When writing your job application, you’re going to need some samples of your work. What kind of samples are best? Here is an outline to help you out.
Complex Versus Concise
When writing your job application, you’re going to need to decide whether you want to be brief or detailed. Be concise. You have limited space and the employer is trying to keep up-to-date with your skillset. But don’t be afraid to give examples of your work. Some employers love a nice long letter, and some prefer you to be more concise. So, think of your letter as a tool to display your skills. Don’t worry too much about perfect grammar and punctuation because at the end of the day, you’re not writing an English paper.
Personal Versus Business
When writing your job application, you’re going to need to decide whether you’re writing for a personal or business reason. Are you applying for a job because you need one? Or are you submitting your resume as part of a larger competition? Whatever the reason, make sure that the tone is consistent. The employer is trying to unearth relevant experience, so make sure that your letter displays the correct business mindset.
Action Versus Description
You’re going to need to decide whether you want to write about your past experiences or your goals and aspirations. Action is verbose and requires lots of examples, while a detailed description is open-ended and less reliant on specific facts.
Punctuation Versus No Punctuation
When writing your job application, you’re going to need to decide between using proper punctuation or no punctuation at all. Choose your preferred style and make sure that it’s consistent within the letter. In general, leave out the punctuation except for the periods at the end of sentences. Short paragraphs and bullet points work great. Don’t worry about overusing commas either – in fact, underuse them. The point of a job application letter is to stand out, so you can bet your sweet ass that they’re going to be paying attention to the punctuation.
Use Subheads
Use subheads to introduce new ideas, summarize previous points, or provide additional details. They can flesh out sentences and keep your reader engaged. They can also help you develop an outline for your letter.
Let’s assume that you’re applying for a job as a financial analyst. You want to include details about your education and experience. You can start by using a subhead to introduce a new idea.
“Education”, you might write, “is great if you want to be a doctor, but it’s what you do with it that counts.” Subheads can flesh out your point and add some color.
Then you can use a subhead to summarize your previous experience.
“I’ve worked for Goldman Sachs and PaineWebber”, you might write, “but the most important thing is that I learned how to evaluate stocks and manage my money. I feel like I can really make a positive impact on the company and look forward to starting the job.”
Outline Your Ideas
Start by brainstorming the different aspects of your job application. What are you trying to convey about yourself? Your resume is very specific to that application – it doesn’t do any good to send in a generic resume. So, instead of stuffing your resume with meaningless accomplishments, list your goals and the actions you took to achieve them.
How Did You Come To Decide To Pursue This Career?
This is your chance to shine. Tell the employer how you came to the decision to pursue a career in financial analysis. Talk about your career goals and how you plan to get there. You have a shot at getting this job, so don’t blow it by not showing what you’re made of. Think about the different types of jobs you’ve applied for so far and why you’re interested in this one in particular. What do you see as the key requirements for the position?
“I feel like working for a big company like that is the best fit for me because I can really grow professionally,” you might write. “And what’s more, they have lots of interesting projects that I can get involved in and make a real positive impact.”
Why Do You Want To Work Here?
This is the second part of your job application where you can really sell yourself. The employer doesn’t know much about you yet, but they’re interested in learning more. So, it’s your chance to convince them that they should hire you. What are you offering that the others aren’t? Talk about the perks of the job including any special benefits.
You can also touch on the culture of the company. Does it match your interests? What do you know about the organization? Does it sound like a place you’d like to work?
“I love the idea of working for a place like that,” you might write, “because I think the work-life balance is really important and they seem to support that.”
What Makes You A Candidate For This Position?
What makes you a unique candidate for this position? Are you overqualified for the job? One of the perks of being a CPA is that you get to practice your mathematical skills. So, if you’re applying for a job as a financial analyst, you might want to highlight your quantitative skills including finance, calculus, and accounting.
What Are The Most Important Skills Your Previous Employers Believed You Had?
Your previous employers are going to be the ones judging your ability to do the job. So, it’s important that they perceive you as highly capable. Are they going to feel that you’re a safe choice? Is there something specific that they want you to learn or improve upon? Ask yourself, “What do I need to know or do to prove to my previous employers that I am qualified for this position?”
What Makes You Different From Other Candidates?
This is a touchy subject because you’re not sure how the employer wants you to answer. You don’t want to sound like you’re bragging, but at the same time, you want to show the employer that you’re the best person for the job. So, you need to find a happy medium. What makes you different from other candidates?
“I’m the only one who has prior experience in the investment field – most of the other applicants don’t”, you might write, “and I feel like that is something that this company is looking for.”
Or, you can say, “I’m the most experienced candidate among the group.” This way, you’re not completely dominating the conversation. The important thing is that you’re different and the employer knows it.
What Are Your Strengths?
What are your strengths? Your strengths can be anything that makes you better than the average person. They can be physical, mental, or academic. What are your strengths?
“I’m really good at understanding difficult concepts and making them easy for others to follow”, you might write, “and I feel like that is something that this company is looking for.”
Try to think of several examples of your strengths; it’s easier for the employer to see you as a whole person rather than just a collection of skills. Also, make sure that the employer knows that you’ve got these strengths – it would be a real bonus if they could somehow apply these qualities to the job.
What Are Your Weaknesses?
What are your weaknesses? Just like your strengths, your weaknesses can be anything that prevents you from doing your best. They can be physical, mental, or academic. What are your weaknesses?
“One of my weaknesses is that I don’t always follow directions”, you might write, “but I’ve always managed to push through and complete the projects on my own.”
Try to think of several examples of your weaknesses; it’s easier for the employer to see you as a whole person rather than just a collection of skills. Also, make sure that the employer knows that you’ve got these weaknesses – it would be a real bonus if they could somehow apply these qualities to the job.
Think of all the things that you’re passionate about. You love to travel, so if the job requires a lot of air travel, make sure that you’ve got your passport ready.