Perfect Your Pitch

Using good, concise English is the key to getting your message quickly across to recruiters.

Using long words and business jargon is the way to impress employers, right? Wrong. On the contrary, being simple and direct is the best way to write a resume, a cover letter, or even when filling in an application form.

It’s absolutely possible to be formal and professional without having to resort to using fancy flourishes and “impressive” figures of speech, and someone who has this kind of control over their writing is always going to impress employers with their skill in communication.

Simple but clear

Use simple English so that your audience can read, understand and act upon your message with just a single reading. You only have one chance to make your point, because realistically, your application isn’t the only one sitting in a recruiter’s inbox – so remember to make the most of it.

Written communication 101:

The average graduate recruiter has a limited amount of time, and an application form has a limited amount of space. For that reason, cut to the chase and get to the point.

The Ultimate Do’s and Don’ts

The average graduate recruiter has a limited amount of time, and an application form has a limited amount of space. For that reason, cut to the chase and get to the point.

Do’s

1 . Use headers and bullet points

Format your resume in such a way that it’s more readable and direct.

E.g. Tasks as team leader included (but not limited to): • Leading a team of eight teammates. • Overseeing two projects at the same time. • Prioritising overlapping tasks. • Reporting to the finance department.

3 . Be active

Keep it simple by sticking to the active clause.

E.g. As a team leader, I managed many tasks. 2 . Keep it short

• Write short sentences. • If removing a word doesn’t affect the logic of the sentence, do it.

E.g. I am a team player with leadership capabilities. My experience as team leader allowed me to work alongside my teammates and hone my leadership skills.

4 . Be direct

Replace unnecessarily long phrases and fancy sentence structures with more direct words. E.g. • Within the workplace → at work • At this point in time → now • In addition to the aforementioned → also

Don’ts

1 . Write long paragraphs and sentences

Refrain from cramming too much information into one long paragraph.

E.g. My tasks as a team leader included leading a team of eight teammates, overseeing two projects at the same time, prioritising overlapping tasks, reporting to the finance department, and many more. 2 . Be long-winded

• Avoid overusing conjunctions such as “and”, “that”, “as”,

“so”, etc. • Exclude unnecessary descriptions and adjectives.

E.g. I am a team player as well as a great leader, and this is evident in my role as a team leader that allowed me to work alongside inspiring, hardworking and cooperative teammates.

3 . Use a passive voice

• Avoid writing sentences in passive form. • Passive sentences won’t make you sound authoritative, just robot-like.

E.g. As a team leader, I faced many tasks to be managed.

4 . Pad

Take out fancy phrases that can be replaced with single words. Is the layout clear and easy to follow? Do the headings stand out? Are your sentences concise? Does the content have a straightforward objective? Are your points clearcut? Have you used short, concrete and familiar words instead of long, complex words? Is the content free from spelling and grammatical errors? Are bulleted lists used where appropriate? Is the tone suitable for addressing an employer?

Checklist

Before sending in your resume and cover letter, check them against the following points. Do they fulfil each and every one of them?