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9 Cover Letter Tips to Secure a Job

A cover letter is your opportunity to showcase your skills and experience to potential employers. A well-crafted cover letter can make all the difference in securing a job interview.

Here are nine tips to help you write a compelling cover letter that will impress hiring managers and land you your dream job:

Customize your cover letter for each job application
Tailor your letter to the specific job requirements and show how your skills and experience align with the job description.
Use keywords from the job posting to highlight your relevant qualifications.
Address the hiring manager by name
Avoid using generic salutations like “To whom it may concern.” Research the company and the hiring manager’s name and address them directly.
Begin with a strong opening sentence that grabs the reader’s attention
Use an anecdote, a statistic, or a bold statement to pique the hiring manager’s interest and make them want to read more.
Highlight your relevant skills and experience
Use specific examples from your past work experience to demonstrate how you meet the job requirements.
Be sure to quantify your accomplishments with numbers or percentages when possible.
Show your enthusiasm for the company and the job
Explain why you are interested in the company and what excites you about the position. This will demonstrate your passion and commitment to the job.
Keep your cover letter concise and to the point
Avoid using jargon or technical terms that the hiring manager may not understand.
Keep your sentences short and clear, focus on your most important qualifications.
Use a professional tone and avoid slang or informal language
Your cover letter should be polished and professional, so avoid using colloquial language or contractions.
Close your cover letter with a strong call to action
Express your interest in meeting with the hiring manager and reiterate your qualifications for the job.
Provide your contact information and encourage the hiring manager to reach out to you for an interview.
Proofread your cover letter for errors and typos
Make sure your letter is free from spelling and grammar mistakes.
Ask a friend or mentor to review your letter before you submit it.

In conclusion, a well-written cover letter can help you stand out from other applicants and secure a job interview. By following these nine tips, you can craft a compelling cover letter that highlights your skills and experience and demonstrates your enthusiasm for the job. Good luck! 1

Avoiding a long recruitment process when hiring candidates

Hiring candidates in this day and age, with the talent pool that’s available is certainly no easy task. If you have hired someone in the past that turned out to be not the right fit it can, in some cases, cause you to drag on the recruitment process as the experience of that costly hiring mistake may be haunting you to this day.

But there are ways in which you can avoid a long recruitment process. Below we will discuss a few:

1. Articulating your hiring needs and writing up the job description

You know what you want. So, ensure that it is clearly outlined and that all the skills and qualifications required for the job are very well defined. Be honest about the duties and responsibilities the employee is expected to take on.

2. Get in position

Ensure that you have gotten the ‘go ahead’ to hire someone alongside an approved rate. Taking all that time and effort to find the right candidate only to be unable to actually hire them and having to start the recruitment process all over again is an extreme hassle which puts you right back where you started.

3. Organisation

Organisation is key in recruiting candidates. Ensure that you set out and schedule dates and timings for meetings with the candidates alongside deadlines for up to when they can send you their resumes.

4. Checking References

Checking references are key to avoiding mistakes when it comes to hiring. Don’t speed up this process as you want to make sure the person you are hiring truly is legit and has the capabilities of performing what the role calls for.

5. Get back to the candidates

Whether you decided to hire them or not, do not leave the hanging. Let them know when they could expect to hear from you by and be sure to follow through with it.

Making a great first impression

Attire and presenting yourself

It is vital that you present yourself in the most professional manner possible. Generally, the way you present yourself/ your appearance does give the hiring manager an immediate first impression of you before you actually start talking in the interview.

If, for instance, you have a meeting at a law firm, it would be ideal for you to come dressed in formal attire like a suit or similar. But if you were to have a job interview at a creative agency for instance, something a little less formal and leaning more towards the casual side would be more apt.

All in all, irrespective of where you work or are called into for an interview, it is vital that your personal hygiene is up to scratch and that whatever you wear is clean and sharp and that you present the best version of you.

Gestures

Your body language plays a great part when it comes to the way in which you maintain interaction in an interview. A good handshake goes a long way. It immediately gives the hiring manager an impression of the kind of person you are. For instance, maintaining good eye contact and not slouching and having good posture presents yourself as confident and knowledgeable.

It wouldn’t hurt to throw in a smile in your conversation. At the end of the day, practise makes perfect so it might even help if you could practise with a friend who’s willing to help.

Communication

The first few seconds of an interview ideally creates an impression of the kind of person you are like, whilst the next few sort of cements that whole image all the more. So it is important that you think before you speak and at a good volume and pace. Do not speak over them as it would not necessarily portray a good lasting impression of you and may come across as disrespectful.

It is normal to be anxious, so take your time (although not too long) and speak at a steady pace. And here too again, practise makes perfect.

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Saying No to Your Co-workers

Saying No to Your Co-workers: Setting Boundaries and Maintaining Control

When it comes to parenting, saying “no” to a child can be challenging. Although it may escalate tantrums or mood swings, it is a crucial aspect of setting boundaries and making long-term decisions. By saying “no,” children learn who is in control, rather than simply saying “yes” to avoid immediate conflict.

Oddly enough, in a work context, we often find ourselves hesitant to say “no.” This reluctance stems from our desire to be perceived as “good people.” Moreover, if we do muster the courage to decline a request, we may feel obligated to say “yes” the next time to alleviate the guilt from previously denying someone’s ask. This phenomenon is known as the “second-ask” effect.

However, taking on additional work solely to avoid offending others is a recipe for resentment, especially when you already have a mountain of tasks to complete.

The Power of Saying No: Setting Priorities and Delegating

Consequently, prioritizing your own needs can enable you to focus on and finish your work more effectively.

Additionally, saying “no” can also serve as a powerful tool for reaffirming your authority or delegating tasks. For example, you could respond with statements like, “I’m sorry, but that is not within my job description; it would be better for someone else’s self-development,” or “I believe this task would be more suitable for someone else to handle.”

The Art of Saying No While Saying Yes

The savvy individuals among us have mastered the art of saying “no” while still saying “yes.” Suppose a colleague asks you to take on extra work on their behalf. In that case, the following response demonstrates this approach:

“Yes, I could assist with your additional workload. However, this would inevitably delay my current project, causing further delays. Would that be acceptable to you?”

Here, you employ a clever tactic that empowers them to decide what truly matters to them, thereby depersonalizing the request.

In certain situations, you can also use company policy to depersonalize your refusal, stating, “I’m sorry, but it is against company policy to fulfill this request.”

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What is better for your career development? Staying at one job or switching jobs?

Staying with one company

When it comes to building a career, staying at one job may prove quite beneficial. The longer you stay at that company, the more knowledge and experience you gain that is very much unique to the firm. Not only does your value to the organisation increase, but you also more or less become an in-house expert who in good time will have more responsibilities and be more involved in strategic decisions the company decides to take.

This in turn would be a great look for your professional development and career progression. It is also highly important that you are aware and take steps in finetuning your already existing technical skills through training and development.

The common perception here however is that when staying with one company, your compensation growth is slower. While this can be true in most cases, it is up to you to ensure that your skills are progressing at the pace to get the compensation you want/deserve.

How to finetune your skills and keep them sharp?

Developing personal skills is an essential part of your professional development. Research industry and business trends, seek workshops, put some time in and invest in resources to obtain relevant training that may be beneficial to you which in turn helps you to stay relevant in today’s professional world.

Switching jobs

Again, with this too there are both pros and cons.

Starting off with the most obvious, as you move from company to company you learn a lot more and your overall skills develop at a faster rate. Having more valuable, broader and deeper experiences develops you into a well-rounded professional. Taking compensation into account, larger compensation ‘jumps’ can be experienced when you move from one job to another.

However, there are disadvantages to moving from company to company. For one, climbing up the corporate ladder will become more of a task than it already is, as it is far more difficult to climb the ladder being a brand new employee when you are competing with a lot more tenured employees whose time at the firm is way more established.

Office politics and navigating your way through it

Office politics in any company is inevitable. You may try to avoid it, but it will always exist. Many employees believe it is a good idea to use office politics to the best of their advantage to get ahead in their career.

However, it is extremely important to remember that undertaking this strategy can have serious repercussions as politics can often cause trouble- especially in the workplace.

As such, although it is alright to use it as a positive asset, ensure you don’t use it as a self-destructive mechanism. Treat your colleagues with utmost respect and be a professional individual.

Knowing when to utilise office politics and when to avoid it

It is always best to avoid politics when it comes down to gossiping, backstabbing, pointing fingers and other negative gestures. This is because taking part in it would mean that you yourself are contributing to a toxic work environment that changes the dynamic of the company alongside the culture you work in. Avoiding office politics would allow you to take part and be in a team that you actually enjoy working for and in.

However, there are certain instances where you can use it to your benefit, in a respectable manner of course. This is where insider knowledge comes in. If perhaps you hear that someone intends on leaving the company soon which opens up a spot for a promotion, you may use that to your advantage- so long as you don’t take part in or feed office gossip.

Networking

Networking and making good connections across all levels of the organisation you work for and even outside it are key to your career/professional development.

Amidst this journey of climbing up the ladder you might feel the need to constantly be on the good side of those at management level, however, don’t forget about your peers. Give credit where its due, be a good team player, contribute where you can and pitch in good ideas if you have any. After all, you never know when you might also need their help.

With that being said, there is absolutely no need to be anyone’s best friend, but it is important that you figure out a way to cohesively work together effectively and efficiently. So, tread carefully when it comes to office politics.

Should you be hiring someone that is over qualified for a job?

In hiring someone that is overqualified there certainly are risks involved and rewards presented if they can make it work.

A hiring manager may feel reluctant to hire someone over qualified due to the fact that they may not stay too long in the company, may demand more money than the role calls for and so on.

Pros of hiring an over qualified candidate for the role:

The candidate will have all the necessary skills, experience and qualifications required for the role but will equally be challenged by it.
The ability to confidently take over their responsibilities alongside fitting into the team very well whilst avoiding ruffling any feathers
The ability to work independently and take initiative, but also be able to take direction.

Risks

The risk of leaving if a better opportunity comes along
Will more money be demanded along the way?
Will he/she create issues with the team?
Dissatisfaction with the job

Rewards

Overqualified candidates certainly can bring a lot to the table for you and your company.

Ideally they require a lot less supervision and training due to the experience they already have. This would generate a higher ROI as they bring about better, more innovative, new ideas.

People with this much experience can also help in becoming mentors for others. A fine tool in boosting team morale and development.

Questions to ask prior to hiring an over qualified professional

Why is this candidate interested in a job role that is far below their qualifications?
What is it that they want/expect from this role?
Do you have a use for their extra skill?

(Perhaps a trouble shooting or mentoring programs for your employees that could be arranged with the overqualified professionals help)

What are the chances they would leave if a better role came about?
In what ways can their expertise help your company?

Utilising LinkedIn to make a good impression of yourself at your next interview

LinkedIn- this professional networking platform has proven to link millions of people worldwide through connections made online via social media. Not just that, it provides powerful and informative insights into prospective employers alongside proving to be a useful research tool.

As such, it is an extremely good idea to utilize this platform to the best of its abilities as we explain below:

Get familiar with the company’s profile

Make use of the information provided by the company you are planning on applying to. LinkedIn’s Company Pages provides insights into the company’s history, achievements, vision, and mission statements and so much more.

It would be extremely advantageous for you to study the above-mentioned information and utilise that knowledge to show your prospective employer that you have done your research and are extremely knowledgeable, informed and engaged. You may also use this to ask the interviewer questions yourself as the best interviews are conversations rather than one-sided interrogations.

Utilising your detective skills

LinkedIn also provides a list of user’s professional histories. It would be a good idea to look into this and understand the kind of people that work for the company. You may take a look at the various qualifications and skills they have and use that to try to understand where you might fit in or what skills/qualifications you may be lacking in in order to bridge the gap.

Becoming an Industry insider

Join industry groups on LinkedIn to showcase that you are very much ahead of the curve and are aware of issues that have come about in your chosen industry. You may also make very good use of the Company Pages and other tools available to get the inside scoop on the company’s culture whilst also brushing up on subjects that are relevant to them.

Counter Offers: why they may not be as effective as one might think

When an employee leaves, it can often be extremely costly and time consuming to not just recruit new talent but also go through a loss of productivity, skills output and so much more. Even when new talent has been recruited, it will be a while before the new employee can work at the same pace that their predecessors did.

With counter offers, the way it works is, by promoting an employee or promising an improved/ increase in salary, you are hoping that it can persuade them to withdraw their formal leave notice

Though they might look like a great tactic to play, it can also end up blowing up in the company’s face. Below, we will outline a few ways counter offers are not as effective of a staff retention tactic as one might think…

1. Not a long-term solution

If your company wants its most talented employees to stay, the compensation benefits, competitive salaries, promotions and recognition must all be set forth from the get go. These sorts of factors are essentially what keeps them motivated and working for your company for a long time

Deciding to make these factors available just when they decide to leave or hand in their notice might be a little too late. The minute an employee starts to look for new job roles, they are in the mindset of starting anew. Even if your efforts prove successful and they take up the counter offer, there is no guarantee how long they will stay for until they start applying for new roles again.

2. Other underlying issues

Although counter offers address peoples compensation related issues, they do not address other underlying issues that may have caused them to go job hunting in the first place. Though money may be a factor, other factors can include the need to simply work in a new industry, perhaps the opportunity to work from home, better leadership and so much more.

3. Can negatively impact team morale and can create doubts about your capabilities as a leader

Not all elements of a counter offer are visible to other team members unless the employee says something about it (this can include salary rates, retention bonus, etc)- however if the counter offer is in the form of a promotion, it will be news amongst the team/organisation. This can be viewed as showing favouritism from the other employee’s point of view.

In cases as such, it has the tendency for morale to take a hit as employees may interpret your action of providing a counter offer in a way that makes it seem that in order for them to get a promotion or some sort of other counter offer, all it takes is a resignation threat.

Instead of employees focussing on their own performance levels, what could end up happening is you receiving a vast series of resignations in hopes that you would offer a better deal

What is Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV)?

Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV)

Who needs it and what it provides access to

Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV) is required for a very small number of posts where an additional level of assurance is required above DV. It can only be requested by a small number of Sponsors and only with prior agreement with UKSV and the Cabinet Office.

What checks are involved

completion of a DV security questionnaire (including a family and travel element)
criminal Record check
Security Services check
credit reference check
financial investigation
applicant interview
supervisor interview
referee interview
checks may extend to third parties included on the security questionnaire

The full review of personal finances will include an assessment of an individual’s assets, liabilities, income and expenditure both on an individual basis and taking into account the joint position with a spouse or partner.

Spinwell has extensive experience in the UK’s Defence, security and public sector. Please contact us if you would like to find Security cleared candidates, a new role or would like to discuss how Spinwell can advise you in obtaining or holding a Security Clearance, by emailing advisory@spinwellglobal.com or by calling 0203 510 9454

*Information Source – gov.uk

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