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Macquarie Group

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  • 1,000 - 50,000 employees

Macquarie's tips for making your application stand out

Employer Insight

Making your application stand out can be challenging, so our Graduate Recruitment team have put together some tips on how you can ensure you make the best first impression.

Every year, Macquarie receives thousands of applications for our Graduate Program and we read every single one.

Making your application stand out can be challenging, so our Graduate Recruitment team have put together some tips on how you can ensure you make the best first impression.

While there’s no exact format you should follow for your CV and cover letter, there are a few things you can do to ensure your application gets noticed for the right reasons.

1. Content is key

'Make sure you include a cover letter that is tailored to the organisation - this is your opportunity to showcase your personality. A cut and paste from another application is really obvious and isn’t enough to make you stand out.

Content is key when it comes to your application. We care about the contents of your CV and cover letter far more than what it looks like. A well-formatted document that is clearly laid out is important, but you don’t need to go overboard on the design.'

 Charlotte, Graduate Recruitment Executive

2. Add the extras

'We want to know more about you, so make sure you include your extra-curricular activities, awards, achievements, hobbies and interests in your CV. These help us to get a better understanding of who you are, in addition to the formal information such as your education and work experience.'

– Elisabeth, Graduate Recruitment Executive

3. Why do you want to work here?

'Why do you want to work at Macquarie? Why do you want to work in a particular team or role you’ve applied for? Including answers to these questions in your cover letter helps us to understand more about you. It also helps us to determine if we think you’ve chosen the right role and team to apply for. We have a handy tool on our website called ‘Help Me Choose’ to assist you in selecting which group might be right for you, and our team will also help ensure there is a match between you and the business area.'

– Becarra, Graduate Recruitment Lead

4. Think about your public profile

'Most employers will check online to see what they can find out about you, so make sure your social media profiles are something you can be proud of.

If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can include a link to this in your CV.'

– Chelsea, Graduate Recruitment Executive

5. Triple check for errors

'It seems like a really obvious one, but so many people make simple spelling and grammar errors in their CVs. Triple check or, better yet, give it to a friend or family member to read, or read it out loud.'

– Justine, Graduate

6. Don’t leave it to the last minute

'Make sure you submit your application before the due date and ensure you include all of the relevant documents. We can’t accept late or incomplete applications.'

– Bryan, Graduate Recruitment Coordinator