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Expert Help Filling Out Job Applications
So YOU Win An Interview

On the last page we talked about using the job advertisement as a guide when filling out job applications in answer to the question "Why do you want the job and why are you suitable?".

Here are 2 more tips to help you answer this question well:

Filling Out Job Applications -- Mirror Language

When completing employment applications you should always write the description of your skills in the same language used in the job advertisement itself.

The writer of the job ad thought long and hard about the words they used in writing the job description. Pay attention to the adjectives they used and use them when describing your own skills.

For example, when an advertisement asks for "extensive" experience, don't answer that you have a "lot of" experience. Use "extensive", just as they did when writing the ad. 'Extensive' is clearly part of the job criteria, so show you match it.

Filling Out Job Applications -- Use Examples

Please Read This: Not giving examples to illustrate statements you make on job application forms is a common but serious mistake.

If you do not use examples when filling out job applications, all you are giving potential employers is a list of statements with nothing to back them up.

If the decision about who to call for job interview comes down to a choice between two applications -- one with a lot of statements but no proof and one with less statements but examples -- it is the job application which gives examples which will win every time.

Here's an example:

Anyone can write, when an advertisement calls for skills in persuasion:

"I have successfully influenced project managers in my division".

But it is far better to say:

"I have successfully influenced project managers in my division. In September, I put forward a suggestion to change the way in which incoming calls were dealt with. My suggestion was adopted and resulted in an 18% fall in call waiting times".

Any Other Tips For Filling Out Applications?

Yes.

Our final job application tip is to use quotes made by others about you.

If you'd like to see how to put these 4 tips into practice, take a look at the sample job application in the downloadable version of this Guide. It won an interview and the job, so it's a good example to follow. You'll find more tips too as well as a FREE BONUS - "The 10 Most Critical Mistakes To Avoid In Your Job Interview".