To put all the right things into your application, you need to know what employers will want to see. If you have never employed anyone before, it can be easier to do this if you first imagine you are an employer yourself.

 

What Employers Look For

Imagine that you run a small newsagent and you are looking for a sales assistant. What would you look for in a job applicant?

Here are a few ideas:

Skills And Abilities

Can handle money
Can add up accurately
Fit enough to stack shelves and move heavy items
Can speak politely to customers,
Able to use the computer and till.

Motivation

Interested in working in a shop
Happy to get up early or work late
Enjoys talking to customers
Willing to be flexible
Keen to learn.

Personal Qualities

Gets on with people
Pleasant to have in the shop
Honest and reliable.

For this job, a successful applicant will show that they have all the relevant skills and interests and will try to indicate that they have the personal qualities that are needed.

They will also want to show that they have taken care with their application so that it is neat, clear and has no spelling or grammar errors.

Empty Statements

It is no use stating that you have the skills that are needed without backing your statement up with facts. Don’t say you are ‘good with people’ or ‘have an excellent telephone manner’ unless you can show it is true, and offer evidence in some form that, if necessary, could be checked.

You will not be asked to take in certificates or badges, but it must be clear that you have carried out an activity that would give you the required skill.

In your application, provide evidence by showing that you gained or used the skill through:

• attending a class
• passing an exam
• gaining a certificate, award or cup
• working in a job where you used the skill
• used it in other areas of your life, e.g. as a volunteer, parent or home owner or connected to a hobby or other leisure activity.

 

You will also need to show that you have the interests or are motivated. Again, provide evidence by showing that you have chosen similar types of activity or working conditions before or have good reasons to want that type of work.

 

Example

Carrying out our analysis, we can see that the job is asking for:

Skills, Abilities Or Experience

• Worked in a school or with children
• Practical – able to work with tools, equipment and materials, ideally in the art and design field
• Have been a technician
• Can cope with a busy place
• Have worked in a team.

Interests

• Education
• Working in a school
• Dealing with children 11–18
• Art, design or technology
• Teamwork
• Busy department
• Technician tasks – setting up, tidying away, making or repairing models, etc.

Personal Qualities

• Adaptable
• Lively
• Enthusiastic
• Supportive
• Team member
• Can cope when busy.

Working Conditions

• In a school
• Most of the time in workshops
• Part-time
• Term-time only
• Not a high wage
• Busy department.

Providing The Evidence

The ideal job to apply for is one where you have carried out the actual tasks before, but in many cases this is not going to be possible. In our example, what evidence could you put down to show you can do the work and would be the right person for the job? For every point that is in the advert or that you think they will look for, ask the question: Have I ever...?

Skills Or Experience

Worked in a school – e.g. acted as parent helper or volunteer, been on a school committee, given a talk or helped with special events.

Worked with children – e.g. been a childminder or looked after relatives or your own children, helped out at a playschool, nursery or a children’s club or taught any skills to children at a class or Sunday School.

Developed practical or technical skills – e.g. carried out any work using tools such as craftwork, car or bike maintenance, mended household items, used a computer, had photographic or art hobbies or built or mended models.

Been a technician – e.g. chemical, animal, materials, food, photographic or engineering.

Been part of a team – e.g. played a team sport or been a pub quiz team member, worked closely with others, been in a planning group or met to make joint decisions, run something with another person.