Should You Personalize Your Cover Letter & CV For Each Job Application?

Today, most jobs require applicants to submit both a cover letter and a CV to be considered for the situation. A CV or a resume is a brief summary of your skills, experience and education, while a cover letter is a more in-depth explanation of why you’re the best person for the job. 

Among the most hotly debated questions when it comes to applying for jobs is whether or not applicants should tailor their application documents for each position. We strongly believe that the answer to this question is a resounding ‘yes.’ While you don’t need a complete overhaul, it can boost your chances of success tremendously with some strategic tweaks to both your resume and cover letter. 

In this article, I’ll go over some key reasons why it’s vital to tailor your CV and cover letter for each role you apply to. 

Tailor Your CV and Cover Letter Format

Before worrying about content, it’s vital to read the description on each job listing you apply to in order to determine how best to format your application documents. 

You might need to use a

to tweak the order in which you present the different sections of your resume based on what a specific recruiter values. For example, a company hiring recent graduates might be more interested in where you went to school, while a business looking to hire for a managerial position requiring more than 10 years of experience might place greater weight on work experience. 

There are plenty of other formatting decisions that you should make based on the positions you’re applying to and the industries you’re looking to apply within. For example, if you’re looking to work in the arts, you may take more liberties when designing your application documents, which might better demonstrate your creativity. Contrastingly, you’re probably better served using a clean, organized aesthetic if you’re looking to land a role as a financial analyst. Whether or not you include a headshot and the file type you use will also depend on your desired role. 

Formatting is an aspect of resume and cover letter design that many applicants neglect, but it’s absolutely essential. Following the job description’s requirements to a tee demonstrates attention to detail and a genuine interest in the position, which are traits that recruiters place tremendous value on. 

Customize Your Personal Summary

A strong personal summary can be the difference between a great resume and one that’s merely okay. This section of your resume should include a brief overview of your professional experiences and the sort of role you’re looking for.

When writing a summary, you should frame yourself in a way that makes you an appealing candidate for a specific position. If you’re applying for a role as a PPC marketer, for example, you should mention your experience in PPC if you have any. 

Remember that less is more when it comes to your personal summary, so keep it as concise as possible. More specifically, your personal summary should…