Some ways to set yourself apart, whether applying for to an employer or a school.

It is a tough market and will continue to be so for many years. A well-written cover letter sets you apart from other applicants. Employers are routinely flooded with far more applications than the can reasonably process. The first step in filling a position from a pool of applicants is to eliminate as many as possible, as easily as possible. Coherent writing in a well-organized cover letter is a big step toward making sure that potential employers will engage the contents of your application seriously.

Nothing can guarantee an interview or a positive response. Many job postings already have internal candidates marked as the most likely candidates or there may even be external candidates that a company is specifically interested in hiring. The best you can do is to do your best where you can, and then let go of as much of the stress and anxiety as possible. Your friends may or may not be up to the job of the job of looking over your cover letter or resume. If you can’t afford a professional writer, think of people you know in management positions or who work in the field to which you are applying. You need someone who is capable of seeing grammatical and aesthetic flaws, and who is willing to point them out to you. Sometimes, a friend will be able to see a problem, but will shy away from telling you.

Don’t be shy about finding a second pair of eyes. In many ways, applying for jobs is a little like playing the lottery. Unlike a lottery, however, you can make choices that improve your odds and help you stand out from the crowd.

One last hint, don't stand out from the crowd by getting aggressive with fonts and layouts. Simple, readable, and classic, is the way to go, because reading your resume and cover letter shouldn’t feel like work.