Get your application right

Your application is your opportunity to tell the organisation why you are the best candidate for the role and the best fit for their company. You need to be the applicant that they pay attention to and remember. To do this, you need to give careful thought to your application. Start by applying these rules to avoid basic errors in an application.

EXPLAIN - You need to explain why you want the job. Not just "because it is close to where you live". But WHY do you want to work for that organisation in particular, what makes you the right fit for them? What excites you about the role and what can you bring to the table?
INFORM - Relate your skills to the person specification in the vacancy advert. In addition to the ones in the bullet points, some additional requirements may sometimes be included within the paragraph of the advert, so read carefully. Don't just tell the organisation what you can do. Provide context for how you acquired those skills, evidence of times when you have used them and make the examples relevant to the role that you are applying for.
FOCUS - Only include what is relevant to the role. Whilst it may be lovely that you went on a weekend bakery course and learned to make the perfect crispy baguette, a whimsical paragraph won't impress the organisation - unless of course it is relatable to the role.
GRAMMAR - There is no place for spelling and grammar mistakes in applications. Proof read and read again. Ask someone else to check it over for you and/or use software applications that can detect errors.

Warwick’s the careers blog have a section dedicated to Applications with articles such as 8 Top Tips for Application Success and From good to great: make your job applications stand out, which you may find useful.

Access the comprehensive advice pages of Student Careers and Skills for information about applications, CV's, cover letters and more! The below may be of specific interest

Warwick Graduate Internships Programme

Warwick Graduate Internships Programme

1. Making a WGI Application

Confirm copying

Restore backup