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Are you getting any interviews?

If you are, congratulations! If not, please consider using the following alternative approach.

With increasing competition for jobs, it is very important that you know how to make yourself stand out from the hundreds of application letters that employers receive.

Try this alternative approach to make your letter more effective.

What is unique about this approach?

It highlights the use of a supplementary sheet as a marketing tool. With this approach, you submit three pieces of documents, viz:

• a cover letter,
• a resume, and
• a supplementary sheet.

For ease of reference, we are calling this approach a "sandwich".

Comparison between the traditional approach and the sandwich approach:

	Traditional Approach	Alternate Approach
Cover Letter	Tell the readers in what ways you are suitable for the job and why you are interested in it with examples.	Highlight the most relevant, unique and interesting information that you have given in your resume and supplementary sheet.
Resume	Provide background information about you with details. (e.g. duties and responsibilities held in previous jobs and extra-curricular activities)	The most basic information only. No details.
Supplementary Sheet	Not applicable.	Compare your technical skills, personal attributes and competencies against the requirements listed in the job advertisement. Write down the common ones. Against each item, provide specific details covering these aspects: What did you do? How did you do it? Why did you choose that approach? What results did you achieve? So what for the employer?

Features of the New Approach

• All three pieces of document should be short, concise and specific, ideally not exceeding one page each.
  
  
• Information should be presented with simple sentences and bullet points in both the resume and supplementary sheet. Business language, elegant English should be used for the cover letter.
  
  
• Be selective with information. Include only the relevant ones.

So, what should I include?

This general principle applies to all documents:

Make selection simple and easy for the recruiter by providing only useful information. Do not tell everything; be selective. Address employers' needs directly. Put forward your most impressive experience, no matter big or small but do not exaggerate the trivial ones.

Cover Letter - use it to introduce but not to repeat your resume and supplementary sheet. Therefore, provide highlights only. Draw attention to the most relevant, unique and interesting information that you have given in your resume and supplementary sheet. Do not repeat information in the other two documents.

Resume - include the most basic information on your background. Leave details (e.g. duties and responsibilities) to the supplementary sheets.

Supplementary Sheet - Information presented in the supplementary sheet should answer directly the requirements listed in the job advertisement. List these requirements one by one and then ask yourself "What do I know, what experience do I have, what have I done and how good am I". Pick up those requirements that you meet. Write them down on the supplementary sheet as headings. Under each heading, list what you did and the results in short sentences using bullet points. Quantify and qualify results; include as many as possible but exclude the trivial and irrelevant ones. Attach relevant samples of work and make reference to them in the supplementary sheet.

Click here for a sample Sandwich. Although the example may look irrelevant to university graduates, it helps you in understanding and applying the guidelines better.

What can I expect if I use the sandwich approach?

• You can assess your chance of success - If you have plenty of examples to provide on the supplementary sheet to prove your suitability, you are probably the right kind of person for the job. With a good understanding of yourself and the job, you can also be better prepared for job interviews.
  
  
• You can increase your chance of success - If you find it difficult to provide examples to prove your suitability, then it's time to improve yourself. Identify the gaps and find ways to build up your employability. For instance, if you do not have concrete examples to prove your leadership ability, then you should grasp opportunities where you can practise and exercise leadership skills.

What employers have to say about this approach?

• "It saves me time in having to go through piles of CVs which gave very general information."
  Dr Qiao Liu, Corporate Finance and Strategy Practice - Asia, McKinsey & Company
  
  
• "The information that I look for is there. This helps me identify suitable candidates easily."
  Ms Tania Lai, Human Resources Manager, Meinhardt (M&E) Ltd