Job application – 10 tips for writing it

Grab 10 tips for writing a good job application

The job application must convince the reader that you meet the requirements of the job and that you are a motivated expert who wants to work specifically in that task and role. So, make sure several times that your application answers the following questions:

Why are you applying?

Meaning what motivates you to apply for this specific task and this company. Avoid clichés.

Why are you the best candidate?

You should have the right background, but also the right personality. What separates you from other job seekers who have, for example, the same educational background?

What do you have to offer?

Meaning what you bring to the company if you are hired. Be selling and personal! A good job application is not just about who you are but also about what you bring with you and what you have to offer the company.

A good job application is not a CV in essay form

Especially for early career professionals, the most common mistake is to repeat the content of the CV in essay form in the application. The job application and CV support each other – while the CV is a more list-like description of your background, the job application is your sales pitch or motivation letter.

Example: ”When I worked as a project assistant at company X, I was responsible for internal communication, organizing meetings, and documentation” ➡ This should be found in the CV.

In the job application, you could say it like this:

”In the role of project assistant, I developed especially in internal communication and received excellent feedback for my organized way of working. I especially enjoy project work because of its clear frameworks and goal-oriented nature, which is why I am applying for the project coordinator role you are offering.”

The purpose is therefore to open up your background and who you are: what you have learned before, what interests you, what you would like to learn more about, what you have received positive feedback on, and what kind of colleague, teammate, or supervisor you are.

Structure of the job application

To make the job application as easy to read as possible, pay attention to a good structure. You can build the job application, for example, as follows:

Starting: who you are and why you are applying for the task?

What your professional background is like and how it meets the requirements of the job?

What kind of employee and colleague you are and why you fit the company?

Closing: Summary and commitment

Starting the job application

Many struggle with starting the job application: how to start a job application in an interesting way? Good and bad news: there is no one right way. Maybe you can get some inspiration from these:

- Story: how you have ended up at the current moment and applying for this specific task

- Brief intro with a twinkle in the eye: be personal but selling

- Facts on the table: show that it is truly worth the recruiter's time to read to the end

Most importantly, avoid clichés! ”I am a 23-year-old engineering student from Tampere and I am applying for the project engineer position you announced” is not a very interesting or especially unique way to start a job application, though it is not wrong either.

However, try to enliven the sales pitch about yourself with things that tell about you as a professional and a potential employee - age or hometown are not your most important professional qualities.

Targeting the job application

Just like when creating a CV, it is also primarily important in the job application to target the application to fit the task being applied for.

Mark at the beginning of the document which task you are applying for and refer to the position in the text, for example, ”…which is why I became interested in the salesperson position you are offering” or ”I feel I am the expert you are looking for for the salesperson task, because…”

However, mentioning the role is not enough - it is even more important to show your motivation for the task description. What recruiters want to read in the application is told in the job advertisement.

So, start by reading the job advertisement through many times and take note of all the requirements, wishes, and other things listed there that you should refer to in your job application. After that, think one thing at a time about what your selling point is. For example, if the requirement is an organized way of working, think about how you demonstrate it. Has that skill been required in a school project or have you received excellent feedback related to it in your previous job? Concretize the expertise with your previous experience.

Language of the job application

What kind of company or task are you applying for? If you are applying for a creative field, you should boldly bring out your creative skills, for example, with colorful expressions and nuanced language. If, on the other hand, you are applying for a task where accuracy is valued, pay special attention to grammar and precise expression.

Also take into account which industry you are applying for: some industries are significantly more conservative than others, which should be taken into account when preparing the job application. What kind of word choices do you use? What kind of structure does the application have? What is the general look of the application: colorful and playful, or formal and clear?

Remember, however, that even if your application is formal, it does not have to be impersonal. Finish the language by having the grammar and typos checked by a friend or family member, for example.

Name the file & change to the right format

The file name should have your name and the purpose of the document visible, for example, ”Surname Firstname Job Application”. Return the job application (and CV) in PDF format unless otherwise requested. This ensures that the recruiter sees the documents exactly as you designed them and the text formatting does not break along the way.

Should you call after the job application?

It is not mandatory to call, and it is not necessarily beneficial unless you have something important to ask or say. Recruiters and recruiting managers are often very busy, so think carefully before pressing the green call button. Remember, however, that if you want to withdraw from the search, it is polite to inform the recruiter proactively so that they do not process your application unnecessarily.