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9 Tips for writing  a job application to get the job you really  want

It’s mid-January and the reality of returning to work after the Christmas break has sunk in. Some of you may be wondering whether it’s time for a job change. It’s a topic that comes up again and again for me as a coach. Following on from  my recent article on interviews  I am sharing some of my insights on how to write a good job application. I’ve spent decades reading literally thousands of job applications and applying for quite a few jobs myself. From my experience there are clear guidelines that really do work but are all too often not followed. As so often, a good coach can help you action these.  Here they are

1. Writing a good job application takes time.  15 – 30 hours in total is not unreasonable.
2. Think carefully about whether this is the right job for you. Before you give up your precious evenings and weekend crafting the perfect application try imagining yourself in the job. What are you wearing? What’s the environment like? What are you doing? What are the people around you like? Do these things excite you? If not, and there is another reason for taking the job e.g. location, salary, or you just need a job, be honest with yourself and decide whether the sacrifice of time is worth it.  Doing this exercise with a coach can bring it to life for you and helps you make the right decision.

I remember when I finished my MA and couldn’t decide whether to go on and do a PhD or get a job, a psychologist friend asked me, ‘Lesley what do you want to wear?’  Without a moment’s thought I said ‘smart clothes’.  This helped me realise immediately I didn’t want to continue studying. And that proved to be the right choice for me (and I’m still wearing the smart clothes).

3. If you are serious about the job don’t just cut and paste from another application. Short-listers can easily pick this up, particularly if, as a result,  the overall application is not  coherent. First, look very carefully at the job description and specification to see what you can reuse, if anything, and then be sure to tailor the whole carefully so that it is logical, coherent and flows seamlessly. 

4. Use your application to demonstrate the required skills. If one of the essential skills for the job is ‘demonstrable ability to write excellent and concise reports,’ make sure your application is succinct. Demonstrate this by writing fewer words than the limit specified, beautifully. 

5. Make it as easy as possible for the shortlister to read.  If there are six essential competences and three desirables, then use these as section headings in the order they are in the job description. Use some of the same language as the JD as well. 

6. Many job applications are competency based. The short-lister will want to see to what extent you fulfil the competencies i.e. the skills, experience and knowledge specified in the job specification . Demonstrate these and the chances are you will be shortlisted. The best way is to go through these competences and prepare an example for each in advance of the interview (at least for the Essentials in the job spec.)  Choose examples that are big in scope but simple to explain, and that demonstrate your strengths.

As when giving examples in interviews, the  STAR structure is a great way to answer (succinctly):-

• What was the Situation/environment you were in?
• What was the Task (or project) you were required to accomplish to deal with the situation?
• What Action did you take?  What were the steps you took to resolve the situation?
• What was the Result? What was the outcome/what did you achieve?  What positive difference did it make to the team/department/organisation. What great feedback did you get?  

This preparation takes time but it is worth it.  You can reuse or rework the examples if you reach the interview stage. 

7. Not sure which task/project to use? This next bit is a bit technical and yes, again, it takes time and thought (do you want that job?). Often one task or project can be used to demonstrate several competencies, particularly if it was large and complex. To help you chose,  create a matrix with the List of Competencies down one side and the Tasks/Projects from your previous work experience across the top. In the matrix mark with an X  which competences each task demonstrates. Then analyse which tasks overall demonstrate your strengths best, and at the same time which combination of tasks give you the best coverage across all the competences.

8. Dig deep to think of good examples that will provide the right evidence.  Often this requires thinking laterally or recalling activities you were involved in many years ago and may have forgotten.  A good coach will give you the thinking time to access some of these memories and to explore ways of crafting them into excellent examples.

9. Writing a good application is an iterative process. Start drafting early. Leave it but keep thinking about it. When you come back to it, you will probably have ideas to improve it. Get at least one other person to read it, but make sure they have the job description as well. Think about their comments: they may spark further new ideas. Don’t forget that if they don’t understand something then there really is a problem with the communication. You may understand very well what you want to say, but if your reader doesn’t then you really do have to rewrite so that they do (it may be that what they suggest is not what you intend, but you do need to accept that there is a communication problem). Don’t send the final version as soon as you have completed it. Sleep on it and read it once more. A night’s sleep can help you see it anew.

Do these points resonate with you? What others would you add?