{"id":28242,"date":"2015-04-21T03:00:59","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T10:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2015\/04\/5-tips-for-submitting-competitive-job-applications\/"},"modified":"2015-04-21T03:00:59","modified_gmt":"2015-04-21T10:00:59","slug":"5-tips-for-submitting-competitive-job-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/5-tips-for-submitting-competitive-job-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips for Submitting Competitive Job Applications"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Make<\/a><\/p>\n

Whether applying for a job or a teaching assistant position, always put your best foot forward.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Are you applying for a job<\/a>, internship, or teaching assistant position? We\u2019ve got five easy tips for getting the edge on competitive job applications and interviews. You can use these when applying to just about anything<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tuck these tips under your belt, and you\u2019ll be strutting your way into a new job<\/a>\u2014not just a job interview\u2014before you can say, hired!<\/p>\n

1. Professionalism in all things digital<\/h4>\n

Your virtual interactions<\/a>\u2014and that usually means emails when applying for a job, an internship, or a teaching assistant position\u2014need to convey professionalism and strongly support your candidacy for the position. High-tech communication tends to be overly casual, but neglecting proper etiquette for business communications can send the wrong message.<\/p>\n

For starters, think of your email greeting. Then, let the rest of your correspondence follow in a similar tone. Avoid opening an email to a hiring manager with anything as casual as \u201cHey\u201d or even \u201cHi.\u201d That\u2019s not to say you should be unnaturally formal or always use \u201cDear,\u201d but a nice \u201cHello\u201d could be a good middle ground. How you address hiring managers can impact their initial impressions of you and can even influence the way you act around them in the future \u2026 say, if you land a job interview.<\/p>\n

2. Research before applying for a job<\/h4>\n

As a job candidate, it\u2019s common to fall back on the strategy of applying to several positions at once just for the sake of increasing your chances at securing a position\u2014not necessarily thinking about how well suited you are for the job. There are plenty of flaws in this logic, but let\u2019s look at just a couple<\/p>\n

While applying all over the place and putting your proverbial eggs in multiple baskets can get you considered as a job candidate for several roles at once, the quantity-over-quality approach is often counterproductive. For one reason, semi-customized job applications are more likely to get thrown out of a review pile than more carefully tailored ones.<\/p>\n

You may hear it constantly, but it\u2019s true: take the time to fully understand a position before you apply to it. Thoughtful, customized job applications will be more likely to catch a hiring manager\u2019s eye. Further, acquiring a comprehensive understanding of an internship, job, or teaching assistant position is less likely to waste everyone\u2019s time\u2014including your own.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself the following questions before taking the time to fill out that job application and tailor that resume or cover letter:<\/p>\n