Applying to any job can be daunting. Each industry has its own requirements and expectations, which may be hard to navigate. Here’s what you need to do in order to successfully apply for food jobs.
1. Tweak your CV
Make sure that your CV is set up to reflect your experience and qualifications in the food industry. While you may have had a job on a construction site 15 years ago for one summer, that’s not relevant at all to your current application – so focus more on the things that are.
2. Read instructions carefully
Job listings can be lengthy and full of waffle, and you may be applying for lots in one go. For this reason, it can be tempting to skim through them and just send in a generic cover letter and CV. However, you should read instructions carefully. Sometimes, sneaky recruiters will add in a line towards the end, or even in the middle, about what they need from you – and missing this step could leave you in their delete pile.
3. Customise your cover letter
Don’t leave a generic cover letter for everyone. It’s a lot of work to write a new one each time, but you can build a template and then customise it for every company. Write in their name, and give at least one specific reason as to why you would like to work for that company. This will make a much better impression.
4. Set up job alerts
Most of the time, those who submit their applications early are in with a better chance of getting the job. Recruiters will go through CVs in the order received, and may find the perfect candidate in the first batch. It’s a good idea to set up job alerts so that you can find them quickly, and get your CV in before anyone else.
5. Train yourself
If you don’t have qualifications or experience, you should get some to prove that you are a good candidate. Even if you do have some, you can always improve. Research online or offline training courses, especially free ones, and undertake them so that you can build on your CV even more. Make sure, of course, that they are relevant to the food and drink industry in particular.
6. Know the company
Do a quick bit of research on the company before you submit your application. It’s important to know what they do, how big they are, and so on. This also really helps with personalising your cover letter, not to mention being essential for a good interview. Demonstrate knowledge of them, and figure out what you can expect from a position with them.
With these tips in mind, you can make your application to any food job go down a lot better. This puts you in a position to be more likely to invited to interview, from where you can wow them with your well-researched approach. Increase your chances of getting hired!
