3 Important Things To Do Before You Apply For Any Job

By Michelle Wanjiku

You have seen a job you like at a good company with a good salary, so the next thing you do is send the saved copy of your CV & Cover letter.

A few days later you look at your application wondering why you haven’t heard from the organization. That’s when you see it, your CV isn’t updated with your most recent work experience and the cover letter you sent had the name of a different organization on it.

So most likely, you won’t hear back from the recruiters. If you had taken some time to go through the cover letter and CV to ensure everything was okay, you could be preparing for an interview. Instead, you have to go back to making job applications.

When you are applying for a job, attention to detail is very important this will help you improve your chances of getting shortlisted for a position.

Here are some important factors you should check before applying for any job

1. Keenly read the entire job posting

Let’s be honest, did you really go through the whole job advertisement before applying for the job or did you go directly to the requirements, see you have what it takes and then sent your CV?

Do you go through the whole job advertisement, from the role summary, the responsibilities, qualifications and even the how to apply? If not this could be costing you.

Some positions have the perfect title but the duties aren’t something you can or want to do.it’s important to ensure you have what it takes to do the job as this will greatly improve your chances of getting interviewed.

That’s not all; some job adverts are very specific when it comes to how you should apply for the job such as directions on how to name your resume and other materials when applying, how to address your application, the specific timeline for when you should expect feedback if you are chosen and more.

Most hiring managers use this as a way to filter applications as well; if you don’t follow these instructions then you will not be considered for the position.

Therefore, before applying for any position to ensure you have gone through the whole advert and understood what the role is about as well as how to apply for it.

2. Make sure your materials are spotless

This might seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many mistakes people miss in their applications.

Having grammatical mistakes and spelling errors will show the employer that you didn’t take the application seriously and you are not attentive to detail, and this will hurt your chances of being called for an interview.

Be sure that everything is grammatically correct and that there are no spelling errors. Go over your CV and Cover Letter a few times and even send them to a friend to proofread.

Dont let spelling mistakes to ruin your chance of getting the job,.go through all your documents carefully.

3. Customize your application for the specific role

When looking at applications, employers always look for people who fit a particular role.

Keep in mind that even though two companies may be advertising for an accounting position, the jobs can be slightly different. using the same CV and Cover Letter to apply for both won’t work.

You need to ensure that your CV and cover letter show that you have the skills and qualifications to excel at that particular job and not just any other job.

In conclusion,

Remember you should not be applying for jobs just for the sake of it or because you like the title and salary. Before applying for any job, you need to think it through and ensure you are qualified.

When you apply for a job just because you want a job and don’t care about what job it is, your lack of passion for the position are evident during your interview and the employer will pick a more suitable candidate.

The quality of your application increases the fewer job applications you make, this means that to improve your chances of actually getting a job, it is better to apply for jobs that you want and that you can get.