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 bugbears. Recruiters are busy people. They want to fill their vacancies. Make their lives easier and offer a solution to their problem.
How much do you know about the role you’re applying for? Think of your research as peeling back the layers of an onion.
1. Do your research.
- What sector is the organisation in?
- Which department is the job in?
- Where does the role sit in the organisational structure?
- Who would you report to?
If you take the time and trouble to research each aspect of the role, you will already 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, reporting to the accounts manager.
- By exploring news items about Higher Education, you will quickly get an overview of the issues facing Universities at the current time
- How many students are there at the one you’re applying to?
- What specialist courses are offered?
- What kind of University is it? How is in ranked in the league tables?
- Is there a contact you can discuss the job with? If there is, contact them! Very few people 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 the job isn’t for you- saving both yourself and the recruiter a lot of time. However, if you are shortlisted, it may be because you bothered to make contact. If there isn’t a named person, call anyway and find out whether it’s possible to talk to someone about the post.
Undertaking research will not only enable you to complete a more convincing application, you’ll also feel more confident. You’ll be better prepared for the interview and come across as genuinely interested.
2. Supporting information
Take the the Essential criteria from the Person Specification in order. Provide an example of how you demonstrate each one. Provide tangible quantitative/qualitative examples. Write it in the 3rd person. Keep your examples succinct and relevant. Use ones that relate specifically to the job you’re applying for.
Most recruiters will be shortlisting using a form to check for evidence against each criterion. By presenting your information this way it makes it easier to select you.
At the end of the supporting information add 1 or 2 sentences explaining why you’re applying. 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.
You will need to tailor and make it relevant to each job you’re applying for. There are many online 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.’
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Benjamin Franklin.
