What Employers Are Really Looking for in Job Applications

When you apply for a job, you are often doing it blindly. You may understand the requirements of the job, but you really don’t know what the employer is looking for. This can make it difficult to know where to begin with your application. If you are currently looking for a job and want to give yourself the best chance of landing your dream role, these are some things to bear in mind with your application.

Relevant Skills and Experience

The first thing you need to cover in your application is the skills and experience which are applicable to the role. The employer will want assurance that you can do the job, first and foremost. It is important to look at the skills and experience on the job description and ensure your application/CV matches up to these. Some recruiters will just spend a few minutes glancing at your CV, or they may even have systems in place to select keywords. If your application fails to meet the minimum requirements of the role, you are unlikely to be selected. Just make sure you tick those essential boxes from the job description on your application.

Communication

Employers are looking to hire someone who has strong communication skills and it’s not enough just to say, ‘excellent communication skills.’ Your CV needs to reflect your communication skills. For example, the language you use throughout your application, your spelling and grammar and clarity about what you do and the skills you possess. Communication is key within any role and employers need to be sure that you will communicate well.

Clear Career Path

When reading the application, employers want to be clear that you have been following a career path and if there are any gaps in your CV, they will be looking to understand what you’ve been doing, so make sure you cover this in your application. It may be that you were actively looking for a job and you undertook some training, or you were caring for a loved one. Whatever it may be, it’s important that the employer knows you were doing something with your time.

Decisive

No one wants to hire a candidate who isn’t entirely sure what they want to do in the future. Employers are looking to hire someone who has a goal in mind, and they understand where they are going. It is important to make that clear in your application. Explain why you are interested in the role and what your future aspirations are.

Attention to Detail

There should be no spelling errors on your application, as this can instantly put an employer off. Spelling mistakes, although seemingly minor, can seem like a lack of care and attention to detail. Use a spell check and if you have the opportunity, ask someone else to proofread it. We can easily miss mistakes when we are reading our own work, so it can be worthwhile to get fresh eyes on it.

Job Search Place have a range of roles within the UK, Europe and overseas. You can submit your CV and let the jobs find you.

If you have any comments on this blog, we’d love to hear from you!