gh-robin-collins-claude-code-skills-jobseeker-skills/skills/employment-application/SKILL.md

---
name: employment-application
description: Analyze employment opportunities and create compelling, tailored cover letters and CVs/resumes that explicitly address selection criteria. Use this skill when users request help with job applications, want to tailor application documents to specific positions, need cover letters written, or ask to update CVs for particular roles. The skill provides systematic workflows for advertisement analysis, selection criteria addressing, document generation using the docx library with specific styling guidelines, and comprehensive evaluation with actionable recommendations.
---

# Employment Application

## Overview

This skill provides a comprehensive, systematic approach to analyzing employment opportunities and creating compelling application documents (cover letters and CVs/resumes). The skill guides through advertisement analysis, selection criteria mapping, tailored document creation with specific styling requirements, and detailed evaluation with actionable recommendations.

The skill is designed for creating high-impact professional applications that:
- Explicitly address each key selection criterion
- Draw evidence from detailed CV source material
- Follow professional document styling standards
- Position candidates as the most qualified and compelling choice

## When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when users:
- Request help analyzing a job advertisement or employment opportunity
- Want to create a cover letter for a specific position
- Need to tailor their CV/resume to a particular role
- Ask for evaluation or improvement of application documents
- Request systematic approach to addressing selection criteria
- Need professional document generation using specific styling guidelines

## Core Workflow

### Phase 1: Employment Opportunity Analysis

**Objective:** Thoroughly understand the position, requirements, and organizational context.

#### Step 1: Read and Analyze Advertisement

Carefully examine the employment opportunity advertisement to identify:

1. **Position Structure**
   - Full position title and level
   - Department, team, and reporting relationships
   - Employment type and conditions

2. **Core Responsibilities**
   - Primary duties and deliverables
   - Strategic vs. operational balance
   - Day-to-day activities expected

3. **Required Qualifications**
   - Educational requirements
   - Years of experience needed
   - Technical skills and certifications
   - Industry-specific knowledge

4. **Key Selection Criteria**
   - Explicitly stated criteria (often numbered or bulleted)
   - Prioritized or weighted requirements
   - "Essential" vs. "desirable" distinctions
   - Cultural fit indicators and organizational values

5. **Organizational Context**
   - Company size, structure, and industry
   - Current challenges or strategic initiatives
   - Values and culture signals

#### Step 2: Map Requirements to Candidate Qualifications

Create systematic mapping between:
- Job requirements → Candidate experience and skills
- Selection criteria → Supporting evidence and achievements
- Required competencies → Demonstrated capabilities
- Skills gaps → Transferable skills or learning readiness

**Source material:** Reference the detailed CV file (typically `CV-Collins-Robin-Enhanced.md` or similar) to identify relevant achievements, technical skills, certifications, and experience.

---

### Phase 2: Cover Letter Development

**Objective:** Craft a tailored, compelling cover letter that explicitly addresses each selection criterion with specific evidence.

#### Step 1: Review Source Material Thoroughly

Examine the detailed CV file to identify:
- Relevant achievements demonstrating required competencies
- Quantifiable results aligning with role expectations
- Technical skills and certifications matching requirements
- Leadership examples and problem-solving scenarios
- Industry experience and domain knowledge

#### Step 2: Address Each Selection Criterion Explicitly

For every key selection criterion identified in Phase 1:

**Pattern to follow:**
1. **Acknowledge the criterion** - Reference it directly using similar language
2. **Provide specific evidence** - Draw concrete examples from CV with quantifiable achievements
3. **Connect to value** - Explain how this experience translates to contributions in the new role

**Example:**
"Your requirement for cybersecurity incident response expertise aligns perfectly with my experience leading critical cyberattack responses. At IRIST IT, I led the EMOTET cyberattack remediation, developing a comprehensive response strategy and restoring all affected systems within 12 hours through expert crisis management. This experience has equipped me with the rapid problem-solving and technical expertise essential for [aspect of new role]."

#### Step 3: Structure the Cover Letter

**Opening Paragraph:**
- Position title being applied for
- Brief value proposition (2-3 sentences highlighting key fit)
- Genuine enthusiasm for the opportunity
- How you learned about the position (if relevant)

**Body Paragraphs (2-4 paragraphs):**
- Each paragraph addresses 1-2 key selection criteria
- Lead with the criterion/requirement
- Provide specific evidence with quantifiable results
- Demonstrate progression, impact, and problem-solving
- Connect past achievements to future contributions

**Closing Paragraph:**
- Reiterate 2-3 key strengths alignment
- Express authentic interest in role and organization
- Request for interview or further discussion
- Thank you statement
- Contact information reference

#### Step 4: Apply Professional Writing Standards

**Tone:** Confident without arrogance, specific without verbosity, achievement-focused without exaggeration

**Language:** Use strong action verbs (led, implemented, achieved, transformed, drove), focus on results and outcomes

**Avoid:** Generic platitudes, CV repetition without context, apologetic language, overly technical jargon, desperate tones

**Length:** Typically 300-500 words (3-4 paragraphs)

**Reference:** See `references/cover_letter_best_practices.md` for detailed guidelines

---

### Phase 3: CV/Resume Update and Styling

**Objective:** Ensure CV aligns with advertised role and conforms to explicit styling standards.

#### Step 1: Identify Content Enhancements

Compare current CV against:
- Information referenced in cover letter
- Skills emphasized in job advertisement
- Achievements from detailed CV source that strengthen alignment
- Keywords and terminology from advertisement

Incorporate relevant content:
- Achievements demonstrating required competencies
- Technical skills matching job requirements
- Certifications newly relevant to this role
- Project experience showing required capabilities

#### Step 2: Apply Strict Styling Standards

**CRITICAL:** All CV documents MUST conform to `CV_Styling_Guide.md` specifications.

**Required styling elements:**
- **Font:** Calibri throughout entire document
- **Brand color:** #11217B (professional navy blue) for name, headings, job/project titles
- **Name:** 33pt, bold, brand blue, left-aligned
- **Section headings:** 14pt, bold, brand blue, with brand blue bottom border
- **Contact info:** 11pt with clickable hyperlinks (ExternalHyperlink) for email and GitHub
- **Job titles:** Structured format: `Bold Blue Title | Bold Black Company | Italic Black Location | Regular Black Dates`
- **Project titles:** Structured format: `Bold Blue Project | Bold Black Organization | Italic Black Dates`
- **Body text:** 10.5pt, justified alignment
- **Bullet lists:** Standard bullet (•) with 0.5" indent, 0.25" hanging indent

#### Step 3: Generate Document Using docx Library

When creating or updating CV documents programmatically:

**Required imports:**
```javascript
const {
  Document,
  Packer,
  Paragraph,
  TextRun,
  AlignmentType,
  LevelFormat,
  BorderStyle,
  ExternalHyperlink
} = require('docx');
const fs = require('fs');
```

**Critical implementation notes:**
- Define all paragraph styles (Name, ContactInfo, SectionHeading, JobTitle, Body)
- SectionHeading style MUST include bottom border: `border: { bottom: { color: "11217B", style: BorderStyle.SINGLE, size: 18 } }`
- Use ExternalHyperlink for email (`mailto:`) and web links
- Explicitly specify colors in all TextRun objects within structured titles
- Use `LevelFormat.BULLET` constant (not string) for bullet configuration
- Font sizes in half-points (multiply by 2: 11pt = 22 half-points)

**Reference:** See `references/CV_Styling_Guide.md` for complete specifications, code examples, and formatting patterns

#### Step 4: Template Script

A cover letter generation template is provided in `scripts/generate_cover_letter.js` demonstrating:
- Proper docx library usage
- Required imports and configuration
- Style definitions
- Document structure
- Content organization

Adapt this template for CV generation following the detailed patterns in `CV_Styling_Guide.md`.

---

### Phase 4: Analysis and Evaluation

**Objective:** Provide detailed assessment and actionable recommendations for improvement.

#### Cover Letter Evaluation

**Strengths Assessment:**
- How comprehensively each selection criterion is addressed
- Quality and relevance of supporting evidence
- Clarity and persuasiveness of value proposition
- Alignment with organizational culture
- Professional tone and presentation

**Gap Identification:**
- Selection criteria not fully addressed
- Weak or generic evidence provided
- Missing quantifiable achievements
- Opportunities for stronger connections
- Areas where transferable skills could be better articulated

**Competitive Positioning:**
- What makes this application distinctive
- Unique qualifications highlighted
- Demonstration of organizational understanding
- Evidence of research beyond job description

#### CV/Resume Evaluation

**Content Effectiveness:**
- Relevance of featured experience to target role
- Strength of achievement descriptions
- Appropriate emphasis on key skills
- Clarity and scannability
- ATS (Applicant Tracking System) optimization

**Formatting Compliance:**
- Adherence to CV_Styling_Guide.md specifications
- Professional appearance and readability
- Consistent styling throughout
- Proper use of brand colors and typography
- Clickable links and structured formatting

#### Recommendations

Provide specific, actionable recommendations in three priority tiers:

**High Priority (Must Address):**
- Critical gaps in selection criteria coverage
- Major formatting inconsistencies with style guide
- Weak or missing evidence for key requirements
- Tone or language issues

**Medium Priority (Should Address):**
- Opportunities to strengthen evidence
- Additional relevant achievements to incorporate
- Minor formatting improvements
- Enhanced quantification of results

**Low Priority (Nice to Have):**
- Optional enhancements for differentiation
- Additional context or detail
- Stylistic refinements

Support all recommendations with:
- Specific references to job advertisement
- Examples from CV source material
- Citations from cover letter or CV sections
- Industry best practices

---

## Deliverables

At the conclusion of the workflow, provide:

1. **Final Cover Letter**
   - Tailored to specific opportunity
   - Addresses all key selection criteria
   - Professional tone and structure
   - Ready for submission

2. **Updated CV Document**
   - Aligned with role requirements
   - Fully compliant with CV_Styling_Guide.md
   - Professional, scannable format
   - ATS-friendly

3. **Comprehensive Analysis Report**
   - Strengths identified
   - Gaps highlighted with specific examples
   - Actionable, prioritized recommendations
   - Evidence-based validation

4. **Source Code Files**
   - JavaScript files used for document generation
   - Well-commented and reusable
   - Following docx library best practices
   - Typically: `cover_letter.js`, `updated_cv.js` or similar

---

## Resources

### references/

**workflow_guidelines.md** - Detailed systematic workflow with phase-by-phase instructions, success criteria, common pitfalls, and best practices summary.

**cover_letter_best_practices.md** - Comprehensive guide to cover letter structure, tone, language, quantification, selection criteria addressing, and customization checklists.

**CV_Styling_Guide.md** - Complete CV styling specifications including color palette, typography standards, required imports, style definitions, content formatting patterns, code examples, and validation checklist. This document is MANDATORY reference for all CV generation.

### scripts/

**generate_cover_letter.js** - Template script demonstrating professional cover letter generation using docx library with proper formatting, structure, and best practices.

---

## Quality Standards

An excellent employment application demonstrates:

1. **Complete Alignment** - Every selection criterion explicitly addressed with strong supporting evidence
2. **Compelling Narrative** - Clear value proposition, authentic enthusiasm, demonstrated cultural fit
3. **Professional Excellence** - Flawless presentation, appropriate tone, perfect formatting compliance
4. **Strategic Positioning** - Competitive differentiation, organizational context understanding, forward-looking contributions

---

## Workflow Guidelines Summary

Detailed systematic workflows are available in `references/workflow_guidelines.md`. Key principles:

- **Research thoroughly** - Read advertisement multiple times, research organization
- **Be specific** - Use concrete examples with quantifiable achievements
- **Follow standards** - CV_Styling_Guide.md compliance is mandatory
- **Address everything** - Every key criterion must be covered
- **Proofread meticulously** - Zero tolerance for errors
- **Add value** - Don't just repeat CV, provide context and narrative
- **Show understanding** - Demonstrate knowledge beyond job description
- **Be authentic** - Genuine enthusiasm and cultural alignment

Refer to bundled references for comprehensive guidelines on each phase of the application development process.