Rule one: the basics
With each application form you will receive a job specification, to secure a job interview all you need to do is evidence that you have the required skills and experience for this job.
To highlight your skills, you should record actual work examples of the essential criteria, primarily in the personal profile and work history section. Employers will also verify that you have the required qualifications under the heading Training and Current Qualifications.
The applicant who possesses all the essential criteria and moves on is offered the job interview.
Rule two: stand out
Most applicants will have the required qualifications and experiences, which is why they applied for this position, what you need to do is stand out from the crowd. To stand out, you need to highlight on your application form what unique value you can offer, ie what skill or quality you possess that will increase the company’s profits, turnover or production, etc.
By having a unique skill or selling point, you will add value to the organization you are applying to, for example, if you have a knack for turning underperforming companies on the verge of bankruptcy into a profitable business, then a company in this situation can’t afford to miss out.
Rule three: personal information
The first section of the job application is simple; Add your contact details, previous employment history (provide a brief summary of your role and duties here only, making them relevant to the job position), and your qualifications. Be sure to follow the rules of the application form and if necessary write with a black pen etc. An important aspect of the application form is the position you are applying for and the job code boxes, because large companies hire hundreds of people a year and Human Resources will only know the position you have applied for by this important code.
Rule four: profile is king
The key to securing job interviews is the application form profile, as this is the section that will confirm that you have the essential criteria required, while selling yourself through your unique selling point (which makes it stand out from the crowd)
The job specifications that accompany the job application form tell you in detail what qualifications the employer is looking for that are evidenced on the job application form and the weight the employer places on each criteria.
The criteria of the work will be registered under desirable or essential criteria; it is imperative that you have all the essential criteria and most or all of the desirable criteria. It is even simpler that the employer in the job specification will also tell you where they will measure this criterion, either through the application form or the job interview.
If you need to add additional pages to the application form, please add them and make a note (and reference each individual page) on the application form so that the employer does not lose this vital information. But as more application forms become available online, no additional pages will be required as the text box will get bigger, just watch out for word count limits.
Rule Five: Sell Yourself
Use headers to break up your text in the profile; essential criteria requirements make the best headings. If you don’t like using headers, follow a format so that information isn’t lost or duplicated throughout the job application form.
Start with an opening paragraph; a mini summary that can highlight your best strengths and abilities in 4-5 lines, making sure to highlight your unique selling point. The opening paragraph should intrigue the employer, encouraging them to read your statement in more detail.
Avoid writing general information like “I am a good team player”, write how your experience has made you a good team player, employers are looking for real work-related stories to demonstrate your skills.
You must show the employer that you understand the position, the duties, and the industry of the job. The best way to demonstrate that he has this knowledge is to record that he has completed the essential criteria in a previous position.
At the end of the personal statement, write a brief summary of why you have applied for this position, what made you choose this particular position or organization?
Rewrite your application 2 more times, each time you edit your statement, remove negative language and add more positive stories; You want this statement to be the best it can be, making sure you get a guaranteed interview.
Rule Six: The App Trick
Now that you have a completed application form, an application form that really highlights your strengths, skills, and unique selling point, you’re ready to start all over again for the second or third job you want to apply for.
To save time on online application forms, keep a copy of your completed application form as a draft and use it as the basis for all your future job application forms. When writing a new application form, copy and paste your original application statement into the new one, edit each new application/profile to make it relevant to this new position and company, this will save you a tremendous amount of time.
