However, being successful at these requires work – no pun intended.
So how do you go about filling out online job applications for maximum effectiveness? Here are a few tips to help make your application successful…
1. Plan well. How will you apply? What approach do you need in order to make your application effective and impressive? And most of all, just what jobs will you apply for? Only apply for jobs that match your skills and experience. Go through the job descriptions well until you find the one whose requirements you fulfill thoroughly.
2. Take your time. Don’t rush the process and don’t let the length of the application put you off. Give each item enough thought. You need to make your application the best you can so give it adequate time. If you’re tired, save your application and continue at a later time. You want to polish your application well so it’s effective, otherwise it will only be a waste of your time.
3. Answer each question properly, according to the requirements of the job. If a job requires that you travel, don’t give a negative answer to the question asking whether you’re willing to travel. If you can’t travel, then don’t apply for the job.
4. Have your documents ready. This includes your CV and cover letter as well as other documents such as degree and certification, experience certificates, and reference contact details so you can correctly enter all the required information. Having your documents at hand in one place reduces the amount of work you have to do, and thus reduces stress, enabling you to do a better job.
5. Have a well-written professional CV. Most job applications ask you to upload a CV so make sure you have one and make sure it’s well-written, has a professional and appealing layout, and is targeted to the position you’re applying for. It should be position-specific and not a generic CV. Please no one-cv-fits-all types! You’re trying to get the job of a lifetime, so don’t ruin it with a substandard or ambiguous CV. You wouldn’t go to a job interview in a cheap suit so why apply with a substandard CV?
6. Tailor your cover letter to the job. Use the same lines and wording as in the job description. Make it easy for the recruiter to match your skills with those required for the job. The more your skills, qualifications, and experience match those required for the job, the more likely you are to be successful in getting an interview.
7. Make use of key words, both on your CV and in your cover letter. If possible, print out the job description and underline important points. Then use them to tailor your application to it, but be honest. Don’t apply to a job whose requirements you don’t fulfill. The more your abilities match those required for the job, the more likely you will be to succeed. This includes both necessary and preferred criteria. If you fulfill all the requirements, including most of the preferable ones, you are more likely to be accepted. If you don’t fulfill the preferred skills, you can still apply for the job. However, if you don’t fulfill all the necessary requirements, then don’t apply for the job because you aren’t likely to get accepted. If you are interested in getting the job, try to get the necessary skills and then apply.
8. Study the company well. You need to know the company culture and current trends both for the application and your interview, so make sure to learn about them – you can do so from company website as well as from business publications – then insert points in your job application to show how your skills and interests are in line with the needs of the company. Is the company introducing a new product or targeting a new market, for instance and you’ve had experience with this? point it out and show how your experience can assist them.
9. If you aren’t successful in getting an interview, don’t let it disappoint you. It doesn’t have to mean you aren’t qualified. It’s possible that they found someone before you or simply someone who was a better fit. Continue to apply for other jobs at the same company. Don’t give up. If you keep applying for the same company, you give the impression that you’re interested in more than just the job and the company can rely on you being a long-term employee instead of being someone who will run with the next job offer. Companies spend money on recruiting and training new employees so want to reduce these costs by reducing employee turnover and retaining talented workers. Furthermore, you can become a familiar name to the recruiters, increasing your chance of getting an interview.
So follow these steps to improve your chances of being successful. If done properly, you can be on your way to a great job at a fantastic company with awesome pay and working conditions and offers opportunities for progress instead of some low-paying job. Good luck on your job search!
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Nine Steps to Make Your Online Job Application a Success
There are a multitude of job vacancies available at major reputed multinational firms at any time, a vast source for job seekers to easily target (through the company’s career page). Vacancies are available in every industry and for every career level. This is the easiest way to get a job because there are a vast number of jobs you can apply for, you are in direct contact with the company instead of going through some middle person and because the number of applicants for each job are far less than those applying to publicly advertised jobs.
