It is often said that experience is the best teacher. This couldn’t be more true when writing a job application. Even if you have the best qualifications, nothing will ever matter if you don’t know how to put yourself in the best possible position to succeed. Experience is important, but it doesn’t happen by chance. It must be something you carefully consider and work at achieving.
The question is: when writing your job application, should you include your employment history? The answer is yes, but there are several things you need to keep in mind. First, make sure you have thoroughly and consciously considered what you want to include in your application. Then, you need to make sure that what you have included is likely to make a positive impact on the person reading it. Finally, you need to avoid including too much information. Keep the focus of your application on your qualifications and how you can contribute to the organization.
Thorough And Conscious Consideration
When you are writing your job application, you need to go beyond just listing your job history. You need to consider what you want to include in your application and why you are qualified for the job. You have to think about what would make your candidacy stand out. This is a lot more than just including your work history – it is an in-depth analysis of who you are as a person and what you can offer the company. For instance, if you are applying for a sales position, you would want to include your success in driving sales, how you work well under pressure, and what type of people you are wanting to associate with (e.g. other sales candidates, individuals from the sales department, etc).
You have to consider everything about yourself that is relevant to the job you are applying for. This means getting rid of any negative aspects of yourself that may be holding you back (e.g. bad temper, being too generous, etc). It also means bringing your best foot forward. This means carefully considering what you want to include in your application and why you are qualified for the job. It is easy to rush and include something without thinking it through first. But, if you want the job, you should make sure that what you are including is as relevant as possible. You don’t want to lie about anything or include something without giving it much thought. Otherwise, you could be doing yourself more harm than good.
Positive Impact
The person reading your application will have an impact on how you are perceived. Even if you have the best of intentions, if the person reading it does not perceive you in the same way that you intend, then it could be very difficult to succeed. For example, if a reader perceives that you are aggressively pursuing the job and are not comfortable working in a team, then they might question your collaborative skills. If they are worried that you will steal from them, then they will most likely not see you as a person they can trust or as an asset to the team.
It is very easy to focus on your own strengths and what you have accomplished. But, when applying for a job, you should make sure that what you are including is likely to make a positive impact on the person reading it. This means focusing on what is relevant to the position and carefully considering what you want to include in your application. When you are writing your application, you are selling yourself. And, in sales, you always need to be mindful of how you are perceived. This means being specific about what you have accomplished and what makes you special. It also means being thoughtful about what you want the person reading it to understand. For instance, if you are applying for a sales position and want the person reading it to understand that you are a seasoned salesperson who has consistently over-delivered, then you would want to include your sales history in your application. But, if you are applying for a management position and want the person reading it to understand that you are a detail-oriented, organized individual who can get things done, then you would want to include your management experience in your application.
Too Much Information
Including too much information in your job application can also be detrimental to your chances of getting the job. There is a reason why most job applications are restricted to a page. If you think that your resume is interesting and adds a lot to the application, then you might want to include more than a page. But, beyond that point, you should consider what is likely to be relevant to the person reading it. If you have a lot of experience, make sure that it is relevant. But, don’t include unnecessary information just to fill the page. The person reading your application has limited time and attention to devote to it. So, make sure that what you are including is as relevant as possible and doesn’t take up too much time. This also means getting rid of fluff. Even if you have accomplished a lot, if you are including unnecessary information in your application, it might not seem that way. The person reading it might think that you are trying to impress them with your achievements rather than let them know why they should hire you.
Key Takeaway
Writing a job application is not an easy task. It is not something to be taken lightly. You have to make sure that what you are including is of value and that it will help you to stand out above the rest of the applicants. Moreover, you have to consider what is relevant to the position that you are applying for and make sure that everything you include is accurate.