Activity: Career Search - Job Posting Analysis for Cover Letter & Resume

Everyone has knowledge, skills, and/or experience gaps!

Conducting a T-Chart comparison with the employer's requirements to your knowledge, skills, and experience will likely show gaps. No one will be 100% qualified!

Here are a few pointers to address shortfalls.

Do not draw attention to your gaps within your cover letter or resume, or in an interview—unless you are specifically asked about it. Then you can state in the interview (if this is true for you) your plan with action steps that include how and when you will develop the skill(s), e.g., registering for a course, experiential learning experience such as volunteering, or in-house professional development at work.

Another instance that could arise is, you do not have experience with the software program the company uses. In the interview you can state that you are competent with "X" software program that is similar to the one they use and you are confident that you can learn the program quickly.

We have suggested using the terms/language from the posting and from the company’s website. Weave in these keywords throughout your cover letter and resume, and emphasize your transferable skills. This creates rapport because it shows that you are ‘listening’ to the employer. Furthermore, employers are commonly open to providing on-the-job training, whereas they are not open, nor inclined to teach and train transferable skills, e.g., communication, creative problem-solving, or collaboration skills.