includes your full name (first and family name), your mobile number with the country code, and your home address (house number, street name), the city and country you live in.
CV
C2: Profile Summary
💡 Pro tip: Make sure this gives a good summary about you, make it relevant to the job description and use phrases and words from the job description that apply to you.
What does it include: It includes a summary of your background and your skills and experience, what type of jobs you are looking in your career.
Cover Letter
C2: Hiring manager/Employer contact information
💡 Pro tip: You should obtain these either from the job description or the company website.
What does it include: If the name of the hiring manager or employer is available, then write it after Dear Sir/Mrs./Dr and on. If the name was not included write Dear hiring manager and the name of company/organisation you are applying to.
CV
C3: Key skills and Competencies
💡 Pro tip: Make sure you include as much as possible the skills that you have that are also required in the job description.
What does it include: It includes a mixture of hard skills also known as technical skills like project management, customer service, recipe creation, and soft skills like communication, the languages you speak, teamwork. You can get an idea of your own soft skills from the skills assessment tests (see Module 2 for more details). These should many be relevant to the skills required in the job description for the specific job you are applying for.
Cover Letter
C3: Subject
💡 Pro tip: Usually start the subject with "Application for" and then write the name of the position you are applying to. Keep it simple do not add anything else.
What does it include: "Application for" followed by the name of the job you are applying for. For example, Application for Sales Coordinator.
CV
C4: Professional Experience
💡 Pro tip: These should be in chronological order, starting from your most recent experience. Make sure you include the experiences that are relevant to the job you are applying for and include dates. When you list the responsibilities for each job make sure you include ones that are relevant or required in the job description of the job you are applying for. Also make sure you use action verbsLink opens in a new window.
What does it include: The different professional experiences you had with dates (month/year) these includes any jobs you had in the past, what were the tasks you did in the job, any volunteer experience you and the tasks. If you were a stay at home mom or a homemaker for a long period of time, then you can also add the tasks you handled at home as a homemaker and phrase them professionally.
Cover Letter
C4: First paragraph
💡 Pro tip: Look at the job description and the organisation website, look at their mission and vision reference that. This would be the core of what they do, and reference it to show them that you can relate to the organisation’s core values.
What does it include: The first paragraph of a cover letter should start with Dear and then the name of the hiring manager, if the name is available then include it after Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. etc. if the name is not available then write Dear Hiring manager. Then you start the letter which should include information on the job you are applying for and the reason why are very interested in taking this position and joining the company. This usually requires you to read about the company what they do and why they do it.
CV
C5: Training and Development
💡 Pro tip: Try to put the training you took that are relevant to the job, based on the job description.
What does it include: Any training you took (for example digital skills training) and the year you took the training, who provided the training (if available) and what topics did you cover in the training.
Cover Letter
C5: Second paragraph
💡 Pro tip: Make sure you show them how your previously experience and skills relate directly to the job requirements find in the job description.
What does it include: This paragraph focuses on what you bring to the organisation, based on what skills you have and previous work experience you have and how it is suitable for the job you are applying for.
CV
C6: Education
💡 Pro tip: These should be in chronological order from your latest education to the oldest one.
What does it include: It should include all formal education you took from school till the date of writing the CV.
Cover Letter
C5: Third paragraph
💡 Pro tip: Make sure it sounds enthusiastic but also professional. Summarise why you interested in the role and the organisation itself, and what you bring to the organisation these are soft skills like adaptability and flexibility.
What does it include: This is the last paragraph of the letter so you need to emphasise and repeat why you are interested in working in this company and role and how hiring you would benefit the employer or company.
CV
C7: Additional Information
💡 Pro tip: This is not necessary to include in your CV. But if you have more information then keep it brief and as a bullet points if needed.
What does it include: Include any additional information relevant to the job that you did not include in any sections of the CV above e.g. driving license. If there is nothing additional then remove this section.
Cover Letter
C7: End of letter
💡 Pro tip: Be polite, professional and positive; and always sign professionally with your name (e.g. Yours sincerely, and your name).
What does it include: It usually includes a thank you for considering your application and that you look forward to the opportunity to interview with them and then you sign off at the end, like when writing an actual paper letter (e.g. Yours sincerely, and your name).
At the end of this module, I have provided you with two templates one for a CV and the other for Cover Letter. Details on how to use the templates is provided in section 3.3 of this moduleLink opens in a new window, and details on how you can start tailoring and customising these templates for specific jobs are provided in Module 8.Link opens in a new window
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Remember your Cover letter is a supplement document to your CV, which means your Cover letter is based on and depends on what is written you in CV.
