How to make a successful job application for graduate jobs in the Channel Islands

Preparation is absolutely key to your application. Find out as much as you can about the organisation and its recruitment criteria to help you present yourself – in your CV, online or in person – in the right way.

Meeting recruiters

You may get the chance to meet recruiters and recent graduate employees at networking events. While these can be quite informal they may nonetheless help recruiters form an impression of you – favourable or otherwise – so make sure you act in a professional manner even if you’re nervous. Take your CV to the event and think of some questions to ask if you get tongue-tied.

CVs and covering letters

No CV should ever be sent without a covering letter. In fact, your covering letter is the first point of contact between you and an employer: recruiters will use it to find out job you are applying for, why you are interested in it and why you are a good prospect. Use the words and phrases the employer has used in their advert or job description and match them to your own experiences: use phrases such as ‘As you will see from my CV’ to show recruiters that you can verify your claims. A covering letter should not be too long: one page should be sufficient. Consider using bullet points to outline your experiences if you’re short of space. Once you’ve written a letter you’re happy with, ask a friend, family member or careers adviser to proofread it – they may spot errors or come up with a different turn of phrase to help you sell your skills.

Ask a friend, family member or careers adviser to proofread your covering letter

A CV should reveal the breadth of your interests and experience but should always be under two pages. Avoid gaps – detail what you did rather than leave it to the recruiter’s imagination. Even if you don’t have formal work experience you can use your studies, clubs and societies, travel, volunteering and part-time work to demonstrate the skills you have acquired.

Online applications

Some graduate recruiters are now using online software to help them make initial decisions about which candidates to invite for interview. Online applications can be deceptive: it might seem acceptable to use informal e-mail style language in an internet-based application, but it’s not appropriate for a situation in which recruiters will be looking for evidence that you can be professional. Recruiters regularly report that students tend to succumb to simple errors of grammar and spelling, which blows their chances of creating a good impression – and is more than likely to consign their application to the immediate reject pile.

Top tips for filling in application forms

• Print off the form and read it through thoroughly so you can see exactly what’s involved. Then start to jot down a few ideas that you can build on.
• Some of the spaces on the form might seem far too small – this is because employers want to test your powers of précis. The size of the space is an infallible guide as to how much detail an employer is looking for.
• Prepare any long answers beforehand, spellcheck the document and then copy and paste it into the application form.
• If you have the option to register your name, save your work then go away and have a coffee and a chat with friends. When you return later, you’ll be more likely to spot errors.
• Print out the completed copy. If you get invited for interview, you’ll need to remind yourself of what it was you wrote that convinced them to talk to you.