As a great way to get that important foot in the door and launch a career, it is no wonder why apprenticeships are in such high demand. Every year, scores of young people across the country vie for a handful of these positions, and the competition doesn’t look like waning any time soon.
While making your application stand out is an important consideration for any job, it becomes particularly important when seeking an apprenticeship. Registering with Apprenticeship Central can help you polish your professional profile as you present your best front to potential employers. Here are some other tips you should consider.
Tailor it to the position
When you’re applying for a large number of apprenticeships at once, it can be tempting to send your stock CV and cover letter to everyone you’re applying to. However, making the small effort to tailor your documents to each specific application can go a long way in helping you stand out to employers.
Do your research on the company and make tangible references to it, and remember to mention the same keywords found in the job ad.
Be specific
As the old mantra goes, you should show instead of simply telling.
It’s fine to talk about your major achievements to date, but these mean little to employers unless you can back them up with real-world facts. Make sure you include specific numbers and examples of how you have accomplished these achievements and the results you enjoyed.
Proof-read it multiple times
Small typos in your CV may be easy to miss – however, they can certainly be costly if an employer does pick them up, highlighting a lack of attention to detail.
Read through your materials several times before sending them off, and have other people cast a fresh pair of eyes over them as well.
Highlight any relevant experience
As a young worker just stepping into the workforce, it’s understandable that you may not have a wealth of relevant experience under your belt.
However, you may be surprised at how much you’ve learnt from your past work, including your part-time jobs. Think about the tasks you carried out throughout your work history and see if you have picked up any transferable skills that will bring value to the role.
Follow up
If you’ve managed to progress to and complete the interview stage – congratulations! The hardest part is over now.
You shouldn’t just sit around and wait though – send a short follow-up email to the interviewer thanking them for their time and expressing your enthusiasm for the role. Minor details such as these can play a huge role in swaying the decision in your favour.
