What to Wear to a Job Interview

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

For many people, it can seem old fashioned or overly corporate to talk about ‘appropriate’ interview attire. Many workplaces have adopted casual dress codes and the lines between semi-casual/business casual/work-wear are continually being blurred. However, no matter what the dress code of the company you’re interviewing with, how you look in the job interview can have a huge impact on your success. At minimum you should be smart-casual and there are certain unwritten rules about dressing for job interviews. Below are Excel Recruitment’s tips on how to dress for success.

Show that you want to be there

Our consultants love when they’re sending candidates out for interview and the candidate asks what they should wear. It shows they are serious about wanting the job and are willing to put thought and effort into making the best first impression possible! Turning up looking scruffy, dishevelled or overly casual sends a message to the interviewer that you don’t care enough about the job or were just too lazy to put the effort in.

Often looking good is just a by-product of putting the effort in, appearance-wise. Ensuring you’re well-presented means that you, and the interviewer, can focus on what you have to say rather than what you look like.

Play it safe

A huge part of your interview preparation should be researching the company, looking up their website and social media, talking to people you know there or asking your recruitment consultant for info. From this, you should be able to get a decent understanding of the company’s culture and what you should be wearing. An interview outfit for an accountant job will be very different to one for a fashion retail job. If you’re in doubt, it’s always better to play it safe and go more dressy than casual. No matter what the company, at minimum you should be dressed smart-casual.

On the theme of playing it safe, be careful of your accessories. No loud or jangly jewellery or flashy or comedic ties. You should always aim to look professional and put together.

Keep it clean

For jobs like butchers, deli staff, chefs or any job where hygiene and cleanliness are paramount make sure you bring this same attention to hygiene to your interview day. Make sure hair is neatly styled and out of your face, nails are clean and trimmed and your general appearance is neat and well-groomed. On the reverse, avoid too much perfume or aftershave. As with the previous point, the aim is to ensure the interviewer is focusing on what you say, not what you look/ smell like.

Pay attention to the details

Doing the small things right will go a long way towards looking your best, and your potential employer will be impressed that you notice that you’re detail orientated. Things like shining your shoes, ensuring your clothes are clean, ironed and fit you well don’t have to take a lot of time but can make a huge difference to your overall presentation.

Finally, when it comes to job interviews, your experience and personality are the most important and are what will get you the job. However, it is important to start off on the right foot and do everything you can to leave a lasting, positive impression.

nearly 20,000 jobs created

Nearly 20,000 jobs created in first three months of 2017

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Nearly 20,000 jobs were created within the Irish economy in the first three months of 2017 as employment growth in Ireland continues to accelerate.

The latest Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) is considered the most accurate indicator of the state of the labour market and today shows there was an annual increase in employment of 3.5% or 68,600 in the first quarter of 2017. This brings total employment to 2.04 million, which is still below the State’s peak employment level, recorded as 2.16 million in the first quarter of 2008. Quarterly, employment grew by 19,300 in the first quarter of 2017, which was the fastest rate of growth recorded in nearly four years. This follows increases of 16,800 and 14,600 in the previous two quarters.

Employment increased in 11 of the 14 sectors reviewed as part of the survey. The largest rates of annual increase were recorded in the information and communication sector, which saw employment rise by 7,500 or 8.8% and the construction sector, where employment rose by 8.5% or 11,100. However, there were falls in employment in three sectors with the biggest decline coming in agriculture, forestry and fishing (-1,600), which one analyst linked to Brexit.

The QNHS showed there were 146,200 people classified as unemployed in the State in the first quarter of 2017, following an annual decrease 33,200 or 18.5%.Analysts are predicting unemployment will fall to below 6% before the end of the year.

As a result, the Republic’s headline rate of unemployment for April was put at 6.4 per cent, which represents a slight upward revision on the monthly series. Having had one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe only a few years ago, the Republic’s Ireland’s unemployed rate now stands significantly below the euro area average of 9.5%, impressive considering the country had one of the highest rates of unemployment in Europe a few years ago.

Improving conditions in the labour market has turned the tide on emigration, which had been a feature of the early part of the financial crisis, with the most recent population figures indicating the State was now experiencing net inward migration.Employers’ group Ibec welcomed what it described as “exceptionally strong jobs numbers”, suggesting they were a sign of the strength and substance behind the State’s business model, while noting that the economy was weathering Brexit uncertainty “very well”.

Irish Restaurant Awards 2017- Best Restaurants and Chefs in Ireland Announced

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The best and the brightest of Ireland’s culinary scene gathered last night for the Restaurant Association’s annual awards.

The awards, the most awaited night in the restaurant industry’s social calendar and dubbed ‘the food Oscars’ took place in the Clayton Hotel in Dublin and were presented by Sile Seoige and Barry Murphy.

The biggest awards of the night went to of Best Restaurant went to Chapter One in Dublin owned by chef Ross Lewis and Best Chef went to Danni Barry, Ireland’s only female Michelin starred chef.

Ms Barry from Co Down is head chef at Deanes Eipic in Belfast. She previously worked with UK chef Simon Rogan at L’Enclume, as well as running the kitchen at Rogan & Co in Cartmel.

Six chefs, all previous winners of the regional titles, plus a representative of the hotel hosting the event, were each responsible for one course at the awards banquet, served to more than 900 industry figures. The panel of chefs was made up of Gary O’Hanlon (Viewmont House), Finbarr Higgins (The Clayton, formerly of The K Club), Jonathan Keane (The Lodge at Ashford Castle) Kevin Aherne (Sage, Cork), Gareth Mullins (The Marker Hotel) and David Gillmore (James Street South).

AWARD WINNERS

Best Restaurant

All -Ireland – Chapter One, Dublin

Dublin – Chapter One, Dublin

Connaught – Kai Café & Restaurant, Galway

Leinster – Sha-Roe Bistro, Carlow

Munster – Wild Honey Inn, Clare

Ulster– MacNean House & Restaurant, Cavan

Best Chef

All -Ireland – Danni Barry of Deanes Eipic, Antrim

Dublin – Ciaran Sweeney of Forest & Marcy, Dublin

Connaught – Shamzuri Hanifa of The Cottage Restaurant, Leitrim

Leinster – Gary O’Hanlon of VM Restaurant at Viewmount House, Longford

Munster – Keith Boyle of The Bay Tree Bistro, Waterford

Ulster – Danni Barry of Deanes Eipic, Antrim

Best Restaurant Manager

All -Ireland – Alain Kerloc’h of Ox, Antrim

Dublin – John Healy of Suesey Street, Dublin

Pub of the Year

All -Ireland – Morrissey’s, Laois

Dublin – The Long Hall, Dublin

Connaught – John Morans Bar, Mayo

Leinster – Morrissey’s, Laois

Munster – Davy Macs, Waterford

Ulster – The Coach House & Olde Bar, Monaghan

Best Hotel Restaurant

All -Ireland – The Dining Room at Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare

Dublin – The Saddle Room at The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin

Connaught – Wildes at the Lodge, Mayo

Leinster – Ballyfin Demesne, Laois

Munster – The Dining Room at Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare

Ulster – St Kyrans Country House Restaurant, Cavan

Best Newcomer

All -Ireland – Forest & Marcy, Dublin

Dublin – Forest & Marcy, Dublin

Connaught – Cian’s On Bridge Street, Mayo

Leinster – No. Three Old Bar & Restaurant, Louth

Munster – Holy Smoke, Cork

Ulster – Bull & Ram, Down

Best Gastro Pub

All -Ireland – Walled City Brewery, Derry

Dublin – The Exchequer, Dublin

Connaught – Keenans of Tarmonbarry Gastro Bar, Roscommon

Leinster – Mary Barry’s Bar, Wexford

Munster – Morrissey’s Bar and Restaurant, Clare

Ulster – Walled City Brewery, Derry

Best Customer Service

All -Ireland – The Maigue Restaurant at Dunraven Arms Hotel, Limerick

Dublin – Chapter One, Dublin

Connaught – Library Restaurant at Belleek Castle, Mayo

Leinster – Lennons @ Visual, Carlow

Munster – The Maigue Restaurant at Dunraven Arms Hotel, Limerick

Ulster – MacNean House & Restaurant, Cavan

Best Casual Dining

All -Ireland – The Muddlers Club, Antrim

Dublin – Etto, Dublin

Connaught – Bar One, Mayo

Leinster – Wild and Native, Wexford

Munster – Momo Restaurant, Waterford

Ulster – The Muddlers Club, Antrim

Best Wine Experience

All -Ireland – Ox Cave, Antrim

Dublin – Etto, Dublin

Connaught – Sheridans Cheesemongers Wine Bar, Galway

Leinster – Greenacres, Wexford

Munster – L’Atitude51 Wine Café, Cork

Ulster – Ox Cave, Antrim

Best Kids Size Me

All -Ireland – Café Rua, Mayo

Dublin – Farmhill, Dublin

Best World Cuisine

All -Ireland – Wa Café, Galway

Dublin – 777, Dublin

Best Café

All -Ireland – Lost & Found, Derry

Dublin – Meet Me in the Morning, Dublin

Local Food Hero

All -Ireland – Michael Kelly of GROW HQ, Waterford

Dublin – Brid & Colm Carter of Honest2Goodness, Dublin

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine

All -Ireland – Forest & Marcy, Dublin

Dublin – Forest & Marcy, Dublin

Best Digital Marketing

Two Boys Brew, Dublin

Best Cookery School

Riot Rye Bakehouse & Bread School, Tipperary

Best Private Dining & Club Restaurant

Pullman Restaurant at Glenlo Abbey Hotel, Galway

Best Seafood Experience

Fish Shop Queen St, Dublin

Best Cocktail Experience

Candlelight Bar at Siam Thai Dundrum, Dublin

Retail News- New brands coming to Ireland and planned revamps

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

New Homesense stores coming to Ireland

Popular homeware retailer Homesense has announce plans to open two brand new Irish stores.

The new stores will stock household items and decorations and be similar in size in TK Maxx stores. The stores will open this summer with two locations in Dublin and Cork and will create 60 jobs.

Homesense is the sister company of TK Maxx and specialises in soft furnishings and homewares at what they say are hugely discounted prices. TK Maxx’s homeware selection is hugely popular with Irish shoppers, with the company being open in Ireland for the last 20 years.

The first of the Homesense stores will open on June 8th at Westend Shopping Park, Blanchardstown, with a second store, on Grand Parade, Cork, opening on June 15th.

€50 revamp planned for Blanchardstown Shopping Centre

Blanchardstown Shopping Centre is set to get a makeover as its owner US asset manager, Blackstone, is expected to pump €50m into the shopping complex within the next few years.

over the next few years as part of a planned revamp of its ageing West Dublin shopping centre.

New York-based Blackstone bought the centre last year from Green Property for €950m, one of the largest real estate deals in the State’s history.

The company have not confirmed the refurbishment but are said to have set aside money to overhaul the 20-year old Blanchardstown Centre under a multi-year programme.

Blackstone have a successful history of turning around struggling shopping centres. Occupancy rates and footfall at Blanchardstown are already high but retail sources claimed rent increases at the shopping centre were piling pressure on retailers.

Gourmet food range Dean and Deluca launches in Brown Thomas today

Dean & DeLuca launches today in Brown Thomas’ Grafton Street store today. This will be the gourmet food brand’s first European store.

There will be “an extensive range of gourmet goods” available to Brown Thomas customers both in the stores Soho-inspired Level 3 space and online, including a selection of Dean & DeLuca gourmet products and speciality items such as the famous pasta sauces and signature pasta, along with risotto kits, truffle oils, porcini sea salts and a French seasoning collection.

The brand’s famous confectionery range will also be available which includes including almonds and hazelnuts in fine chocolate, toffee caramels and cheesecake caramels, as well as a selection of kitchenware.

The best hotel breakfasts in Ireland have been revealed

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The winners of the Georgina Campbell Irish Breakfast Awards 2017 were announced yesterday. The award’s aim to celebrate one of the most underrated aspects of the Irish food industry, the traditional Irish breakfast. Despite the focus on traditional Irish, the rise in popularity of American style brunch was reflected this year with the addition of a new category.

Georgina Campbell is president of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild and the awards are run in association with Fáilte Ireland.

The award’s main focus was on the traditional Irish breakfast with the judges criteria being “a flavoursome rendition of the traditional plate, together with wholesome accompaniments including traditional Irish soda bread and good Irish butter”. Providers of standout versions of the most important meal of the day were recognised in various categories including country houses, guest houses, bed and breakfasts, and three-, four- and five-star hotels.

At the highest end of the scale, The Merrion hotel in Dublin was awarded for its “range, consistency and seamless service”, with its baked goods, charcuterie board “showcasing both Irish and international meats and artisan cheeses”, and house-blend coffee, singled out for mention.

The award for best four-star hotel breakfast was scooped by Ballynahinch Castle in Co Galway, where “breakfast is a high point of the experience”, according to the judging panel, with hotel’s own rare breed pork forming part of their extensive offering. Gougane Barra hotel in Co Cork took the three-star honours, with praise for “the breakfast meats from Twomey’s craft butchers” and the proprietor’s “rich walnut and treacle bread”. Ballymaloe Country House in Co Cork also triumphed, with the judges noting their emphasis on “fresh, local and seasonal”.

The best B&B breakfast in Ireland can be found at Corrib House Tea Rooms & Guest Accommodation in Galway, according to the judges, who noted the offering of Kilbeggan porridge with banana and cinnamon, and buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, in addition to the full Irish.

 

Full list of winners-

Five-star hotel: The Merrion, Dublin

Highly commended: Culloden Estate & Spa, Belfast and The Europe Hotel & Resort, Killarney

Four-star hotel: Ballynahinch Castle, Recess, Co Galway

Highly commended: The Mustard Seed, Ballingarry and Galgorm Resort & Spa, Ballymena

Three-star hotel: Gougane Barra Hotel, Macroom, Co Cork

Highly commended: Killeen House Hotel, Killarney and Raheen House Hotel, Clonmel

Country House: Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co Cork

Highly commended: Roundwood House, Mountrath and Rathmullan House, Co Donegal

Guest House: Newforge House, Magheralin, Co Down

Highly commended: MacNean House, Blacklion and Inch House, Thurles

B&B: Corrib House, Galway

Highly commended: Ballinwillin House, Mitchelstown and The Mill Restaurant & Accommodation, Dunfanaghy

Welcome Standard: Burren Glamping, Kilfenora, Co Clare

Highly commended: Bervie, Achill Island and The Tannery, Dungarvan

Visitor Attraction: Overends at Airfield Estate, Dundrum, Dublin

Highly commended: Native by Yellow Door at the MAC, Belfast and Courtyard Café, Birr Castle, Co Offaly

Brunch: Rua, Castlebar, Co Mayo

Highly commended: Knox, Sligo and Hatch & Sons Irish Kitchen, Dublin

Irish breakfast foods

Meats: O’Neill’s dry cure bacon

Fish: Burren Smokehouse smoked salmon

Cereals: Flahavan’s Oats

Dairy: Clandeboye Estate yoghurt

Job News

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Chopped announce plans to open 20 new stores, creating 320 jobs

320 jobs will be created across Ireland as healthy fast food chain Chopped announce plans to open 20 new stores across the country. The franchise which has expanded rapidly and experienced phenomenal success since opening in 2011 currently sells over 20,000 salads on a weekly basis from its 19 existing stores.

By the end of 2017, around 320 jobs, both part-time and full-time, will be available in new stores opening in Wicklow, Cork, Waterford and Dublin. A further 110 jobs will be created in the UK as Chopped grows internationally for the very first time, opening six new stores there.

The new outlets – which will be a mix of wholly owned and franchises outlets – will join existing Chopped locations in Dublin, Kildare and Galway.

New Boojum stores on the way

Mexican burrito chain Boojum are continuing their rapid expansion with a new branch will be located along the Grand Canal at 63-65 Mespil Road, Dublin 4.

This will be Boojum’s 10th store. They’re in the process of hiring 30 staff for the new project including managers and supervisors. he hugely popular chain have also begun plans for a new store in Galway’s Eyre Square. Boojum 3 Ltd have sought permission for a change of use of the former Spar shop at 25 Eyre Square (beside the Skeff) to a restaurant and take-away.The new store will create around 25 new jobs, with a mix of full and part-time jobs available. Once opened they will roll out services including delivery, click n’ collect and a catering service for businesses, private and public events.

The new Boojums will join the much-loved stores on Millennium Walkway, Abbey Street and Kevin Street in Dublin and Spanish Parade in Galway.

Advice for Employers: How to Conduct an Interview

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

A new hire is one of the most significant business decisions you can make and a face to face interview is hands down the best way to decide on the right candidate but are you making the most of it? We take you through the best questions to ask a potential employee to gain the most knowledge possible about the person behind the CV.

We at Excel do the leg work in terms of finding exceptional candidates that have the right experience, qualifications and skills match your specifications and we ensure the candidates we present to you are the best of the best but ultimately, the final decision is yours.

By the time you’ve decided to interview someone we, and you, will have screened their CV thoroughly and decided that their experience and qualifications are suitable for the role, but is their personality and style? You know best the type of person that would be the most successful fit in your business.

The best interview questions tell you about the person rather than the CV and gain an insight into the candidate’s personality, strengths, weaknesses, skills and abilities. The most successful questions benefit the candidate and give them opportunity to speak to details that might not fit on a standard CV.

Tell me about yourself.

This question is probably the most obvious on the list, but with good reason. This question is a great way to start your interview and put your candidate at ease, as they will obviously know a lot about themselves. It gives you an opportunity to see their communication skills, confidence and personality from the get go.

From everything you’ve learned about this role, me and the company, tell me how you feel you could contribute to the business?

This question sorts out those that are serious about the role from those just chancing their arm. Those who have really prepared and want to work with you will be delighted to have a chance to show it. Those who don’t really want the job or those who are simply too lazy to Google you will either try and bluff and fail or falter completely.

Describe a time when something went wrong at work and how you dealt with it.

This question is ideal for learning about how your potential hire will handle the pressures of life and conflict in your office. The candidates answer will demonstrate their interpersonal and problem solving skills and help you determine whether they would fit well into the culture of your business.

Why should we hire you?

As we said earlier by the time you meet a candidate for interview, we at Excel have already established that on paper, they are right for the job but this question can help you hugely when deciding if they’re right for your business. Realistically you’re interviewing a number of candidates, all with similar qualifications. This question asks the candidates to define what sets them apart from the rest. An interviewee who does a great job explaining how her unique experience, education, industry credentials, and personal interests will power your business will do the same thing for your company once hired.

How would your boss/ coworkers describe you?

This question essentially ask what are your greatest strengths/weaknesses in a way that can cause interviewees to be more reflective in their answer. A good candidate will know there is no point in spoofing and will use real-life examples or quotes from their boss/ performance reviews that reflect the attributes they’ve already mentioned in the interview.

What kind of manager and colleagues have you had the most and least success with, and why?

This is a great question to ascertain the personality type of the candidate sitting in front of you. By asking this you’ll be able to figure out how they work best, and whether this fits in with how your team works best, or whether they seem to have a lot of conflicts with people or personality types.

hotel news

Hotel News – Major moves made in hotel properties

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Ard Rí sold

The Ard Rí in Waterford city, one of Ireland’s most well-known hotels has been sold. The hotel has been closed for a number of years and its condition has deteriorated significantly. The hotel was a popular wedding venue, conference centre and holiday accommodation. Situated on an elevated site of approximately 21 acres, it has been sold for an undisclosed sum to a Kilkenny businessman who is based in Australia. Seamus Walsh intends to invest heavily in the project. He said: “I see huge opportunity for development in this area and look forward to transforming my new hotel to its former days of glory in these more modern times.” In 2015, Mr Walsh purchased another hotel in the area – the Waterford Castle Hotel- for more than €6m. The distinctive building takes up a large portion of the skyline north of the River Suir at Waterford.

Planning application for hotel in Dublin’s north inner city

A new planning application has been submitted for an eight-storey 249-bedroom hotel development at River House on Chancery Street in Dublin’s north inner city. The application was filed by Melonmount Ltd and will involve the demolition of the existing vacant six-storey building. The application proposes to build an independent cafe/restaurant unit at ground floor and mezzanine level. The remainder of the ground floor will have a hotel lobby, reception, breakfast area. The basement will have a fitness room, meeting and function rooms. The proposed development also includes public realm enhancement works to Chancery Street and Greek Street. Speaking to thejournal.ie, Dublin city councillor Ray McAdam said: “In terms of the proposal, I welcome it. I really do. From a local point of view, it has been a scourge, whether you’re talking about looking at it or otherwise. It has been a source of a lot of anti-social behaviour and criminality.”

iNua Hospitality buys four-star Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan

iNua has bought the four star Hillgrove Hotel in Monaghan marking its sixth Irish hotel purchases in the last three years. The Hillgrove Hotel was sold by long-time proprietors Colm and Audri Herron who plan to retire. iNua Hospitality currently own the five-star Muckross Park Hotel & Spa in Killarney, the Kilkenny Hibernian Hotel and the Radisson Blu Hotels at Little Island in Cork, Limerick. Last July, it also acquired the Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone.

The Hillgrove is set on its own private grounds extending to over six acres, opposite Macartan’s Cathedral , a few minutes from Monaghan Town Centre. The present owners acquired the hotel in April 2004 and, since then have invested in the addition of 43 spacious en-suite bedrooms and the development of the Living Well Leisure Centre & Spa facility which today has nearly 1,000 local members.

Feeding Ireland’s Future 2017 with Excel Recruitment

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Last week, Excel Recruitment welcomed young unemployed local jobseekers into our offices in Dublin City Centre.

Feeding Ireland’s Future is an initiative by the Department of Social Protection and the Grocery Retail Industry in Ireland. Participants are aged between 18-24 years of age and facilitated by ECR Ireland. Excel Recruitment serve the Grocery Retail Industry recruiting Sales Assistants to CEO.

The week kicked off with members of the Excel team and participants chatting through their CVs and employment history, along with discussing the elements of job-seeking they find the most difficult. This allowed our experts to tailor their talks specifically to the group, addressing each of their particular weaknesses and concerns.

A huge number of workshops took place during the participants’ time with Excel, including CV tips and tricks with Head of Fashion/Non-Food Aislinn Lea and Interview Skills with Nikki Murran, our Head of Grocery who gave her top tips and conducted mock interviews with the group.

Sean Thomas, Grocery Consultant discussed how the Grocery industry ticks and the benefits of working within it and Sarah Hurley, Retail Head Office Recruiter took participants through how to how to cope with interview assessments/aptitude tests.

The participants were also given free Manual Handling and HAACP training from our certified trainers giving them recognised and necessary skills for work along with adding a professional qualification to their CVs.

Along with these and more hugely successful workshops the participants also got the opportunity to work one on one with our expert recruiters on their CV. Participants were encouraged and shown how to rephrase certain aspects of a CV to better illustrate their personality, expand on their skill sets. The consultant spent time with each individual to ensure skills and experience that they already had were not omitted or were highlighted in their CV’s.

Every member of the Excel Team took part, giving workshops and CV advice, guidance and leads to all participants, committing time to the group and also individually. Excel Recruitment were delighted to assist in Feeding Ireland’s Future 2016. We are a proponent of Irish Retail and it was refreshing to have new faces, who are encouraged by the industry in our offices for the few days. We wish all participants the very best in their applications and encourage them to keep in contact with each other and Excel Recruitment.

The feedback from all participants was overwhelming positive with all of those partaking commenting they would definitely feel more confident applying for jobs, sending CVs and attending interviews.

 

online shopping

How to Get the Job: Most Common Cover Letter Mistakes

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Excel Recruitment are EXPERTS in recruitment, if we do say so ourselves, and we see hundreds of cover letters everyday. Below are the biggest and most common mistakes we see.

 

To Whom It May Concern

The next point covers the importance of not submitting a generic cover letter, but ‘To whom it may concern’ is SOO overused it needs to be discussed in its own right.( This point also applies to Dear Sir/Madam). If the job ad doesn’t give the name of the person recruiting or your sending in your CV speculatively, Google it. Here at Excel, we’ve made it really easy for you to find out who recruits what jobs. If you’re not completely confident who is, use the head of the department for the position you’re applying for. At the end of the day, no one will be mad for addressing the letter higher up than necessary. At the very least, it’s better than your cover letter only being skimmed.

Same Old, Same Old

Excel Recruitment consultants see hundreds of cover letters a day and a shocking number are generic, full of tired, overused clichés and put simply, quite boring. Boring is the last thing you want to be, especially when trying to get a recruiter’s attention. Tailor your cover letter to suit each individual job you’re applying for. Don’t say ‘I would be an asset to any company’ explain why you would be an asset to THIS company. Do your research and illustrate how your skills match the specific company’s needs. Also, it’s all well and good discussing your amazing skills at this and that but if they’re not relevant to the job at hand, don’t waste the space. Again, the aim is to let the consultant/ hiring manager know you want this job, not just any job.

Putting your CV into sentences

Another mistake people make when putting together their cover letter is to simply turn their CV into a short essay or just regurgitate the same information already in their CV. Remember in first class when your teacher would give out for writing stories that go- and then this, and then that, and then we? Anything written this way is boring, never mind a job application in a very large pile of job applications. A cover letter is a much more personable way of describing your experience, your skills and goals not a longhand list of where you’ve worked. Use your cover letter to introduce yourself to the person hiring, let them know why you’ve applied and get your personality across.

Doing it for the Sake of it

So many people throw a cover letter together because they feel like they have to but that’s a waste of a vital tool. Any career breaks or gaps in employment? Using your cover letter to address them is the easiest way to explain while stressing your skills and eagerness to get back to work.

Ultimately, stop thinking of a cover letter as something you have to do and instead view it as the excellent opportunity it is. A concise, specific, well written cove letter ensures you make the best possible impression in a pile of applications and can help you make the first step.

Now that you have all the knowledge you need to write a fabulous cover letter, have a look at all our live roles and get sending!