Template details:
This is a great choice for those who don’t have a huge amount of information to put on their CV. The focus is on the layout – perfect for more creative roles such as graphic design. Unlike many other fancy templates, you can edit this template in Microsoft Word – so no need for complicated software!
Just make sure you have the required free fonts (noted above) installed first, before you open up the file. Otherwise Microsoft Word will try to sub in replacement fonts and it won’t look quite the way it should.
Is a cover letter important for my CV?
To put it simply – yes! A cover letter can be extremely beneficial to your job application, and can increase your chances of gaining an interview.
If written professionally, a cover letter can give you an edge over the rest of the applicants. Not every job seeker will write a cover letter, so you are already offering the employer something extra.
Here’s why a cover letter is important to include alongside your CV…
You can address something important
The CV itself can be a very formal document. So a cover letter will allow a friendlier and more direct approach to a particular topic. Why do you want to work for the company? What have you got to offer that nobody else has? What interests you in the company and the role? You can answer these important questions in the cover letter, which creates another dimension to your application.
You may also want to briefly discuss something else. For example, you may have a gap in your employment history which you want to explain. So rather than just leave the gap and let the employer muse over what happened you can address it directly. This would ensure that the employer isn’t suspicious and is fully aware of your situation.
Were you out of work for personal health reasons? Did you look after a family member who was sick? No matter what the reason, you can explain this to the employer to avoid any issues.
You can provide additional information
What you have to be really careful of when writing a cover letter is to not repeat what you’ve already stated in the CV. This renders the cover letter pretty pointless, and doesn’t add any value to your overall application.
Use your cover letter to tell the employer what attracted you to the role and why you applied, as well as covering other skills and experience that the CV wasn’t able to adequately cover.
You can of course expand upon details of your CV if you feel it brings something extra to your application. But remember to ensure the covering letter provides more information rather than regurgitate what was already there.
To find out more about cover letters, please read these articles –
