Emphasis on how you will fit in can help your CV hit the mark from afar, writes Jim Bright.

Flodina writes from Germany seeking a position in Australia. She sent me her cover letter and CV to review. For somebody who is unfamiliar with Australian CVs and with English as her second language, Flodina has made an excellent attempt. Alas, like so many applications from people not fully mastering the local idiom, or understanding local expectations, the result is uneven.

Flodina's cover letter starts with a Franz Kafka quote. This is not an auspicious beginning. Although Kafka is legend in Germany, the last Australian I heard referring to Kafka was Clive James writing from the comfort of his flat in England, near Germany.

The quote is jarring because it is not likely to be appreciated by all recruiters reading it and, if they know who Kafka is, it is likely to underline her European heritage. It is saying, "I am an outsider", whereas the application process is all about making the argument that you fit in with the culture of the organisation.

That said, the remainder of the cover letter is excellent, as Flodina does a good job of making the links between her previous work experience and the demands of the job she is interested in.

Her CV is extremely well set out (a testament to the MyCareer website she relied on to shape her application). However, it is in the specifics that the CV lets her down. She could take a competent CV and turn it into an outstanding one.

The first problem is that she put her name in cursive script at the top of the front page. The solution is simple - drop the fancy joined-up writing and redo the name in a standard font.

We found recruiters were less likely to shortlist candidates using handwriting-style fonts.

Secondly, she sets out her education in great detail but fails to provide any bridges or links to this and the job she is applying for. This problem is further exacerbated by her failure to include any details of achievements and only scant snippets of responsibilities in her previous employment.

Together, the effect screams student, rather than worker, and this in turn raises questions about her motivation to come to Australia. Quite unfairly, it raises the question as to whether Flodina is merely looking for a well-paid backpackers job. As I said, unfair, but there it is.

Flodina could easily overcome this by putting more emphasis on her work experience and outlining her achievements in those roles. How did she make a difference in those roles?

Flodina includes a lot of unnecessary details such as date of birth (not required) and place of birth, which is completely unnecessary. Worse, however, is her detailing her interests, which add nothing to her application.

She states that she likes "playing badminton, running and staging theatre pieces. This is evidenced in my participation as personal assistant for the art director for the musical Fame and my appearance in several plays staged in high school."

To be picky, I'd like to see someone playing badminton while running and staging theatre pieces. It would be performance art taken to the extreme. Putting aside the clunky expression, how are these interests going to strengthen her claim for the position? The reference to school also reinforces the studenty vibe that the application gives off.

Hobbies add nothing to a CV. We looked at 999 CVs in a recruitment firm and found CVs without hobbies were shortlisted as frequently as those with. In Flodina's case, she could use the space to add detail about her work history.

Flodina's application is an excellent first pass that could be made into a winning application with a little more polishing.

Jim Bright is professor of career education and development at ACU and a partner at Bright and Associates, a career management consultancy. Email marked clearly "FOR PUBLICATION" to brightside@jimbright.com