“How to write a cover letter?” is one of the highest searched questions online, and it’s not difficult to understand why. It takes a LOT of work to land that first interview, let alone a job! With the employment market more competitive than ever before, it has never been important for your CV to cut through the clutter with clarity and excellence. Moreover, the world of work is changing daily, and companies are now looking to hire employees with human skills, not just technical capabilities … so how can candidates communicate such skills?

On our mission to support as many people as possible to thrive in work and life, we’re spreading the magic of human skills far and wide - through immersive apps, coaching, experiences and partnerships, but also through rich conversations. The Other Side is a mini podcast series by Maxme where our Founder Renata (Ren) Sguario chats with recent graduate James (Jimmy) Oana on the experience of making the leap from Uni to work, and thriving on the other side. Over 9 episodes (including a bonus intro chat), Ren and James cover Gen Z career building essentials like what makes a great CV, acing a job interview, seeking and giving feedback, the importance of self awareness, networking, body language and more.

Episode 3 of The Other Side, The Ultimate CV and Cover Letter, is all about the essentials of ‘selling yourself’ in the written form in order to land the job you really want!

In just over 30 minutes, you’ll discover:

• James’ top tip for using platforms like Seek or LinkedIn to perform keyword research in line with the job you’re applying for

• How to write your cover letter in a truly authentic way that grabs recruiters’ attention

• Making sure to get small aspects of the cover letter correct such as the hygiene factors, e.g spelling, formatting and names

• Being true to yourself in order to find a company that meets YOUR needs and expectations (i.e. using your self awareness)

• Tailoring your cover letter and CV to the job description

• Making connections with the Employer via job descriptions and vibe of the company culture, and tailoring your letter and CV accordingly

• Optimal length of a CV, and making sure your information is relevant and valuable

• Striking the right balance between ‘being authentic’, and tailoring your pitch to the employer

• Telling ‘whole-self story’ in order to give your CV an edge - the importance of emotional value

• What’s best left for an interview, versus CV

• Corporate recruitment insights from Human Resource leader Katherine (Kat) - a highly experienced HR professional in business

• Kat explains that a Cover Letter is critical, and acts as the link that tells the company WHO you are and why they should hire you - be disciplined with your response, what makes a good CV and a bad CV

• The importance of a well formatted CV

• Kat’s view on VIA character strength surveys - a positive with critical self awareness benefits

• Developing an elevator pitch

• The importance of referencing your key achievements, not just activities you’ve participated in.

Ready to listen and learn more about the magic of human skills?

Simply jump on in, start listening for FREE on your preferred podcast platform -

The Other Side on Spotify
The Other Side on Apple Podcasts
The Other Side on Listen Notes
The Other Side on PodBay.

Feedback to share on any of The Other Side episodes, or have an idea for a future topic?
Contact us anytime - we’d love to hear from you.

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