Back in November, I created a Job Application Tips In 60 Seconds series on my YouTube channel and now as we head into a new month/year/decade you might be thinking about applying for a new job. I have summarised the five videos below, let me know if you find the advice useful!
THE COVER LETTER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1g5KR8HHXA
Write a hyper-personalised cover letter and make sure to make it the first page of your CV to guarantee that everyone involved in your hiring process reads it.
FOLLOW UP!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocb6Urfs3hA
It’s incredibly powerful following up with someone at the company, ideally a recruiter or the hiring manager if you can find them, directly after you have applied for a job. It will prompt them to review your application quickly and shows you are someone who takes initiative.
HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlmcl_Y8nGE
When reviewing applications, I rarely see candidates taking the time to tell me about what they get up to outside of work. And if I do it’s typically a one-line summary. This section is often the only part of your application where you get to inject personality and give the reviewer a holistic overview of you.
REMOVE UNNECESSARY PERSONAL INFORMATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aY0aPQ8goM
Every human being is affected by unconscious bias and you need to be aware of this when crafting your application. I very often see applications that include unnecessary personal information such as date of birth, home address, full name and marital status. All this information will do is provide an opportunity for negative bias and, unknowingly by your application reviewer, potentially contribute to your application being rejected.
FULLY COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x00cDOTbVxU
It’s an obvious one but definitely worth mentioning, one of the easiest ways to make a great impression is to complete your job application in full. It’s tempting to only complete the required fields but if you take the time to do it all it stands out. Trust me. It’s rare for people to do this and realistically it’s only an extra few minutes of your time.
Joe Burridge 