(Note: This article was originally published to JamieMcSloy.co.uk on September 18th, 2019. I’m going through an old backup of the site, which has hundreds of posts that aren’t currently uploaded. As I’m working hard on updating the site – and releasing The Vault, letting these old posts be the daily posts for a while.)
Copywriting For CVs, Resumes and Cover Letters
Logging on to Twitter this morning, I’d been asked a question about copywriting tips for a CV/Resume/Cover letter.
I’m not really the person to ask about this…
I haven’t written a CV since maybe 2013.
I don’t know what advice is generally given.
But seeing as I’m being asked, here’s my advice (from a direct response wizard’s perspective) on writing CVs and cover letters.
Here’s my response, which was a Twitter thread and is now a blog post for posterity’s sake.
Direct Response Marketing As Applied To Getting A “Real Job”
First of all, no more spam approaching your target clients.
If you’re applying to jobs you can spam, then you should be learning skills and aiming higher.
(Or, you know, starting your own business, let’s forget that.)
EVERYTHING is targeted from now on.
And seeing as you’re targeting everything, you need to make sure you get the most bang-for-your-buck.
No point in spending an hour on a CV to not get a response when you can spend two hours and get a job.
Of course, with 50 applicants per job, you’ve got to play dirty to win.
(Worth noting at this point that there are no refunds accepted on this tweet thread. I’m not your careers advisor.)
Firstly, CVs (as separate from cover letters.)
Writing a Curriculum Vitae With Super-Secret Copywriting Skills
You’re a god-damned superstar at every job you’ve ever had.
You have various “professional development” projects.
If you have ever held the door open for your boss, you’ve assisted the CEO.
Most job applications are going to be filled with absolute word salad. You’ve done something for every little thing on there, even if you don’t know what it is.
Or you’ve done an aggregate of it.
TARGET YOUR CV
It doesn’t matter if you’re applying for a position at an investment bank and you’ve only ever worked at McDonalds, you can tailor your experience.
(Incidentally this knowledge came to me from a family member who literally did that – and got the job. How? Next.)
He told me, “The McDonalds stuff was BAIT. I knew nobody else applying for [bank] would admit it, so I put it in. Then in the interview I told them why McDonalds work equipped me better than anything else could.”
Now, that guy… most naturally charismatic person I know. But there you have it. CV/Cover letter is bait.
Let’s move on to some other stuff.
You need to target the right person.
That doesn’t mean answering the application with “Dear John from applications.”
Find out who the person in charge is. (Which is what you do with freelancing.)
You then run deep research on them and the company.
If you can, skip the application process entirely.
The Sad Truth About Job Hunting… And What You Need To Do
Sad but true, most jobs and opportunities aren’t come by via applications.
Make friends with the people in charge at the companies you’re looking to work for.
ALSO, you should be applying for better jobs than you think you can get.
Literally every job application ever overstates how good the job is and understates how much you’re going to hate it.
So you should look to “improve yourself” by getting jobs you have no business getting.
Reality here… most of the stuff you write on your CV or say in the interview; completely irrelevant.
Don’t outright lie and say you went to Oxford and worked for Goldman Sachs if you dropped out of high school, but nobody is going to ring Burger King to see how good you were
Back to cover letter.
Cover Letter Basics
It’s always about them, with a caveat that you have to appear non-needy. State your “reason” for taking this job (implication being you could get another) and then get on with why you’re the best for the job and what it’ll give them.
Final Thoughts
Getting a bit of imposter syndrome here now – this is mostly advice that I’d give a freelancer except ported to a real job.
A final thought; CV/Cover job is ONLY to get you to an interview.
If you’re charming (read; prepared) enough, the interview should fill gaps in your CV.
Of course, if you’re a Direct Response Newsletter subscriber, 99% sure you could use the stuff I’ve written about multi-stage pitches and audience research to also get you a high-paying job.
But pretty sure you guys don’t want that.