The following advice comes from many years’ experience of being on the receiving end of job applications. Poor grammar and spelling; badly presented documents and irrelevant information are three common issues. Recruiters are busy people. They want to solve their recruitment problem. By making their job easier you could be the solution to their problem.
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Do your research
How much do you know about the role you’re applying for? The department the job sits within? The organisation the department is in? The sector the organisation belongs to? Researching a job role is a bit like opening up a Russian doll. Each doll has another hiding inside it. If you take the time and trouble to research each aspect of the role, you will be doing more than most.
Starting with the sector- what do you know about it? Take the example of a University. The organisation sits within the Higher Education sector. A job has come up in the finance department; the job is for an accounts clerk.
By exploring news items about Higher Education, you will quickly get an overview of the issues facing Universities at the current time. By looking at the specific one you are applying to you can then find out more about it…how many students are there? What specialist courses are offered? What kind of University is it? How is in ranked in the league tables? All this information can be gathered through using search engines and won’t take long to find.
What about the Department itself? Anything you can find on the University’s website? Do you know anyone who works there that you could ask?
In terms of the job itself- is there a name provided in the advert who you can contact to discuss the job in more detail? If there is- then once you’ve found out what you can about the sector, the institution and department- contact them!
Very few people bother to do this! It’s a great way to find out a bit more about the role, how it’s arisen and to demonstrate your motivation before sending in your application. Of course once you know more, you may decide it’s not for you- saving both yourself and the recruiter a lot of time. However if you are shortlisted it may well be in part due to the fact you bothered to make contact and the recruiter will have noted this. If there isn’t a named person I would still call and find out whether it’s possible to discuss the post.
Undertaking research will not only enable you to complete a more convincing application, you will build confidence as you’ll be better prepared for the interview and come across as genuinely interested.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Benjamin Franklin.
2. The Application Form
Following the requirement to provide information about your education and work experience, there is usually an opportunity to provide supporting information. The most straightforward way to do this is to take each of the the Essential criteria in order as a heading and provide an example of how you demonstrate this. Write it in the 3rd person; brief points will convey all you need. Do you meet the Essential criteria? If you meet most- say at least 70% – and really want the job- then apply. If you aren’t able to meet the level of qualification required, do you have equivalent skills and experience? If you are missing some Desirable criteria, don’t let that put you off. Perhaps you can offer some other relevant skills instead?
As you complete the application form, keep the information about the roles you have done succinct and relevant. Include examples that relate specifically to the job you’re applying for where you can. Take each criterion and provide supporting evidence in the same way- with tangible quantitative/qualitative examples.
For example:
Project Management:
‘Led a project on improving the customer experience by reducing response times. Co-ordinated input from team members, created a planning document with timelines and ensured recommendations were implemented within 3 months. As a result, response time times were reduced by 3 hours and customer complaints reduced by 35%.
Most recruiters will be using a form looking for evidence against each criterion in order to draw up a shortlist of applicants for interview. Make it easy for the recruiter to see how you match the criteria.
At the end of the supporting information adding 1 or 2 sentences explaining why you’re applying as this will provide evidence of your motivation.
3. The CV
If invited to include a CV then do so. Make sure your CV does not exceed 2 pages.
It’s hard work to continually update your CV- and you will need update it to each time you apply for a job to tailor and make it relevant. However – regardless of your age or experience, two pages should be the limit. There are many examples and advice on how to present your CV. Here’s one from Reed Employment
Finally- check your documents! It’s really easy to overlook typos and errors as you’ll have been spending a lot of time immersed in your application – so ask a friend or colleague to check it before pressing ‘send.’
Good luck!
Author: Anne Wilson
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