Finding a job these days is turning out to be a challenge. Young adults have the difficult task of convincing employers to hire them.
Attaching a job application essay to the candidate’s resume is a requirement of most companies today. The main purpose of these essays is to ensure the candidate possesses the adequate skills required for the position. This may be a general essay, or the employer might provide you with a specific question you’ll need to answer.
Many may doubt this, but sometimes a job application essay may prove to be more effective than a resume. Why? Because it’s not just a list of skills, experiences, dates, and names of employers. It’s a way to get the employer to pick your application out of the thousands they receive every day.
Tips on writing a job application essay
Competing on the job market is harsh. An impressive job application essay outlines your qualities and skills in the best light. Depending on the candidate’s experience, the essay length should not exceed two pages.
Many confuse the job application essay with the resume.
In a resume, the candidate lists experience, education, skills, and others, without going into detail.
In a job application essay, the candidate needs to tell a story and convince the potential employer why they are the best candidate for the job.
The pre-writing stage
Before you start writing, read the prompt several times to understand what is expected of you. Find the relevant keywords that you can use when describing your skills. Create an outline and make a draft version of the essay.
Check for examples of successful application essays online and see if they can be helpful. See if you can deliver a good-quality essay that will get you the job you want.
Job application essay structure
Knowing how to structure an impressive job application essay is crucial. Start by filling in the information in the upper left corner of the paper. This section should feature your full name and complete set of contact details. Basic information about the employer should follow after your information.
Next, you need to add the title and organize the essay as follows:
- Introduction
- Main Point 1 (plus 3 more supporting details)
- Main Point 2 (plus 3 more supporting details)
- Main Point 3 (plus 3 more supporting details)
Remember, the structure of the job application essay must have a chronological order. When writing about your working experience, always start with your first and end with your last position.
Job application essay introduction
The introduction should feature a short general overview of the candidate and define the job of interest. You may want to mention how you learned of the job vacancy and clarify why you wish to work as an expert in the field. Keep the introduction part as brief as possible, leaving out any unnecessary information.
Essay body
When writing the body of the job application essay, use different paragraphs to present the information. The first paragraph should feature the reason for applying. You should also explain why you are the best candidate for the job.
The second paragraph should follow up with a brief description of what you can offer to the hiring company. When writing this part, use keywords to accentuate your skills and qualifications that fit the job description.
We recommend that you use transition words to connect the body paragraphs and create a nice flow to the information. Use professional and real-life examples to describe your competencies in your field of expertise.
Essay conclusion
Conclusions are about summarizing what you already stated – but now, in a few words. Good manners are the key to finishing a job application essay. You must leave a good impression on the potential employer. Write a few sentences to thank them for dedicating time to your application essay.
Final editing and proofreading
Like any other essay, this one should also undergo editing and proofreading. It’s usually useful to have a second set of eyes to check the content. We are not always able to isolate the mistakes ourselves so we need some help.
Do several proofreadings before deciding to declare the final version of the essay. Make sure you have corrected all the grammatical and spelling mistakes. No impressive job application essay should be disregarded due to spelling and other errors.
Market yourself
Consider the job application essay as a marketing document. Use it wisely to present all your qualifications and skills and don’t be shy to do it. There is nothing wrong with marketing yourself, but of course, you need to be careful in word choice. Don’t overdo it.
And if you find it hard to deal with preparing a persuasive job application essay, you can always turn to professionals for additional job application essay help.
Story by John Tale
Share
Contributors
