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Get A Better Job: Applying for a job

by Rod Ashley

Traditional letters of application and CVs are still used widely but have morphed into incorporating electronic approaches, e.g. posting your details on job websites.  In reading through job advertisement details, certain requirements will stand out – the qualifications, experience and qualities sought.  Matching qualifications should be straightforward but, increasingly, employers seek relevant experience or a broader range of appropriate, yet transferable experience which can be honed to the needs of the job.  For example, sales experience in one range of products may be directly transferable to another range of products – intimate knowledge of the product range is not as important (and will be learned on the job) as the generic ability to sell. 

However, it may be more challenging for you to identify the range of personal qualities sought and they can seem quite elusive.  Teach Yourself Getting a Better Job provides a valuable toolkit to identify and match personal qualities and experiences.  Shaping your language to walk that tightrope between confidence and arrogance is a crucial skill – several sample letters appear in the book.  Avoid flowery language or layout – instead, provide a clear, concise, well laid out letter on quality white paper.  Above all, phrase your application so it is personalised to this specific post and reflects your own motivation.


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Get A Better Job: Biography - Rod Ashley Rod Ashley owns Ashley Consult (www.ashley-consult.co.uk), which incorporates Ashley Associates and CATS.  It provides consultancy and training services to a wide range of clients, such as local authorities, the BBC, universities, private companies, the European Commission and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Get A Better Job: Changing labour markets The labour market constantly changes in response to evolving needs.  The job of central and local government, as well as other agencies, is to map and predict trends in order to plan for identified employment demands and to prepare people for these.  In a rapidly-changing world this can bring some difficulties. 
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Get A Better Job: Multiple choice questions 1. How would you define ‘employability’?
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c.    Making a good impression at interview.
d.    Having the basic skills and qualifications to be able to apply for a job.

Answer: b – as defined by William Bridges in his book Jobshift.  The previous Labour government and Jobcentres tended to use (d), NVQs can focus narrowly on (a) and not respond rapidly to changing conditions. (c) alone is not enough.  Employability is explored more fully in Chapter 1 of Teach Yourself Getting a Better Job – and throughout the book readers are given clear steps on how to develop their employability skills.
Get That Job With The Right CV: How long should a CV be? Ask ten people and you may hear ten different answers. One page, two to three pages, maybe more for certain industries … it can be quite confusing.
Get That Job With The Right CV: What if I haven't had much work experience yet? It can feel quite daunting to write a first or second CV with little or no work history. How can you prove your worth to an employer with no evidence?
Get That Job With The Right CV: Should I show hobbies and personal interests? Some recruiters completely ignore hobbies and interests, while others appreciate any additional insights they could give into the person whose CV they are reading.
Get That Job With The Right CV: Should references be included? As a rule, they should not. The best approach is to keep references separate from your CV and to provide them to recruiters only when asked. References are normally not taken up until an employer has made you a conditional job offer or at least put you on the final shortlist.
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