Job Application Guide -
How To Win An Interview

In our general application guidelines we told you there were 2 Steps to completing this section successfully.

This page and the next cover Step 1. When you've read these, we'll take you to Step 2.

Follow our Job Application Guide and WOW! your interviewers into picking up the phone and calling YOU for that job interview.

Job Application Guide Step 1 -- Decide What You Are Going To Say

• Use the job advertisement and/or job description to your advantage

  The job ad and/or job description will tell you what the Company is looking for in a successful applicant. The ad might say for example that "the successful applicant will have experience of using databases and data entry as well as report writing abilities".

  Get pen and paper. For each requirement:

  • Make a note of it
  • Write down how you meet it
  • Come up with an example showing how you meet it

  E.g.

  • Excellent communication skills
  • "I have excellent communication skills"
  • I was asked to coach two colleagues on improving their communication skills last month

  If you cannot meet a requirement of the job advertisement or job description, don't ignore it. This is because most employers score job applications against a list of criteria. They used these criteria to write the job description and probably the job ad too. If you fail to cover one part of the job description, you'll lose marks -- and that might mean the difference between you getting an interview or not!

  Instead, be honest, but positive.

  For example, if the ad asks for 'experience dealing with customers on the phone', which you've not had, there is nothing wrong with writing this for example:

  "I have a lot of experience dealing with customers face to face and am confident that the skills I have will allow me to deal with customers on the phone just as effectively".

  You would at least get a mark for this, perhaps 2, since you suggested that the skills needed are much the same, which is true. We've used an instance like this in the sample job application form to follow. This shows you how to put our job application guide into practice.

  
  
• Mirror the language in the advertisement and/or job description

  When writing your employment application, always try to describe your skills using the language of the ad and/or job description.

  The person who wrote the job ad or description thought hard about the words they used to describe the job. Look at the adjectives they use like 'exceptional', 'excellent', 'great' and 'good'. If your experience and skills match the ad then use the adjectives from the ad in your employment application.

  For example, if the advertisement or job description asks for extensive experience, don't say you have "a lot of" experience, use "extensive" as they did. Again our job application example will give you ideas on putting this job application guide into practice.

  You will also need to back up any statements you make with relevant examples........ Here's how to do this, together with the job application example.

Don't forget you can download this Job Application Guide too if you're in a hurry. Plus there's a bonus - "The 10 Most Critical Mistakes to Avoid in Your Job Interview"!

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