What You Can Do to Improve Your Application
It’s never
easy to know exactly how to present yourself in an application for a Local
Government role. Sure, there are experience and skill requirements, but what
about the other things? What extra-curricular experiences will boost your
application? What does it take to stand out among a field of qualified
applicants?
Having spoken to a number of Council employees
recently, we figured it’s time for us to revisit the age old question; what can
I do to improve my chances in an application?
1. Make a good first
impression
First things first,
always keep in mind that you’re usually not the only applicant for a job
vacancy. On average, we frequently see over 20 applicants for every job and
quite often Councils will advertise jobs elsewhere too.
For you, that means
it is critical that you get the application right. As a job seeker, you’ve
probably submitted a few applications recently and you may be getting sick of
doing the same thing over and over again. Yet it really is absolutely crucial
that you don’t take shortcuts and take the time to write the application
thoroughly. Recruiters are looking for serious applicants and there’s no better
way to show them you’re serious than by paying attention to detail and getting
the application right. Even simple things like spell checking every word and
having a friend read over the application could be the difference-maker. Trust
us, recruiters can tell the difference between a rushed application and a
thorough application.
2. Tailor your
application to the criteria
For every job
vacancy, HR departments will always be working with a brief from the hiring
department. They’re looking for a specific type of employee that will fit the
brief they’ve been given. For you, that means you need to really hone in on the
fact that you’ve got the right skill set for the job, which means going beyond
just mentioning it. If the job description says that the successful applicant
will be proficient in Microsoft Excel, don’t just mention that you’ve used it
before. Tell them exactly how you’ve used it in the past and why that means
you’ve got the necessary level of expertise that they’re after.
3. Follow to right
process and follow up
If HR Departments
have one pet-peeve, its applicants that don’t follow the necessary process to
submit the application. It shouldn’t need to be said, but if a job description
asks you to submit your application through an online link, don’t attempt to send
them your application via email or post. Quite often, Councils have set an
application process a certain way for a reason. In recent years, these
applications usually have a field of predetermined questions for you to answer.
Once again, follow the right process and you’re in with a much better shot.
4. Communicate your
motivation for applying
As a job applicant,
you naturally want to go above and beyond to ensure that you’re giving yourself
the best possible chance to land the job. To do that, the best thing you can do
is to communicate your motivation for applying for that particular job. Again,
get specific. It’s not enough to simply write ‘I really want this job’.
Recruiters are looking for the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ so don’t hesitate to get
more detailed. For example, if you’re applying for an environmental role, don’t
just say ‘I want this job because I care about the environment’. Go deeper,
tell them about your lifetime love of bird-watching and your deep concern for
greedy developers and the threat to the local Nature Reserve.
We’re not saying that
you need to write a novel about your life story in the application, but it
really does help to give the Council some insight into your passion for a
particular topic.
5. Research and be
prepared
This one applies to
both the application itself and (if you make it through) the ensuing interview.
You might remember this advice from our Dr Alice Howe (Lake Macquarie Council)
interview, but it really does make a big difference if you come prepared. If you
want the job, take the time to research the Council, the department and the
community. Recruiters love it when you come into an interview packed with
specific questions to ask. It shows that you’ve done your homework and that you
genuinely are passionate about the field.
6. Don’t be single
minded
When we sat down with
Tim Nguyen from Cumberland Council, he had an extremely interesting insight for
us which we’ve since heard from other Councils. He told us that when it comes
to Local Government, it is often more important to get your foot in the door
than to land your dream job straight away.
So if you haven’t had
much luck with previous applications for the specific job you’re after,
consider applying for other, somewhat related, jobs then seeking to transfer
later on down the line. Given the size and nature of Council organisations,
you’re never stuck in one department forever. Working for a year or so in one
role then seeking to transfer can often be a much easier path to your dream job
than you might think!
So there you have it.
Just a few tips to help you improve your chances on landing that dream job in
Local Government. Until next time, good luck out there!
CouncilJobs
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