Job Application Tips

Follow these tips
for job application success

If you are looking for job application tips, you have come to the right place, so just read on!

I expect you may be one of those thousands of people whose heart sinks when a job application pack arrives and you find a long, blank application form it waiting for you to fill it in.

Suddenly that job you thought you really wanted seems a bit less attractive! The application pack gets put to one side and the days tick by. Somehow you haven't found the right moment to sit down and tackle it and the closing date is creeping closer.

Why can't you just send a resume or CV, you wonder?

Well help is at hand. Completing application forms does not have to be such a daunting prospect if you just follow my job application tips.

My top job application tips

Prepare carefully

I know it is easy to let time slip by and then just complete the form in a rush at  the last minute, but this really does not let you do yourself justice. The more time you spend on preparation the stronger the case will be that you make for yourself and the better your chances of getting through to the interview stage.

Review the information you have been sent

Look slowly and carefully through the job description, person specification and any other information that will have come in the application pack. These will contain dozens of clues to help you to complete the job application form effectively and to catch the eye of the recruiter.

Go through and underline everything that tells you what the recruiter is looking for. These are the details that must feature clearly on your form.

Review what you have to offer

Now is not the time to be modest. Let's be clear here - job applications are a sales pitch and it is your task to make sure that you present yourself as positively as possible.

Go back over all the jobs you have done in the past and list the key skills, achievements and experience you have gained in your work so far.

Take a look at these exercises that will help you do this.

Show you match their needs

Don't be tempted to just write about the things you have done that you have enjoyed or done well at. Always ask yourself if these relate to the post you are now applying for and only include them if they are relevant. You need to be succinct and focused so that everything they read makes them think 'yes, that's what we are looking for.

Provide evidence

If they are looking for team work, it is not enough to say something like 'In my current post we work a lot in teams. Team work is very important and I enjoy working with others.' (OK, that was intentionally a pretty awful example, but believe me, I have seen things like that on application forms!) It is evidence that proves you can do what you claim. So in the case of team work, write about a specific situation where you worked with others. What was your contribution and what did the team achieve as a result of working collaboratively?

Use the space on the form to your advantage

That big empty space on the last page of an application from can be pretty daunting, but if you do your preparation carefully, it can be easier to present yourself well on a form than on a cv or resume.

The blank space allows you to control how you format what you say and so you can draw attention to all your top 'selling points'.

So use that white space to make a really strong case and show how you match their requirements.

I have many more job application tips to share with you, but this will at least get you started and ensure you are working in the right direction.

To read about typical job application formats, click this link.

To see some examples of printable job application forms, click this link.