How to win over your next employer

Your toolkit is made up of a variety of different resources that will help you win over your next employer.

Let’s review each element and identify what you still need for yours.

1. Your CV

You are likely to already have a CV prepared and stored on your computer. We want you to open your CV and start thinking about these key questions:

• What does your CV say about you?
• Would a stranger reading your CV recognise that you want to work in wellness?

The answers to these questions will help you determine whether you need to amend your CV. We’ll share more insights into how to create a winning CV later in the course.

2. LinkedIn

We’ve talked about LinkedIn as the tool for professional networking. Your LinkedIn profile should not only be up-to-date and engaging, it should also reflect your wellness passions and be used as a tool to back up your search.

3. Instagram

Employers check potential employees’ social media. It’s just the way it goes now. Make sure your Instagram doesn’t include anything that might embarrass you (e.g. it could be a picture of you very drunk being sick) and, if it does, delete it or make your profile private.

Adding your Instagram handle to your CV is a simple way to add personality and humanise you (more on this later).

4. Personal blog / website / online portfolio

This is a simple step where you can create a basic online portfolio/website/blog as a passion project, for very little investment! Squarespace and Wix have very user-friendly, out-the-box templates which are easy to personalise.

Note: this isn’t about creating a perfectly designed and technical website. It’s not about investing a load of money into creating one either!

Creating and launching a personal blog or website is not for the faint-hearted and not everyone does it.

that do are those that will be more likely to succeed because they have gone the extra mile, put themselves out there, and have demonstrable action to back up the words they have put on their CV.

5. Direct approaches

Closely linked with networking skills, this is a fantastic opportunity to reach out, connect, forge relationships, and create opportunities.

6. Speculative approaches

Where there are direct emails/messages asking for things like coffees/calls, there are also direct emails/messages that are specifically reserved for speculative applications.

You don’t have to rely on just sending your CV when you see a job you like being advertised! A speculative application is about reaching out to people in the hope that they could utilise your skillset without them actively hiring.

7. Cover letters/emails

A cover letter is an introduction to your application that is engaging, direct, inviting, and makes the reader want to commit to going on and reading your full CV.

A cover letter is a specific summary of why you are specifically suited to the job and company you’re applying to work for. This allows you to highlight certain skills/experiences, and values that are relevant to the opportunity.