Length of application

[YellowPirate]

Has anyone got any tips on applying for a job?

I was involved in recruitment last year and it completely changed my perspective. I realised all of the best applications were those that were short, concise, and made it very easy for me to shortlist against the job specification.

Now I'm applying for a new job and I'm struggling with the length of the application. My CV is down to 2 pages, which I'm really pleased with. However I also have to submit details of how I meet the job specification. There are 15 essential criteria and 3 desirable. Of these, 13 essential and all of the desirable will be used for shortlisting.

I think I can get it down to 3 pages of A4, using the headings. Is this too much? They are mainly quite short paragraphs, it's because there are such a lot of them! The first in particular is longer, as it is 'substantial experience in working in x professional environment' and there are 3 or 4 areas I need to cover. Is this too long? Do i need to cover the criteria that aren't marked to be used in shortlisting? (These are to do with interpersonal and oral communication skills, which I assume will be part of the interview process).

Any guidance appreciated, especially from people working in recruitment of professionals in the public sector!

I work in public sector. For my current role there was a total of 41 essential and desirable criteria. I always do headings and write how my experience demonstrates that I meet the criteria so the supporting statement was about 3500 words long

From the flip side, I know that the hiring manager has to go through the application and highlight sections that relate to the criteria and then compare all the candidates. So they can't interview someone who given 3 really great examples but not someone who has given 15 poor ones.

Thanks for your reply.

I'm about to give up with this! Managed to get it down to what I thought was a perfectly respectable 2.5 pages (given there are 16 criteria I need to cover). But no.....there is a 4,000 character limit in the section I have to copy and paste it into. I've edited and edited - to the point where it sounds quite abrupt and disjointed. Removed all of my headings (which would have made it soooo easy for them to match me up with the criteria), removed everything that's mentioned in my cv. It's still about 2,000 characters too long....

I've emailed so we'll see. I really wanted this job but it won't let me submit a good application!

You need to cover just the basics, in a covering letter/summery

I have 5 years experience in customer service. During this time I have actively demonstrated effective communication, written, verbal and face to face. I have contribited to team meetings with ideas and suggestions to improve our customer base/ expirence.

During my time on the sales floor I demonstrated X and Y skills.

You get the idea!!!

Short precise

Interview will expand on those points

You need to link the 16 points together where you can. They don't want to read your life story around each one. Bullet points? Can focus the reader successfully.

Thanks - I am going to completely re write it.

I thought I had it sussed.. .. I'm literally giving a brief example for each criteria. Nothing superfluous and definitely not giving my life story. I don't really feel as though it's enough space to prove I meet the person specification, when it's such a detailed one.

But I guess everyone else is in the same position so I'll just do my best with it!

So frustrating when I thought I'd already done a short and concise (and actually quite good) application to have to edit it so much!

You don't really need examples - they will ask you to do this in the interview

Give and example where you improved the sales targets

If a customer was unhappy with the service given by a junior employee - how would you deal with the situation?

Ok, thanks. I've never really come across a job like this before. When we've recruited at work, I've only ever scored people when they've provided an example (a short, clear, precise example, but an example none the less.

I mean, anyone can say 'I'm a good team player '. But if someone says 'I'm a good team player, as demonstrated when I worked on x project and did y', then it proves that they are, and that they're not just repeating the specification back to me!

So literally, when it says that I need good project management skills I should just put 'I have strong project management skills '?

Yes

They are asking for set criteria and you say you've got that experience or skill

They then tick each one to shortlist

The more you include the better

Then the interview you demonstrate -

And let's face it - most interviews will be based on you fitting into the team or having set skills for the role

Most men we are told will only hit 50% of the criteria and apply anyway - woman won't apply if they only have 70% of the skills!!

So literally, when it says that I need good project management skills I should just put 'I have strong project management skills '?

I'd focus on your unique skills/experience, that say "pick me!" over other candidates. So, in your project management example, you've wasted 6 words. Make every word earn it's place:

"2 years' experience in successful delivery of 3 IT infrastructure projects, using PRINCE2 methodology"

Agree with pp, don't give examples at this stage. If space is short it may be a case of saying I have X,y,z skill gained through experience in my job at a.

In my experience, people who work in public sector seem to write really underconfident job applications but can usually do the job. In private sector, we had loads of blaggers including one guy who got a job where you needed 2 years experience of a role. It turned out he hadn't ever done the role but assisted someone who did. Thankfully it's a lot easier to sack someone in private sector.

Thankfully it's a lot easier to sack someone in private sector

How does that work - does the public sector have different employment legislation or something?

They have regular employment law backed up with a unionised work force and a fear of ligation. Sometimes that good, as in the private sector I saw a lot of people get sacked who probably shouldn't have. On the flip side, public sector tends to have a lot of underperformers clinging on for a payout.