WorkFair '24: CV and cover letter writing - insights from recruiters 

As part of myGwork’s virtual event WorkFair, a highly informative webinar titled 'CV and Cover Letter Writing: Insights from Recruiters' took place, featuring industry experts who shared valuable strategies for crafting effective job application materials.

Aileen Wilson, Manager of Candidate Experience at Pfizer, highlighted the importance of authenticity in applications: “Through the application process, we as recruiters, we as a company, are really looking to get to know you as an applicant. The important thing here is that you’re looking to be professional in the document, making sure everything's crafted appropriately, but still being authentic to yourself. I know that the use of AI has become really prevalent and it is a great tool to help out, but if you are using it to assist you in writing your CV or cover letter, ensure you're tweaking it and really just using it as a tool, not copying and pasting. We can tell when someone didn’t write it! Be professional, be intentional, but be authentic too.”

Rebecca Schwenk, Associate Director of Early Career Business Partner at Novartis, provided practical advice on CV customization: “My advice is that you don't need to completely rewrite a CV from scratch for each job. You can have a skeleton or an essential, main CV and then at certain points, add keywords, highlighting transferable skills or things that are just maybe more relevant. Just so you’re not constructing a new document from scratch each time.”

Luca Maestroni, Talent Acquisition Specialist at Boston Scientific, spoke about the significance of cover letter content: “If you send out a cover letter, my suggestion is to keep the letter still concise, but clear and direct. So, not to repeat what is put inside of the CV or the profile because you know that is already being mentioned there. Add more context on why this role is exciting for you and what you could bring to this position. What are your soft skills aspects or your personality aspects that you can bring to the role? This can offer recruiters an insight into your personality and your motivation before the first interview.”

Sotirios Panagiotoulas, People & Culture Projects Associate at JTI, discussed the importance of context and openness: “Assess the context around you. To what degree are you opening up to a potential employer? Are you safe to do so? Taking into consideration that the external context is good, and it allows you to be open and vocal about your own sexual preferences. I think it's important to add your pronouns on your CV so the recruiters know how to address you, and to check for organizations that are really active in the LGBTQ+ area.”

Gabriele Silva, Talent Acquisition Manager at VF Corporation, emphasized the importance of including every necessary detail: “Sometimes the details that we might overlook as candidates, for example, visas, permits, right of work, things that for us might not seem very important to the recruiter, are actually very critical. It’s very important to really think carefully about the country you're applying to, the industry you're applying in, and what details are going to be more critical for that particular application.”

This insightful webinar equipped attendees with practical strategies and expert recommendations for enhancing their CVs and cover letters, reaffirming the importance of professionalism, authenticity, and attention to detail in the job application process.