Picture this, you’re scrolling through every job site ever made, and you find the IDEAL role for you. But then it hits you. How do you write the winning application? It’s super scary crafting any job application, part-time or graduate job it doesn’t get easier- well not without the help of Careers, Placements and Opportunities advice!

To make this process a little less daunting we’ve devised six stages that will really hit the nail on the head for any application.

 

1. TIME

Spending time on your application is so important, if you have the time, use it. You’ve got a month until deadline, finish the application with two weeks to go, then you’ve got another two weeks to make it stand out from the crowd. This time is so important, otherwise how are you going to stand out from the other 200 Joe Blogs that have applied?

Those two weeks will give you the chance to email  careers@yorksj.ac.uk where we will look through your application and give you feedback. Don’t do this the day before though, we have a week to get back to you! Not only can we help, but your flat mates and friends, they’re more likely to be critical and give you those pointers which not everyone will notice.

TIP: Don’t be scared about popping down to the careers offices to book an appointment with someone if you’re struggling. We don’t bite!

2. RESEARCH

It is so important to know what you’re talking about, more specifically, who you are talking about.
For example: You’re applying for a job at Cookie Co, you’re talking about how much you love cookies, cookies and milk and cookie dough. When the company is an accountancy firm. You’ll look not only unprofessional but not prepared at all, and there is no chance you will be offered any sort of interview or get onto the next stage!

You’re going to look pretty savvy if you mention that one detail they emitted from the advert but have on their website about what they are looking for!

3. TAILORING

After you’ve spent a bit of time researching the company you are applying for, you need to utilise this and tailor your words to the company.

       TIP: You can even start doing this before any application by getting experience related to the industry the company is in.

You want to sell yourself to the company, tell them EXACTLY why you are perfect for the company by changing your personal profile on your CV to their company. This tailoring is how you can stand out from the crowd.

To make this process a little bit easier you can create a CV already tailored to the appropriate industry so may just have to change a few words here or there.

4. PHRASING

How you write it up is so important, it can reflect who you are as a person as well as what you are capable. Finding the right sentence length and tone will make all the difference. If you need someone to one help with this make sure to book an appointment a few weeks before the deadline, you can do this by emailing careers@yorksj.ac.uk.

5. EVIDENCE

Arguably the most important aspect of any application. The evidence section will tell the employer exactly why you are perfect for the role. The easiest way to approach this is following STAR.

S= Situation. Where were you? Who were you working with?
T= Task. What were you doing?
A= Action. How you completed the task, what skills you used
R= Result. What was the result? Why did it work out?

Presentation for evidence can be important too. Display it with subheading if you can, in a table or some other method that’s easy to read.

When you’ve got your head around writing the application, it can be as easy as one to five. There is no harm in being stuck or confused though (even after reading this blog), if you think that’s you then don’t hesitate to get in touch!
 Written by Mia Wilson, Careers Ambassador and third year journalism student!
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash