Getting through an interview can be an ordeal. Yet, just landing an opportunity to attend an interview is no easy feat in itself. Some of it comes down to luck. A larger portion of it, though, relies on your ability to differentiate yourself from your competition. Resume templates provide a good starting point but you want to go beyond the basics. 

This is where good writing skills and a touch of street smarts come in handy. The biggest chance you have to impress is through your cover letter. A cover letter for resume support is always a good idea. This is the item that will point your interviewer to read your CV, and then ideally spur them to invite you to an interview.

It’s important that your cover letter not only promote you, but that it also promotes the fact that you know about the position for which you are applying. In other words, do your research on the company and include references to this in your letter. This simple step alone will set you aside from most of your competition. You will not only be presenting a professional resume, it will also be specifically relevant to the position you are applying for.

If you are seeking graduate employment for instance, you can make a professional impression by communicating that you know where the company stands in the marketplace, what their values are (these are often apparent from a company’s website), and what the headline trend of the sector is at that point in time. Simple pointers to some of these specifics will make it clear to your interviewer that you are interested in more than yourself and the salary you might receive, and that you may have insights the company would find valuable.

Beyond the cover letter, where possible it’s a good idea to place a quick phone call to the employer and ask them one or two quick questions about the job. Take the job advertisement as your reference and seek additional information on one advertised aspect – perhaps the experience requirements, especially if the ad states that certain experience is “preferred but not essential”.

This gives you a chance to not only lodge your name in the interviewer’s mind, but it also lets you get a sense of their approach and personality, making it much easier for you to tailor the pitch of your cover letter. This only gives you an idea of job interview questions that may arise if you meet with them and what interview techniques to apply.