Nick’s Application Tips: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

 


Applications for the 2010 Inspire Fellows program are open. For what it’s worth, I’m offering my advice for creating a strong application. As you go through the application process, ask yourself these five questions. (Note that this is my personal advice; I don’t speak on behalf of ProInspire.)

What is my message?

Take the time to think about why you want to steer your career in this direction. You don’t need to know exactly what your career path looks like, but you need to know why you want to make the shift—and you need to articulate it well. Write your cover letter, sleep on it, read it over, rewrite it, repeat (many times!), talk to your family, talk to your friends, talk to people who are already working in the social sector. You have precious little opportunity to deliver your message, so be sure that when the reviewer asks himself the question, “Why is this person applying and what will they bring to the social sector?” he answers in your words.

Am I being genuine?

After all, organizations hire people. The reviewer wants to connect with you through your application, so focus less on trying to tell the reviewer what you think she wants to hear and more on communicating who you are as a professional. Authenticity is what makes an application stick.

Am I communicating an understanding of what I’m applying for?

When people say, “Do your research before you apply,” it’s so that you understand what it is you’re applying for and can articulate why you’re doing so and what you can offer. It’s hard to know until you actually do it, but the more you can learn about work in the social sector, the better. Dial in to an Inspire Fellows program information call. Set up informational interviews. Volunteer. Do an internship. Read up on issues you care about and develop your thoughts. And review ProInspire’s set of links to resources for sector-switchers. The better you understand what you’re aiming for—or at least the direction in which you’re aiming—the better you’ll be able to articulate a message that resonates with your application reviewer.

Am I being most effective with the tools I am given?

For Stage 1 of the Inspire Fellows applications, you will build your candidacy with only a cover letter and a resume. If you’ve been thoughtful about your career shift, there will not be enough space to say everything you want to say.

So consider this approach. Use your resume as the main tool to speak to your experience and your accomplishments. Use your cover letter as the main tool to articulate your message. The reviewer does not need you to reproduce in paragraph form the bullets she can read on your resume.

That being said, your cover letter should highlight your experience and your resume should reinforce your message. In your cover letter, reference your experience or accomplishments where and if it helps to support and clarify your message. For each and every bullet on your resume, ask yourself the question, “What am I trying to say with this bullet?” and refine your content, word choice and phrasing accordingly.

(Here are some cover letter and resume resources from my alma mater.)

What else does my application say about me?

A professor of mine once put it this way: when applying for a job, your resume and cover letter are your two most immensely important work products. If your resume has typos or formatting inconsistencies and your cover letter has grammar errors, what does that communicate about the quality of work you will do on the job? As important (and time-consuming) as developing and communicating your message is, be sure to take the time to focus on how you present yourself. Choose one hundred percent of your words deliberately. Iron out all formatting wrinkles. And, of course, keep your cover letter and resume to one page each.

When to ask these questions

Review these questions before you begin your application and ask them as you write. When you’re done, sleep on it, then ask them again. Hopefully, they will help you to put your best foot forward in your application. Good luck to all.

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