Job applications
It is very important that your application stands out when you are looking for work. Remember, you are competing with a lot of other students (and non-students), and many of them are highly qualified. This means you have to focus on the qualities that make you different, so that your first impression is remembered by the employee. Here are some tips that can help you get your foot in the door and hopefully land an interview with an employer.
First impressions
If you’ve answered an ad in the newspaper, the employer typically asks you to come in and fill out the job application. In many cases, the employer wants to get a look at you and size you up. This gives the employer a chance to discard your application without further thought, should you come in with a sloppy appearance or a bad attitude. So, when you go to fill out the job application, dress as though you were showing up for an interview. Put your best foot forward.
Resume: make it count
You need a resume, and you need it to look good. I am not talking about fancy-schmancy, with exotic fonts and clip-art. You need to have a resume that is easy to read, with good structure, and no grammatical errors. I repeat: no grammatical errors. If you spell the name of your past employers wrong, or common words, your first impression will go down the drain. So use a spell checker. If you need help writing your resume, search online for “resume template”, there should be several free ones out there (we will offer one on this site soon). You can also visit your local employment department for guidance and advice.
Customized vs. generic resume
If you really want to stand out, create a customized resume for the job/employer you are applying to. Build this customized resume based on your generic, adding and/or subtracting skills, experience, and knowledge to target the specific requirements in the job.
Let’s say you’re applying for a job as a secretary in the personnel department of a local company. This company sells cabinetry. Do a little research on the company. If they have a website, go take a look. You want to rearrange your resume in such a way that you emphasize the particular skills and personal characteristics they’re looking for in an employee.
Don’t lie
Even though it is advised to target your resume content, do not go overboard by including things that are not true. You need to market and sell your self, but don’t lie.
Special interests
A great way for your employer to “get to know you” is to include special interests at the bottom of your resume. As an example, if you have volunteered at the local “poor house”, raised awareness for global warming, anything you have a passion for that is not offensive, include it to give the employer a glimpse in to what kind of person you are.
Special skills
If you have a special skill, like fluency in foreign language(s), this can be a great feature in your resume.
Concluding thoughts
That’s about it for now, so go brush up your resume and remember to sell your strengths!
